I feel like i can't do this anymore

[Katdoll1987]

The last two days i have been struggling so bad. I am 2 and 1/2 months smoke free cold turkey. I have been doing so well and at the one month mark felt as though i finally made it over the hill and my withdrawl symptoms became easier and for a while i have barely thought of smoking. But yesterday and today have been hell. I haven't caved yet and i still remain 2 and 1/2 months smoke free but i am close to losing it. My symptoms for the last 2 days have felt exactly the same as they did in the first week of my quit. I am under severe amounts of stress right now. Which i think is responsible for the intense cravings. I've been trying to tell myself that smoking won't fix my problems anyway so it's not worth it to ruin all my hard work. But honestly i feel like i am going to break and give in. I haven't had severe intense cravings like this since the beginning. Yesterday i realistically spent ALL DAY sitting at my table thinking about smoking. I woke up this morning with the same thoughts and cravings. I feel very weak and i feel like i will give in and i will just be a faliure. I feel like i will just prove myself and everyone else right. That i won't make it and i can't make it. I'm trying so hard but all i can think about is wanting to smoke. 😢 i haven't but i really want to. God, will these withdrawals ever end? I truly am addicted and it scares the hell out of me. When you smoke you don't really realize the control and power these nasty things have over you until you try and kick them.

[Dishbrat 15 Month Winner]

First i want to say Congratulations! I am behind you by a few weeks. I still get a LOT of anxiety and find that staying busy helps tremendously, as does a walk outside or a gym session. Make a list of why you quit to remind yourself of your goals! If you are to the point where you cant stand it anymore, why not try a piece of nicotine gum, or buy a vape to help thru the cravings? I have gum on hand in case if emergency. Sending you good vibes! Hang in there! Keep reaching out during your temptations!

[Corrina125 7 YearsSmokefree]

I'm really sorry that you are having such a hard time but it would be such a shame to put nicotine and the other 2000+ chemicals back in your body after 2 1/2 months.

How about trying some breathing exercises or going for a walk, do something that will distract you. Its not easy but dig deep and try and stay strong the craving can't last for ever and just keep telling yourself you're bigger and stronger than the craving.

[jillygirl Administrator LONG TERM WINNER]

Hi Katdoll, you have summed it up when you said you sat all day thinking about smoking. We all can have these emotions , but the thing is to not sit and think about it. Do as the others have said and try exercises , go for a walk , If you cant go out then telephone a friend, do a crossword , go and pamper yourself with a bubble bath etc. Anything that will take your mind of smoking.

Its not unusual to think you have succeeded with your quit and then all of a sudden Mr Nic gives you a nudge. This can happen months later than your quit date.

This is why we tell everyone be on your guard . Mr Nic is very devious.. xxxx

1.bp.blogspot.com/-6OXshdxj...

[Katdoll1987 7 MONTH WINNER in reply to jillygirl]

You are so right. Mr Nic is always lurking waiting to catch you with your gaurd down. I won't give in. I decided to do some crafting to take my mind off of it. Thank you all so much. I know this will pass it's just a tough patch at the moment. I need to re teach my brain not to look for a cigarette every time a stressful situation arises in life.

[Busterbenny 4 YEARS WINNER]

Hey don’t look back look forward you are doing brilliantly full stop and it’s going to be so worth it on the end I struggle too but remaining positive

And looking forward is the best way in my book things will get better and easier and you are almost there!!!

Be proud of what you have achieved

[Frostie2560 LONG TERM WINNER]

Reaching for a cig when we were stressed was the norm for smokers, entwined in everything we did. It’s so tough but give yourself time, be patient and you will feel the benefits the longer you are quit.

Well done for staying strong, and remember to be kind to yourself too😊.

💪🏼💪🏼🚭🚭

[Meei 32 Month Winner]

Maybe try NRT or medications such as champix just to help push you through till the cravings are gone all together. As you know we are all different my craving only stopped after 4 months. Just anything that can assist but please don’t go back to smoking

[Coco797 17 Month Winner]

YOU have come so far. Try to keep the fight going. And if you need a helper, get it. Chantix, Zyban, Vape, patches, gum...

Are you able to get away from the table and your thoughts? Go on a nice LOOOOOOONG walk and clear you head. Enjoy the fresh air and how much better you can breathe because of NOT smoking in a bit?

Treat yourself to something nice with the savings from the nasty nics. A trinket, a goodie, a movie...something? You have earned it!

We are all here for you and are pulling for you!

Good luck - you can do this!

Cheers, Coco

[lindalou12 17 Month Winner]

I am so sorry you are feeling withdrawal symptoms again!!! I have been under stress also, with a husband in the hospital with copd exasperation, I sure don't want to end up like he is, probably coming home with oxygen this time. These are the things I think about when Mr nic trys to come around. Tomorrow is a new day, just make it through today, I am cheering for you. xoxo

[Katdoll1987 7 MONTH WINNER in reply to lindalou12]

Thank you lindalou12! I am so sorry to hear about your husband. My mom also has copd and is a smoker. I wish she would quit. I to try to see what others are going through because of smoking and use it as a motivation to stay quit. My aunt was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and cancer in her lynph nodes. She's been smoking 2-3 packs a day for most of her life. It was my motivation to quit now. Im so lucky to have such awesome people here for support! Together we can all stay quit! ❤

[roneo]

Hi Katdoll,

At the risk of going against a lot of well meaning advice allow me to say this. You are NOT suffering nicotine withdrawal. Using nicotine in any form at this stage of your progress will only take you backto step 1. Quitting cold turkey deals with the nicotine addiction within a couple of weeks. After that I always regarded the battle as dealing with the habit & psychological dependence, which is partly right. I think there are chemicals other than nicotine at play & they are produced by your brain. When you are anxious, fearful, depressed, sad, angry, tired your hypothalmus produces cortisol which can make you physically bad. Your brain looks for familiar ways to replace that cortisol bad feeling with dopamine, oxytocin, seratonin, endorphin or one of such "happy chemicals". Guess what! You have, through years of daily reinforcement, taught your brain that a cigarette will relieve, anxiety, depression stress, lack of concentration, even hunger....of course it doesn't! It replenishes nicotine in your body, nothing else. However it's a convincing lie, almost like self brain washing. You just need to create new ways to generate those "happy chemicals when the cortisol hits. Some quitters do it with food, but I would advise against that. Exercise was great for me, & even just deep breathing. Watch a comedy, have a good laugh. In part it is a distraction from that bad feeling but it is also creating new ways to get those happy chemicals flowing

[pammycakes 9 MONTH WINNER in reply to roneo]

this makes perfect sense to me, roneo.

[Katdoll1987 7 MONTH WINNER in reply to roneo]

Roneo, i know that you are 110% correct. I would never ever put any nicotine back in to my body. Because i know at 2 1/2 months quit i have no more nicotine in me. So these feelings are not nicotine withdrawals. I love your explanation though. I knew the cravings were psychological dependencies but i your explanation really made me better understand the psychological aspects of it. Thank you! I quit cold turkey because i don't really belive in using nicotine replacement. Im happy if it works for some people but for me it has never ever worked. I tried and failed many times when i tried to quit using nicotine replacement. To me it always just felt like feeding the demon.

[roneo in reply to Katdoll1987]

Thanks for your response Katdoll. I guess I tried just about every quit method going apart from vaping which is not legal in Australia. They all have their merits & seem to work for some but, like you, I found cold turkey worked best for me. I liken it to tearing a bandaid off quickly rather than one hair at a time😁 Just don't get too hung up about the psychological side of things. Yes, some of it is in your head, & much comes from your brain,but is very REAL. On the occasions you feel really bad, a blood test would show an excess of cortisol in your body. Try this exercise that was passed on to me. Every day, for 7 weeks, write down 3 GOOD things that either happen to you, around you or that you have heard about. It's more an exercise in overcoming negativity & cynicism, but after 42 days (continuous) you will have retrained you brain to focus on things that will generate more happy chemicals & less cortisol.

[Missimple]

I feel for you, I wish I knew what to tell you. You have done so good 2.5 months is a long time. I agree they have control over you and me, also it’s a comfort zone for me. I can’t explain it, but it’s like I feel better and like the normal me when I smoke, I don’t like change and not smoking is a change and makes me feel like that’s not me. It’s hard to understand what I’m trying to say. I feel like I lost me and that will stress me. It’s the control like you said. I do agree with you, I feel I have to gain control over this addiction, crazy my daughter goes to AA, she beat hers, and she had it bad, but she conquered. I feel omg why can’t I, maybe I don’t want it bad enough, sorry for rambling on and on I’m just trying to understand how something like an addiction can have such a power. I’m sorry, I wish I could offer you some good advice, I can only tell you that I understand how you feel.

[Katdoll1987 7 MONTH WINNER in reply to Missimple]

I'm sorry your struggling as well. Just keep trying. I tried and failed many times before i made it this far. I try to live in the moment and not think to far ahead. I would look at other quitters and say "i can't wait till i am where they are" "i want to be a year or a month quit like them" but that kinda thought made me fail. I just tell myself everyday i just have to make it through today. Thats it. And before i knew it 2 1/2 months past. You have to believe in yourself. You will make it. ❤☺

[Missimple in reply to Katdoll1987]

Yesterday was failure, back at today, so far so good. Got my gum and sunflower seeds. Just got to stay busy

[Arizona- 26 Months Winner in reply to Missimple]

Keep going !!!!!!💕 Missimple😊

[Christina1941]

Hi Katdoll1987. Firstly many, many congratulations on being two and a half months smoke free, that is just fantastic well done. Secondly let me say that this is probably the hardest thing you will ever do and you are beating it woohoo. Thirdly my recommendation would be to do as Dish brat has advised, have a nicotine replacement product to hand for those times when it gets unbearable, gum, spray, lozenges or whatever works for you, I used lozenges, they taste a bit odd but you get used to that. I know you have been doing this cold turkey and I am so impressed with that, I couldn't do it, I'm a wimp 😊 but I really think that for when it is so, so tough, there is nothing wrong with reaching out for a bit of help. Don't give up now my friend, keep on keeping on, and be proud of yourself for how well you are doing. Take care and breath easy xx

[ChuckNorristown 1 YEAR WINNER]

Just try and stay calm. This is normal. I crossed the 3 month line n still have moments that i feel like its day 2 again. It will pass, just like it did before. Progress is a few steps forward, a step back. Dont sweat it, dont smoke, it wouldnt help anyways. You are fine, better than fine now that ur a non smoker. Stay strong, stay busy, and remember that u felt this way before and it was temperary. You will feel back to normal in a day or two. Hang in there!

[RUPFJU 5 MONTH WINNER]

Me too I think it is junkie thinking

[Arizona- 26 Months Winner]

Addiction rears it’s ugly head when we’re not feeling well emotionally and or physically

Fight the deamon🤺💕💕💕💕💕💕

[bonoman99]

Hi Katdoll..You have to stay strong,and think of all the benefits.I am now only on my 2nd day,but after a visit to the Doctors and Hospital after being diagnosed with COPD,the thought of Not being able to walk,or work and possibly be on Oxygen by christmas has finally hit home.I am only 50 years old.I am already on 2 inhalers,one is steroid based.Stop or Die,it's not much of a choice really.So No matter how you feel,and No matter how much you want a smoke,please do not end up like me.Giving up gives me a chance,because as the Doctor said everyone's bodies is different,and COPD can hit at anytime without warning. Good Luck to you.