Uh Oh.....

[nsd_user663_23911]

Oh dear.....!!!

I seem to have hit a point where having done so well, and having managed 2 1/2 days smoke free after a step down + NRT approach (I was smoking 40-60 a day 4 weeks ago!!), I seem to be saying to myself today "well, there you go, you've proved you can do it, so you can now take it or leave it, so you can have one if you want".... :eek:

The funny thing is I don't actually want one, but I also do....!!!???? No craving at all, just a sense of 'I want one' - hard to explain....

Damn the demons in my head!!!!:mad:

[nsd_user663_21995]

Ahh, the 'I want one' stroppy toddler is tormenting you too. Just this week it has been driving Helsbelles and me to distraction!

I think it must be a relatively normal result of quitting. Keep at it Nat and don't give in

[nsd_user663_22002]

Nat - i know EXACTLY what you are talking about....that is the feeling that has broken one 4 day quit and one 5 day quit for me. It's not a "i must have a cig" feeling, it's more sneaky than that. Personally i think it's your brain just trying a different ploy to get nicotine now it knows you dont respond to to "regular craves".

My thinking when i caved in after 4 days was "well i know i CAN quit now, so i'll just do it properly next time" - that was at the middle of JANUARY!! And after the 5 day quit "I'm drunk, i'll just have 1, i wont smoke when i'm sober" That was the start of February I was very wrong

IF you smoked, it wouldnt be as good as you imagine it will be, you'll be annoyed at yourself for smoking and worst next time you try might not be so easy - not saying that it's been "easy", but you've made it this far. keep going

Pleeeaasseee try to ride it out, dont smoke - you dont wanna end up like me! Apparently you have to get through all the bizarre brain changes and it gets so you dont think about it as much anymore.

It's great that you came on here, you obv want to get through this - keep that in mind. Hope any of that bizarre rambling helped :D- hang in there

xx

[nsd_user663_20558]

A familiar feeling to most of us I think.

Your poor smoking deprived brain is going to go to all sorts of lengths to convince you that you'd be much better off picking up a cigarette. It'll try the 'you've earned it!' approach, the 'I'm going to make you depressed until you feed me' approach', the 'right then, give me enough chocolate and doughnuts to feed a family of four for a decade until you feel so lardy you'd rather smoke' approach, the 'smoking defines you, how can you exist without it' approach... these, and many more. And it will leap on all sorts of newly-encountered emotions and situations and yell 'HERE! THIS ONE! This is a REALLY good excuse to cave, nobody would blame you for this!'.

It's not the nicotene that's the problem, it's the psychological addiction, and your inner junkie is a crafty bugger.

You have to beat them down, these thoughts and cravings, one day at a time, each time, every time. Eventually your brain gets used to it all and stops bothering. In fact it readjusts and quite likes being smoke free in the end! And that's a state of mind worth fighting for.

Good luck, keep strong,

Helen

Helen

[nsd_user663_4453]

Well done your doing great nat hang in there

I know what you mean about the voices they tell me all sorts of crap and i think i have fell for all of the crap in previous quits:mad:

We both know where the just one cigarette really leads:eek:

Sends positive vibes your way ~~~~~

Ace x

[nsd_user663_23911]

Thanks ChocPussy (omg, that sounds soooo wrong, lol), Lula, Hels and Ace....

I KNOW and I FEEL I don't actually want one, but this sudden attitude that crept up on me is a bit of a shocker!!!! It's my brain that has helped get over so much in the last 4 weeks, but now it's up to some serious trickery... being on here has helped massively! A good distraction and reminder of why I have done this, why I will do it etc.

I just want to shoot the damn voice in my head that says "hell, having one or two a week is nothing compared to the 350 you were having a week, so it's ok".

I know that one will lead back to 50 a day though.... but my head tells me it won't, I can just have the one.... argh - at this rate I'll have no hair left by the end of the day having pulled it all out :eek:

Big deep breaths, and go and do something with my hands - lol, not that you naughty people!!!... Cleaning or something....

Thanks for being there Nxx

[nsd_user663_23911]

Thanks honey, I'm going to the supermarket now as I neeeeeeeeeed food, and lots of it! Hopefully the sugar rush will satisfy the voices.... now I sound really mad lol!!!

[nsd_user663_21995]

Thanks ChocPussy (omg, that sounds soooo wrong, lol),

I know, I know but when I chose it I was having innocent thoughts about the two things I love more than anything, and I wanted to choose a name I wouldn't forget! It's caused me a few problems I can tell you

[nsd_user663_22968]

Keep going Nat, nearly through the worst

[nsd_user663_4026]

I used and use the HALT approach and sound like a broken record but it really does work!

Hungry Angry Lonely Tired all mimic those crave feelings. Deal with them first then worry! 99 times out of 100 by dealing with a HALT issue you will have stopped the wormy feeling.

Good luck, not that you'll need it!

[nsd_user663_7235]

Fiona the voice of wisdom. How are you? Fiona is spot on. What I would add is that the little nicodemon is saying "see you have gone more than two days, have a ciggy you can go two days again if you want to" Well don't because you may not manage two days again. Tell it to france off and stick with your quit you have done very well so far especially the ammount you smoked. I took it a few hours at a time when I first started and set myself targets like 6 hours then when I got there let's try and keep going another 6 hours and so on.

So good luck to you all and happy non smoking.

Jack