Depression 3 months

[sparkle-bright]

This has been a major struggle. I am smoke-free for 3 months & actially feel worse!i now spend all day in bed Saturday's just so I do not have to consciously live through a day without smoking. How can this possibly be better for me if I feel like I'm already dead? When do the crazies actually go away?

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner]

Hi Sparkle-bright, a big warm welcome to our lovely quit support group and a massive big well done to you for being smokefree for 3 months

Yes, I'm sorry but for some of us it does take longer before we reap the benefits of quitting BUT, they will come just you hold fast to what you have and be PROUD of yourself hold your head up flippin high and say YES I'VE DONE IT go treat yourself to something special

Sparkle, dont just lay in bed, get up and get out in that lovely fresh air, do a bit of exercising, go shopping and buy yourself something nice dont your hair and clothes smell better, dont you smell better dont your teeth look whiter, have you got more money to spend, can you breath easier try to loosen up a bit, try to smile get out and do things this will help to take your mind off the ermmmm, you know what eh Are you using any form of NRT to help you ? cos if you are, this may be causing the depression your feeling

You will see the TOPIC's to the right of your post, just have a looksy through some of them, cos they may just help you

Sparkle, if you would please let me know your quit date, then I can add you to the Wall of Winners plus keep your Winners badge up to date

Take care now Pete

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to monky]

Hi I quit on April 5, 2015

[Yolies 14 Month Winner]

Sparkle-bright, please note that you're not alone. I have quit for 5 months now and I had the most uncomfortable symptoms up until 4 months. Please note that it will pass. At times I wondered if I wasn't doing more harm than good by quitting, but I persisted. Now my biggest concern is getting rid of the weight I've put on, but if I smell a cigarette or smell how other people who smoke pong, I'm determined not to smell like that again. Unfortunately the depression lasts a while, but it gets better with time. Stay strong and remember in the long run, you're doing this for yourself.

[shantimar]

Hi sparkle 🌟🌟

You are a star for quitting, don't see it as giving up or going without, see it as gaining your life back and gaining your freedom.

You're not chained to cigarettes anymore, they don't control your life, you do 😀

If you can't shake the blues, then talk to your GP. Don't light up, you may think it will help but it won't.

You have still remained quit despite feeling like this which I think shows you're a strong determined individual 💪 it does get easier I promise 👍

Xx

[glolin LONG TERM WINNER]

Hi sparkle and welcome to quit support,

Well done on your quit so far 😀😀 you should be feeling very proud of yourself because you have done so well🌷🌷🌷

These feelings will get better, try and focus on all the positive things you have achieved, and treat yourself with the money you have saved.

Stay strong .... Xx

[Hidden]

Hi Sparkle

I have been looking into the business of feeling low after quitting. What helped me was walking. I have a pedometer, and try to do at least 10,000 per day. Do you feel most depressed first thing in the morning? There is a theory that this is due to a reduced amount of the hormone cortisol. Smoking artificially makes more cortisol and we feel the effects when that stops. The theory is, get some exercise and lay off white bread and that type of carb (including sugar). I also found it better to get up as soon as I woke up. Don't feel disheartened; if it's getting a bit much to bear the lovely people on here will always cheer you up.

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to Hidden]

I did have my blood checked and all was fine

[Hidden in reply to sparkle-bright]

That's a good thing and means there is nothing serious to worry about. The tests wouldn't have looked for cortisol and there's nothing you can take safely to counteract it. It will pass, as others have saod

[Angeline12345]

Oh bless you , it will pass

One of the hardest things you will ever do

It's only now where I feel like the old me, but I found walking has helped and forcing myself out.

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to Angeline12345]

How long did it take you to be free from withdrawal symptoms?

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER]

Thank you everyone. Was off from work today & unfortunately could not manage to get myself out of bed today, but your comments helped me to see that I'm not alone in this and that I have this website on hand as a resource. I don't really have friends or family so thank you for the support & kind words this far. My quit date was April 5, 2015

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner in reply to sparkle-bright]

Hi Sparkle

Thank you ever so much for letting us know your quit date, now I can add you to the Wall of Winners and get you a Winners badge sorted out

Hay Sparkle, we not a bad bunch on here you know soooo, why not make us your new friends and family get chatting to us, get to know us, join in with us when were having a chat and a bit of a laugh it all helps us get through our quits and you will NEVER be alone while your on this site

Have you started exercising yet or can you do it in bed you take care now and see's ya soon

[Briarwood Administrator LONG TERM WINNER]

Hiya sparkle and welcome to quit support😊

Congrats on 3 months quit, great achievement👍🏼 but really sorry to hear you are suffering. There's a post on here about the feel good chemicals in our brain and the effect quitting has on them. I think it might help you to understand what is actually happening. As you can see from the replies it has affected other members as well. You are not alone and perhaps a chat with your Doc may help. Just knowing that this will pass and all your hard work will pay off in the long run. Hang in there and you'll have lots of support from the lovely members here, some of whom have experienced the same feelings as you. Sending stay strong hugs to help you 😊 x

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to Briarwood]

Thank you, I'm trying to hang in there...I wish there was something to take to ward off these withdrawal symptoms

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner in reply to sparkle-bright]

Hi ya Sparkle, I hope you've had a lovely day, an easier day

I've found an old post that might just interest you its about our body chemicals

Please have a read through it and see what you think Your doing ever so well Sparkle and am sooooo proud of you for stinking at it and fighting that mr nic

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to monky]

Thank you, where can I find the article that you referred to?

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner in reply to sparkle-bright]

Hi ya Sparkle

I have reposted it, it is just a couple of posts down from here also, please click on the link at the bottom

Its called -- Understanding the 'feel good chemicals' within the brain

Hoping it will help you

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to monky]

Thank you, I've read it.

[Angeline12345]

I found that going out and walking helped , started doing that in the March at weekends I would get my te year old wrapped up and we would walk the dog. I've now started to run three times a week not far and not for long starting on the couch to 5k app and this gives me something to think about .also helping to clear out my lungs.

It's only been recently since I've felt better so had 5 awful months but I saw that as how bad fags were to make me feel so ill. With all the tar built up inside your throat mouth etc, will take sometime to get replaced with new.

You will get there

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER]

Oh I would so love to get a dog to go for walks, but I'm afraid living in an apartment at this time would not be the best thing for a little furry friend. Some day. Thanks for the perspective on looking at it as cigarettes making me feel this ill. These feelings that I'm going through right now make me never want to go through it again. I did sign up to receive-mails for "from couch to potato" but unfortunately, I haven't started yet. One battle at a time for me I guess. I do recall reading somewhere sometime ago than many former smokers tend to take up running...I'm not certain why but it seems like a good way to burn calories

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to sparkle-bright]

Sorry I meant from couch to run, ha ha

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner in reply to sparkle-bright]

Sparkle, when I first quit, exercise helped me no end gal, not just to keep my weight down, but with the cravings tooo

As I have said before, it helped me to clear my lungs and get rid of all that crap BUT, BUT, after a few days of doing it, I felt flippin GREAT after I dont do running all I have is a rowing machine and that seems to do it for me

Look Sparkle, just please try a bit of dancing to a cd or exercising to wee, or something like that anything to get you body moving again Your pic tells me that your about 30 ish and very pretty with it too, which to me is very young soooooo, lets get you moving again gal, come on, get that body of your's moving again OK, it will be hard for a couple of days, but then you will start to get used to it and find that you feel better and better

Sparkle, you have your whole life ahead of you, soooo flippin DOOOOO something about it come on gal, kick that ass of your's otherwise, I'll come down der and kick ASS for ya seeeeee

Take care now

[sparkle-bright 1 YEAR WINNER in reply to monky]

Awww thanks thats the best compliment I heard in months. I'm actually 44. I'm afraid that today, any form of exercise is not going to happen because I have major lower back pain at the moment...which I never get...I'm thinking it is from laying in bed for too long, getting angry with myself, so I decided to put my inversion table together and actually made my back worse! Lesson learned, no more laying around for me! Thanks for listening Monky, I appreciate it, I really don't have anyone to vent to.

[monky Administrator 35 Months Winner in reply to sparkle-bright]

Yeahhhhh, I suspect your lower back pain is due to laying about in bed

BUT, am no doctor norrrrr, am I a preacher but I do know, you have to get moving about again, just try it please

Sparkle, you can vent on here as much as you like gal hang on a minute, let me find my ear muffs, rite got em, you just vent gal

Hay, am only messing about, you come and vent on here when you need to Sparkle, there will always be somebody about

Your a very pretty young Lady soooo, lets keep you that way eh

[Angeline12345]

I have found it has helped a great deal seeing how bad I have felt I think if I hadn't had any illness I would of started smoking.. So in a way I'm glad it was so ill I thought I was gonna die!!