New Member day 41

[nsd_user663_60833]

Hi! I'm new & ending my 41st day smoke-free. Still have cravings,

Def put on a few pounds tho eating everything in sight has subsided,

& while I know I''ve saved a lot of $$$ I sure don't know where it is!

I smoked 15-20 cigs a day for 36 yrs & my longest quit was for 6 wks

About 20 YRS ago. I'm 51 (let's make that a hot 51!) with an 8yr old girl

& I'm terrified of dying- scared the hell outta me when I got out of breath

reading to her. I've been very depressed with intense anxiety. Two mths

Prior to my quit I lost a great paying job (new bosses wanting younger

Girls) & I HATE the lower paying job I''ve had since. One of my vehicles has

Been broken down for several mths & Christmas is looking bleak. I work in

A restaurant/bar environment w/cigs all around me but I haven't caved.

Now with all my drama out there before you I just want y'all to know

That it has been this forum & your posts that have helped me get from

1 day to the next & I'm sure I'll continue to visit regularly. Y'all have the

Sincere, heartfelt gratitude of a fellow non-smoker from across the pond!!

[nsd_user663_2681]

Hi Roseanne

Well done to you! I'm on day 36 I also suffer with anxiety so I know how hard it can be, my best attempt was 7 weeks CT and then I had a massive panic attack during the night and smoked again! How have u found ur anxiety this time quitting? I'd be really interested to know, take care. X

[nsd_user663_60855]

A massive well done Roseanne! 41 days is amazing stuff and you should really be noticing some physical differences now.

I really hope things pick up for you though. I'm still struggling financially too, despite having saved over £400 not smoking! Christmas is looking pretty grim here too, and I have no family to fall back on, but my kids understand, and as long as we're all together they don't mind if it's just another day. Do you have much family/friend support?

Donna - I meant to address your anxiety in your thread just now. If you're off anti-depressants (a massive well done for that, by the way, that's just as tough as quitting smoking), perhaps beta-blockers might help with your anxiety issues. I take Propranolol both for anxiety and thyroid side-effects, and find them invaluable.

[nsd_user663_2681]

Hi arion,

I am going to doctors on Friday will discuss it with him then I also have underactve thyroid so it might help

Thanks

[nsd_user663_60833]

Thanks everybody!

Thanks for your "Well dones"!! Much appreciated!! Ending day 44 and still craving a smoke after meals but it passes quickly...As I reread my last post, I realize I was listing a whole bunch of excuses I could easily use to justify hitting on a cigarette...(all valid in my fragile mind!!!)...I have no doubt that quitting smoking has been a factor in my anxiety issues, but I can't say for sure if getting kicked in the teeth by my former employer hasn't also been a factor or if it's hormonal or stress related or just plain psychological or maybe all of the above....If I could afford a doctor's visit I would not be averse to medication, but it's out of the question. I noticed almost immediately upon quitting being able to take deeper breaths and my skin is much nicer and I'm sleeping much sounder...I just googled this Allan Carr that I've seen mentioned in this forum so often and I was stunned to read that he notes fears and anxieties as factors in the smoking/not smoking realm...made me feel that damn...this is all normal and everything will be ok and now I can get on with life. Still have bouts of crying during the day but I am lucky to have a husband who will pick up my slack as best he can. He quit cold turkey as well on the night of my quit day and has had the most trouble with concentration though he's definitely not anything like the basket case I've become. DonnaJ- I'm so curious as to what your doctor says regarding your anxiety- I hope you can find an effective way to deal with it because riding it out has sucked for me (just keep hoping it'll go away)...Airion- I'm glad you and your kids have got each other and they'll have you longer now that you're not smoking! Hang in there...like you said, it's just 1 day. What hurts me most is that every year I get my grandchildren bells engraved with their names and the year and this year they won't be getting them...it's not the 1st year I've had to skip and catch up the following year with 2 bells each, but I just thought those days were behind me. And Jenny- thanks for that love from Europe!!! By the way, what does "chuffed" mean?? I've seen that word in this forum several times...and are "rollies" cigarettes that you roll yourself?

[nsd_user663_57259]

Hi Roseanne and welcome. You are doing brilliantly especially with everything that is being thrown at you at the moment. Hang in there though - things will start looking up for you. You are definitely through the hardest part of your quit. Just keep remembering your reasons for quitting and you will be fine.

Regards

Sarah

[Doofus_Overload]

Hi Rosanne, first off, well done for your quit, you're doing brilliantly and you should be proud of yourself!

As for your questions, 'chuffed' means really pleased about something and 'rollies' are indeed roll your own cigarettes.

[nsd_user663_60833]

Thanks

Thanks Sarah and Doofus Overload!!!! I did the rollie thing here too for awhile but never kept count...just a big bag of nasty tobacco I would actually "bake" a bit to get the moisture out so they'd burn right...ugh- and the smell!!! I am so glad not to smell anymore!! I can smell smokers in the store now an aisle away!!

This forum is such a blessing- it really helps knowing I'm not the only one experiencing this!!

[nsd_user663_59642]

Hello, Roseanne! Well done on your quit, it must be 45 days now....that's really good going!

I understand about the money side of things........I simply could not afford to carry on smoking. I was spending money on cigarettes and leaving myself short of money for food. :eek: What a stupid, stupid situation that was. If I hadn't quit, then I would have been struggling to buy presents for my daughters this Christmas as well. When your horrible addiction starts to have consequences for your loved ones, then it is definitely time to quit!

I'm sorry about you losing your old job and I understand what you mean about employers wanting younger people; experience doesn't seem to count for much at the moment. I was looking to change my job (I'm 57) but was told that I didn't stand much of a chance of getting anything due to my age. So I stick with my boring, dead-end job!

But strangely, since I quit the fags I have coped with things much better! Rather than reaching for a fag the minute anything started to go wrong, I have started to sort things out properly........I know now that the fags never solved any problems, I just used the problems as an excuse to have a fag and the problems remained unsorted. :rolleyes:

But, as you say, it is comforting to know that you are not alone.....quitting can be a bumpy old road at the best of times, but when other stuff is happening too, well, it can be a bit of a struggle! The brilliant people on this brilliant forum will always understand!

Val