Day 22

[kacmins]

Twenty two days after and still not even one puff. Some random thoughts:

- I can breath much deeper

- I am not nearly as cranky upon waking up as I was before

- No sleep issues last 7 days, despite me being generally prone to insomnia

- Gained around 0.5 kg, which I don't really care about

- Feel like having more money, even though fags are cheap here ( 1.5 pound per pack of my brand)

- My pulse and BP dropped

- I don't have anything to spit out in the morning!

On the other hand

- I still feel like smoking. For some reason I crave them the most after lunch.

- My good friend called me a betrayer after I told her I stopped smoking. That was weird!

- I feel like I am in a lose-lose situation. I feel pretty crappy every day, but I know I would feel at least that much crappy if I started smoking again. So I lose either way. If only I had never started smoking....

- I am afraid to do/dream about/plan things nowadays. Because every time I have that good "rush" feeling in me, I start craving like crazy. So I lead a pretty boring life lately.

I can tough this out, no problems. But I better start feeling better soon or I'll need a lot of convincing that this crap feeling doesn't last forever. And I don't have those "I'll just have one puff/cigg" feelings. Never had them. If I ever start smoking again, I'll just buy an entire carton lol.

Oh yeah, I also had my last (100th!) Tabex pill yesterday. So I am done with that, which I am pleased about.

[nsd_user663_59644]

Hi Kacmins, look at you go.

This your quit, and your doing this for you, because it's right for you to quit, doing amazing, 😄

But we do need to realise that not every body we meet shares our enthusiastic approach to this wonderful thing you are doing.

You are doing this for you, just keep going my sweet, I am proud of you. A little treat may be in order.

Of corse it is a bit of a roller coaster in the first couple of months but doing great😃

[nsd_user663_60964]

Tracey has hit the nail on the head there I think.

Kacmins, you are indeed doing wonderfully well and you just come on here whenever you feel you need some positive strokes or that those around you don't understand what you're going through. No one who hasn't quit can know how it feels. Just keep reading that list of benefits (which will get longer & longer I promise :)) and see how it outweighs any of the negatives.

I know you still feel pants some of the time at present- very few of us didn't at that stage- but believe me, the pants moments get fewer and further between and eventually they don't happen at all. It won't be long for you now so you just hang on in there, and keep telling yourself how fantastic you are and how well you are doing (because you are :D).

[kacmins 2 Years Smoke Free]

Feeling a bit better now, thank you Tracey and Skiddaw.

Now that I think about it, I had one amazing day...like 5-6 days ago. I barely thought about fags and felt like I haven't had a crave for the entire day! If that's what future holds, I like it

[nsd_user663_62294]

Hi

Days without cravings are wonderful aren't they. You are doing well

[nsd_user663_62023]

When I told a good friend in work I'd quit, his prompt reply was...... bitch, then quickly 'how did you manage that?' I agree with Helene I've never met a smoker who didn't want to quit or wish they'd never started.

Glad to see you're feeling better Kacmins, it does get better just stick with it.

[kacmins 2 Years Smoke Free]

One month down tomorrow

So it's been almost 30 days since I quit. It is true what Allen Car says - it's easy to stop smoking. It's not that hard to resist temptation and stay quit either, at least for me. But what I have a big problem with is staying quit and HAPPY. I feel like smoking every time I work, after a meal, when feeling angry or happy. Basically, whenever I smoked before, I feel like smoking now. I still very much feel like a smoker, who just doesn't smoke.

I don't have that sense of gratitude or pride, I don't feel like I accomplished anything special. I also suffer from terrible insomnia last 7 days, which started after I finished my Tabex treatment.

I wrote a bunch more here, but deleted it. Obviously in a bad state of mind right now, so don't want to spread my negativity too much. I hope everyone is going strong in their quits and hopefully you folks have a better outlook than me! I know there isn't much to say about this post, but I just had to vent it somehow!

[nsd_user663_59644]

Basically, whenever I smoke before, I feel like smoking now. I still very much feel like a smoker, who just doesn't smoke.

Hi , how amazing you are:):), hanging in there, and yes I understand feeling like a smoker that does not smoke, but you are NOT SMOKING. Now it's going to to take time for us to adjust to the fact that we just don't smoke , that's the addiction it will take time and focus, to realise that we are not consuming nicotine.

But you are doing it, we are here to help, just keep pushing through and as time passes, I promis you will not think as much about smoking.

The longer the quit, the less you will think about smoking, and the longer the quit, you will realise the less you need it.

Addiction is a strong emotional thing. Any addiction.

You are starving your addiction, that takes strength, but BELIVE ME IT WILL GET EASIER I PROMIS YOU.

Better health

Better wealth

Smelling nicer

Not damaging your body

So many plus points, but your doing this for you .

[nsd_user663_60964]

Some very wise words from TG and Tracey there, Kacmins. I would add only that it's still early days. I know you're nearly a month in (and how fantastic is that? :D) but it is only a month in comparison to the years during which you were a smoker and it's going to take quite a long while before your brain has rewired itself to the point where it feels normal not to smoke.

What you're feeling is quite common and it will pass. Read some of Helene's posts from around that point in her quit for example- I seem to recall she was going through some very similar emotions and she wasn't the only one by any means. You will come through this, Kacmins, and you won't always feel this way however much it must seem like it at the moment.

Just hold on in there and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You're amazing, you know- just keep telling yourself how amazing you are (and how far you have come).

All the best, Kacmins, and well done mate.

[kacmins 2 Years Smoke Free]

Thank you for the support, ladies. It's somewhat strange that most active members here are ladies, don't you think? Not that I am complaining :cool:

@tractorgirl, it's just that I don't want others to question their quits because of things I write. That's the only reason I cut the post short. And I am sure I didn't have some new experiences that no one else had.

@Tracey, I don't feel an amazing person at all, unfortunately You are totally right about time needed to deal with this addiction. It looks like I wasn't quite ready for that to be honest. I remember about 4-5 months ago telling my mother how awful heroin addicts have it, because even if they become clean it'll haunt them for the rest of their lives. Now I realize we are not much different from them. Once an addict... You are also right about many pluses. I am VERY good at getting used to GOOD things and taking them for granted. Never really had an ability to be continuously happy about something, though. More "living for this moment" kind of person.

@Skiddaw, yes it's only been a month. I guess my expectations were too high. I'll try to find those posts from Helene, thank you.

[kacmins 2 Years Smoke Free]

Great to hear that TG, it really helps to know that things will settle down in a couple of months.

[nsd_user663_62400]

I feel like smoking every time I work, after a meal, when feeling angry or happy. Basically, whenever I smoked before, I feel like smoking now. I still very much feel like a smoker, who just doesn't smoke.

I don't have that sense of gratitude or pride, I don't feel like I accomplished anything special.

Touché!!! :rolleyes: