Quitting smoking (15 days)

[anaamaral]

Hello from Portugal! I am quitting smoking. I’m on my 15th day without a cigarette. Much more difficult yesterday and today than in the beginning! I am a writer and just can’t envisage myself without a cigarette. So hard, so hard! Can someone help, please? Thank you!

[ipopz 9 Months Smoke Free]

Stay strong! It's my day 19 and I had a bad craving today which I beat.

I will tell you what works for me. Each day I say to myself that it would be a bummer to lose all the days that you didnt smoke - hey! each day is a +1 to the number

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to ipopz]

Thank you! Thank you!

The biggest difficulty is to think: how will I be able to write poetry without a cigarette? And the horrible cravings come...

But I am fighting!

[Hidden]

Hi Anaamaral ! 15 days it’s a milestone ! 👍

At this point nicotine is out of your system so is just the behavioral part that’s starting to be repair .very soon you are going to feel much stronger and for sure urges last shorter time .

Write a list of things to do as soon as urges begin .distracting your thoughts is the key on staying quit .

And very important no one puff ever .one puff will interrupt all the good work you have done so far .

Make sure you remove anything that triggers you to have urges .soon you will be able to your regular routine .but for now avoid it !

Keep it up !! 💪

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to Hidden]

Thanks a lot, Karina! I stopped cold turkey... Smoked for 40 years -- a lifetime. But I am hopeful I can make it. I still have some cigarettes at home, but will throw them away! DAY 16 now!

Thanks again!

[Monica1969 1 Year Smoke Free in reply to anaamaral]

Hi anaamaral, well done on day 16, I am on day 18 and feel so proud so you should too. Throw that temptation away, I wouldn't be able to resist if they were there so 10/10..!!!!

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to Monica1969]

Will do, Monica! I’ll throw them away!

And well done to you!!!

But aren’t your cravings worse now than in the beginning? Mine are!

Thanks and all the best. And CONGRATULATIONS!

[Monica1969 1 Year Smoke Free in reply to anaamaral]

Well you could say I am cheating as I am on Champix so not completely cold turkey but there is a level of willpower still required, however, I have found it easier using it, my philosophy is, why suffer when I don't need to lol

I am eating sweets a lot, I don't normally have a sweet tooth either so I am going to have to take control of that at some point.

Congrats to you too, we are both on the right path x

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to Monica1969]

I think it’s great that you’re having good results with Champix!!! And I do agree with you: why suffer when you don’t need to? this is why I have an appointment with a pneumologista today to see if she can give me something that may help. Cold turkey is terrible!

I wish I could have Champix, but I can’t: I tried it 3 years ago and my reactions were truly horrible, from vivid dreams to a foul mood.

Congrats to you, really! And, yes, we’re on the right path!

[Monica1969 1 Year Smoke Free in reply to anaamaral]

Fingers crossed for you today hun, I hope they can find a solution for you, maybe something herbal may help.

I'm up and down with my mood today, but I'm just scouring the internet looking at plants and what I will do in my garden this weekend so its chilling me out lol.

[Hercu Valued Contributor]

Anaamaral...Welcome and very well done on 19 days...The story is that a habit can be broken in 21 days...Let's hope it is true..To stop smoking is very stressful and one of the things that makes it more difficult is the fact that we can't "envisage" ourselves without a cigarette but have you ever visualise yourself connected to an oxygen bottle fighting for breath.... That vision made me quit and stay quit for three years...

To stop smoking was the most difficult thing I have done in my life and believe you saying it is hard..Yes it is, but the life without a cigarette is so much better and giving us so much more quality life and the opportunity to live, life the way it should be... It is great !!

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to Hercu]

Thanks, Hercu! I just came from a clinical consultation, but it was useless. That kind of doctor who says things like “it’s just a matter of willpower”.. I know it is, but still...

It did help me what you wrote about visualize oneself connected to an oxygen bottle! And, as Emily Dickinson once wrote, “to be alive is Power”!

[Hidden in reply to anaamaral]

Ana ! Once you pass the first month is so much easier !

Just remember ..no triggers at the beginning !

And I don’t know if I mentioned this before but the first 3 month I spent at least 30 minutes every day reading about smoking damaging effects on health and I used to look at pics of contaminated lungs ..That’s just me not everyone have to do this but I needed it and it worked for me .maybe I was that addicted that I had to confront the reality ..

Ana you will see how you will be so happy very soon and you will not miss smoking anymore .And I’m sure you will also be helping others to quit .💕

[Hidden]

By the way Ana I also kept a few cigarrets for a month after quitting .for some reason keeping them made me feel comfortable .I still remember the day I desided to put them in the garbage ,I actually forgot I had them in my car .😆

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free]

Hello, Karina! Thank you for the tip about the images of the lungs. Super useful! This is now my day 17 and I have to say that it is less difficult than yesterday. I think the images helped .

I also have some cigarettes at home. Haven’t thrown them away yet, as I like the idea of having them there and not use them.

Anyway, this has been the most difficult time of my life, for sure. It is mostly the future that bothers me: how can I imagine myself without the cigarette? How will I be able to write poetry? That -- is the hardest part, I don’t know if anyone understands that.

Thank you again!

ana luisa

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free]

NEED HELP, PLEASE. 18 days without smoking. I quit cold turkey. Today, in the morning, shopping in the street, I had the most horrible experience: suddenly, it was as if I was having an hallucination, the light was too strong, the images were too vivid, truly horrible. Can someone help me, please? Can this be related to the lack of nicotine? Thank you!

[Hidden in reply to anaamaral]

I understand what you mean! I experienced the same sensations, I called it sensory overload. Everything was heightened, noises were loud! Smells were strong and everything felt as though it was smothering me!!its day 34 now and that has all settled down, I still don’t like being in large crowds though, feels too much! I enjoy it now, I believe it’s our bodies now regulating how it should! You’ll get through this one too! It seems as though this can happen to some people keep going! 🙌👏👏👏💪

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free]

Thank, thank you very much! It did frighten me. So calming to know that this has happened to someone else too! Again: thank you!

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free]

Now it is really terrible. How I crave a cigarrette!! And this after 19 days free of smoke. But I am writing a conference for tomorrow and the words won’t come, they just won’t come... Any suggestions, my friends?

[Monica1969 1 Year Smoke Free in reply to anaamaral]

Hi Ana hope you’re feeling ok, I’m craving more today and yesterday and today is day 21.

You could try a nice walk or a lovely bath, just somewhere you can try and relax. Try to be kind to yourself, youre 19 days smoke free, its not easy but you’re doing it so a BIG we’ll done x

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to Monica1969]

Hi Monica, now I’m a little better, thanks! I just went for a walk with my dog and yes, it made me forget the cigarette a bit. The thing is that I have this conference tomorrow, half written, and no concentration power at all...!!

An ENORMOUS well done to you! And THANK YOU!

[Monica1969 1 Year Smoke Free in reply to anaamaral]

Rather than writing the whole thing, why don’t you just do bullet point cards then you can say what you feel at that time. Not sure if that would be possible or not.

You did well today and you managed to beat the craving 💪💪💪

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free]

I’ll do that, yes!!! Thank you so much, so much for your support!!!

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free]

Huge welcome to our community anaamaral and congratulations on over 2 weeks smoke free, that is great!

Hope your conference went well and smoke free? The cravings will get less severe and frequent as each day passes, just take it one day at a time...I too stopped cold turkey and am heading towards 3 years smoke free in September, one of the best achievements of my life - you will NEVER regret stopping, have a read of the pinned posts - link below to this one worth a read if not already done so:

healthunlocked.com/nosmokin........

We look forward to reading your progress

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

Thank you so much, Roisin01! It's 3 weeks tomorrow!

My conference went just GREAT! People loved it. Never thought I'd be able to prepare it without smoking -- but I did. And I am starting to write poetry again

Thank you!

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free]

And hello to you all, my friends from HealthUnlocked! I am greeting you from a beautiful morning in Portugal. I leave by the beach, so I can hear the seagulls. My balcony is full of flowers, my cats are happy with this lovely weather.

Today 0NE MONTH without smoking! I wanted to share this with you. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

Obrigada!

[ipopz 9 Months Smoke Free]

It was 1 month smoke free for me 1 day and a half ago!

Keep it going and let's keep supporting eachother

[anaamaral 9 Months Smoke Free in reply to ipopz]

Yes, let's keep supporting each other, ipopz.

And congratulations!