Help!!!
I quit smoking Thursday night (10/22) and I'm climbing the walls. I quit cold turkey and am not using anything (patches, gum, etc.) except extra Ester-C (as well as my regular supplements, which are numerous) and some valerian to calm me, but I am having a REAL hard time with this. I forget how long it takes for the nicotine to be all out of your system (I've quit before but it's been awhile; I've smoked for 30 years).
I am doing my skilled relaxation, but I am very irritable and feeling quite emotional. Anybody out there have any other ideas???
Sara
Follow Ups:
HANG IN THERE!!!
Posted by trish on October 26, 1998 at 14:00:57:
In Reply to: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Sara on October 25, 1998 at 20:51:18:
I'm rooting for you! I just had my 6 year anniversary of being smoke free...I remember how hard it was! I think the nicotine only stays 3 or 4 days, but you feel frantic longer than that.
GOOD LUCK!
trish
Follow Ups:
Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!!
Posted by Phyllis A. on October 26, 1998 at 14:51:32:
In Reply to: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Sara on October 25, 1998 at 20:51:18:
I too quit smoking 7 months ago (haven't had a puff since - hooray!). I used the patches for about the first 6 weeks, and I'm glad I did, because it helped me to step down from the 27 year addiction. I had always said I thought I could give up breathing easier than smoking :o(
I also timed my quitting while on a weekend chaperon trip with our youth group from church. I didn't want to be sneaking out at night for a quick puff, nor did I want to be "caught" and setting "a bad example", so I made myself do it that weekend.
It does get better with each passing day, so you need to hang in there.....but I for one am for the temporary use of patches (can't be doing any more harm than what the smoking was doing). My church probably would be minus a few young people had I not used the patches during the initial quitting days!
I never tried the "quit smoking meditation" tapes, but you might want to check it out. I've seen them in the local bookstore. I also saw an ad the other day for a "quit smoking inhaler". It might be worth looking into.
I'm cheering for you (and sending along a prayer).....hang in there!
Follow Ups:
Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!!
Posted by Terrie on October 26, 1998 at 14:58:57:
In Reply to: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Sara on October 25, 1998 at 20:51:18:
Dear Phyllis,
Speaking as a smoker who hasn't quit yet - I'M PULLING FOR YOU! I tried the patch once and it really does help. If you get to the point where you go to the store for cigarettes - reach for the patch instead.
Let me know how you do. I need to quit again too.
Terrie
Follow Ups:
Re: nlp
Posted by d on October 26, 1998 at 17:08:40:
In Reply to: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Sara on October 25, 1998 at 20:51:18:
a friend of mine quit after being a 2 pack a day man for 30 years after 1 hypnosis session. you know, the kind you see advertised in the local paper for $39. see if there are any neuro-linguistic programmers in your area. they pride themselves on rapidity and effectiveness.
Follow Ups:
Oh, yeah - I used the patch when I quit, too...NMI
Posted by trish on October 26, 1998 at 17:52:06:
In Reply to: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Sara on October 25, 1998 at 20:51:18:
nmi
I'm sorry! I meant Sara. Good Luck Sara! I'M PULLING FOR YOU!
Posted by Terrie on October 26, 1998 at 18:14:01:
In Reply to: Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Terrie on October 26, 1998 at 14:58:57:
nmi
Follow Ups:
Re: nlp
Posted by Sara on October 26, 1998 at 23:49:03:
In Reply to: Re: nlp posted by d on October 26, 1998 at 17:08:40:
d,
Thanks for the advise. Actually, I had seen a hypnotist about five years ago to help me quit, and it worked (until I had three HUGE stresses happen at once, and I just couldn't handle it). Hopefully I'm a little better able to handle any stresses coming my way these days, due mainly to the skilled relaxation, and also the fact that my life is SO different now. I put in a call to the hypnotist after I read your post earlier, and hopefully he will call me back tomorrow and be able to get me in SOON.
Thanks,
Sara
Re: I'm sorry! I meant Sara. Good Luck Sara! I'M PULLING FOR YOU!
Posted by Sara on October 26, 1998 at 23:54:14:
In Reply to: I'm sorry! I meant Sara. Good Luck Sara! I'M PULLING FOR YOU! posted by Terrie on October 26, 1998 at 18:14:01:
Terrie,
I knew you meant Sara - thanks for the encouragement! I used some nicotine gum today (tried the patches in the past and didn't like them), and am trying to get in touch with a hypnotist. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks!
Sara
Follow Ups:
Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!!
Posted by Sara on October 27, 1998 at 00:22:00:
In Reply to: Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Phyllis A. on October 26, 1998 at 14:51:32:
Phyllis,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I used some nicotine gum today (the patches never really worked for me) and am trying to get in touch with a hypnotist that I've seen in the past.
I "subconsciously" timed my quit day for a weekend (had my last cigarette Thursday night, and woke up Friday morning just "knowing" that this was the day to quit). My husband was at work (I am temporarily not working) so I knew I had a quiet house to myself at least until 5:00-5:30. Well, surprise, my 21 year old son (the only remaining child I have at home; the other two are married and on their own), decided to come home after Friday college classes and spend some time with Mom & Dad. This translates to having "the guys" over, raiding the refrigerator, messing up the kitchen, and generally being noisy. I quickly wondered if I should just give up on the idea of quiting until the next weekend, but then remembered that he was already planning to come home then because of Halloween. So, the quiet weekend I had planned didn't exactly live up to my expectations, and it made the whole process harder. It also left me feeling REAL bit--y, like the worst case of PMS you can imagine.
Sorry, I know I'm rambling, but I guess I needed to vent and I know I don't know you, but I sensed that you would understand!?
Thanks for the encouragement and the prayer,
Sara
Re: HANG IN THERE!!!
Posted by Sara on October 27, 1998 at 00:41:12:
In Reply to: HANG IN THERE!!! posted by trish on October 26, 1998 at 14:00:57:
Trish,
Thanks! You've been 6 years smoke free?! Congratulations! I'm ashamed to admit how many times I've quit through the years (I started when I was 16 and I'm 44 now). At least a half dozen times I've quit for about 4 months, then twice I quit for 1 year, and once I quit for 2 years.
The older I get the more difficult it was seeming to even get in the proper frame of mind to quit, but since I've started my wellness program, I've noticed my mind coming to the conclusion that I could only get to a certain point in wellness, and no further, if I continued to smoke. The skilled relaxation was changing how I felt about it on a subconscious level, and over the past few months, I was gradually cutting down the number of cigarettes I was smoking per day without even consciously trying to. Have been praying alot about this too, as I sure can't do this by myself.
Thanks for your help,
Sara
P.S. Did use some nicotine gum today (can't use the patches; they don't work for me) and it did take the edge off. Am contacting a hypnotist to get some help from him also.
Follow Ups:
Re: HANG IN THERE!!!
Posted by Walt Stoll on October 27, 1998 at 11:14:05:
In Reply to: Re: HANG IN THERE!!! posted by Sara on October 27, 1998 at 00:41:12:
Congratulations, Sara.
Thirty years ago I quit, too.
You might be interested to learn that more than 70% of people who practice skilled relaxation 20 minutes twice a day for 6 months find themselves quitting smoking without consciously thinking of it----AND with very few withdrawal symptoms.
About 50% of people who practice Aerobic Exercise find the same thing happening after about 4 months. Of course, of those who combine both, nearly ALL find their cigarettes are a burden they can do without within about 6 months of that combination.
Namaste` Walt
Good Luck Sara! I'M PULLING FOR YOU!
Posted by Terrie on October 27, 1998 at 13:11:25:
In Reply to: Re: I'm sorry! I meant Sara. Good Luck Sara! I'M PULLING FOR YOU! posted by Sara on October 26, 1998 at 23:54:14:
UG, I tried the gum once too. I didn't like it - although to be honest, it was probably because I read the insert and it scared me. *grin*
Anyway, whatever works for you, DO IT! Good luck with the hypnotist. If you are feeling tense or blue - write me.
Terrie
terrie@stoneinternational.com
Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!!
Posted by Tal on October 27, 1998 at 13:41:21:
In Reply to: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Sara on October 25, 1998 at 20:51:18:
Sara:
In my experience, after 35+years of smoking, I found the biggest help I found was NOT TO DWELL ON IT. I was fortunate not to experience the servere withdrawals that you spoke of, however, the is no substitute for fortitude. You must become a non-smoker in your mind. You already know the damn things will kill you. You should also realize that because you are a non-smoker you are apparently more intelligent than all those poor saps still hooked on this legal dope. Yesterday you were a smoker..today you're not. Throw away all trappings of being a smoker. You don't smoke anymore. Yes, even look at those who continue to smoke with disdain, not pity. You've quit, they can too.
A liitle harsh, you say? Perhaps. Even after 30 years of smoking, you can thank God you have the brains and fortitude to be a non-smoker. Walk away from it...don't look back.
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Re: Not dwelling on it
Posted by Sara on October 27, 1998 at 19:21:28:
In Reply to: Re: Quit smoking and I'm climbing the walls!!! posted by Tal on October 27, 1998 at 13:41:21:
Tal,
You make a good point, although I don't think I'm necessarily dwelling on it. I've done much better today, but I do still have my moments where I would REALLY like a cigarette. This is just kind of automatic; out of nowhere, not because I've been sitting and thinking about it. I know this will go away with time, as I "relearn" certain things (phone call = cigarette; internet = cigarette; riding in the car = cigarette). I have to break certain associations in my mind, because this addiction isn't just physical, the hardest part of this addiction to break is the psychological part.
I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you when it comes to looking at those who continue to smoke with disdain. Some people just aren't strong enough, or aren't ready, at this point in their lives. If I look down my nose at others that are still smoking, I'm certainly not going to be someone they will want to emulate. The people I looked up to when I was still smoking were the ones that were able to quit and still treat me like a human being, even though they knew that I still smoked. I wanted to be like them. I certainly did not want to be like the people that had quit and were now acting holier than thou.
The way I see it, I am addicted to cigarettes. I probably always will be to some degree, especially since I smoked for 30 years. I just have chosen not to smoke anymore. But it doesn't make me better than anyone else.
Sara