The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

determined_new_ms

Mrs_P_Pincher wrote: »

Back again. Checked out my vital signs and there is nothing to indicate that it is a thyroid problem after all. I think this is the same problem I had before in a slightly different form. Last time it was panic attacks that disabled me for hours at a time. This time it is constant, high level anxiety. I emailed our smoking cessation service two days ago, but they have not come back to me. I believe they may only give out nicotine replacement anyway. I have previously had problems with anti anxiety meds so again, I'm not sure what to do. Also don't understand why it gets me like this...

Mrs P P

sorry you're having such a rough time Mrs PP, have been thinking about you x I know its really hard because in the very early days it can bring up lots of emotions - I know for myself that within the first couple of weeks I became desperately insecure and was a total wreck - but push through it - its nasty nic having a tamtrum and you are stronger than that! Anxiety is an emotion that will go away so try not to give in to it. Is there anything you can do to make you feel better when anxiety strikes? When I'm feeling insecure I get really needy and feel the need to tell my oh everything I'm feeling, but sometimes I go and run myself a lovely bubble bath, with candles, some soothing music and a good book & tell myself if I still feel that way after my bath I'll speak to him & 9 times out of 10 I feel much better afterwards.

You are doing fantastically x

taj

Day 2 patches

well, im nearly at the end of the second day and it hasnt been too bad really, about three times today i craved a smoke but each one only lasted a few seconds ..if it was to continue like this my sheer determination should get me through, fingers crossed. I have read every post looking for inspiration and i certainly found it on here. Ive been drinking the water constantly and that does help so much, but yesterday i was reaching for the cigarettes out of habit (none there)...i found today i wasnt doing that so much and long may it continue.

Lucy i was shocked at the pictures..i knew about the blackened lungs of smokers but what an incentive to carry on what we're doing...roll on 9 months down the line when they are back to pink again!!!
I found a few charts on the internet over the last few days, of the timeline of non-smokers and how the body improves from even the very first day of stopping...it all make sense i know. I just hope i stay strong... im sure i will. Jackie

Kiwisaver_2

Hi there, to all of you that are new to this no-smoking lark, in those early days you do feel every single minute and every single hour go by, but soon enough you will get there and the gaps between thinking about smoking will get wider and wider. It does get better honestly! Every minute you don't smoke will soon add up into hours and days and weeks; and then before you know it months.

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Remember smokers are in the minority these days, it's rather embarrassing to be a smoker in this day and age...

That's me, I was feeling hugely embarrassed about being the sad and lonely smoker amongst my friends and family but still not ever considered giving up, no matter what ugly pictures the Government put on the back of my fag packets.

I haven't see the UK packets but ours have diseased eyeballs, gangrenous feet, rotten teeth and gums, diseased lungs and all kinds, yet they never once made me feel like they disgusted me or that I wanted to give up. Granted, the pictures posted here recently are a lot more graphic and in your face size wise, I could barely dare to look at the throat cancer one (always been a big fear of mine), but wonder how they would have made me feel if I was still in denial and still smoking. I probably would have dismissed them as scare tactics and they would probably have had the opposite effect and made me dig my heels in and smoke more.

I am up to 52 packets of fags that I have not smoked, that's 1,040 less smelly fag butts polluting the planet and $720.18 of hard earned wedge that I did not set light to and send up to the sky in a puff of smoke. :T

Life saved: 3 days, 14 hours, 40 minutes.

oldreekie

Mrs_P_Pincher wrote: »

Back again. Checked out my vital signs and there is nothing to indicate that it is a thyroid problem after all. I think this is the same problem I had before in a slightly different form. Last time it was panic attacks that disabled me for hours at a time. This time it is constant, high level anxiety. I emailed our smoking cessation service two days ago, but they have not come back to me. I believe they may only give out nicotine replacement anyway. I have previously had problems with anti anxiety meds so again, I'm not sure what to do. Also don't understand why it gets me like this...

Mrs P P

Mrs P P , have you considered taking something like QUIET LIFE? I experienced that high level of anxiety at the beginning - ups and downs really and someone suggested that I might be bi-polar. Quiet Life is fantastic; works almost immediately. Should be able to get it at you local chemist or Boots. There is another one that was recommended by the cessation sevice but will need to look it up and get back to you.

Everyone is doing so well: I read your posts everyday but have not had the time to post. Will try to get back later but must dash now. Have a wonderful day and remember to treat yourselves.

jammy_dodger

Mrs_P_Pincher wrote: »

Back again. Checked out my vital signs and there is nothing to indicate that it is a thyroid problem after all. I think this is the same problem I had before in a slightly different form. Last time it was panic attacks that disabled me for hours at a time. This time it is constant, high level anxiety. I emailed our smoking cessation service two days ago, but they have not come back to me. I believe they may only give out nicotine replacement anyway. I have previously had problems with anti anxiety meds so again, I'm not sure what to do. Also don't understand why it gets me like this...

Mrs P P

have you tried any form of relaxation , meditation , yoga , listening to relaxation tapes. cds to help when anxiety panic attacks come upon you PP ? they may welll help and internet is a great source if you want to explore any of these . it REALLY can help ..whatever you do dont reach out for fags they DO NOT help relieve anxiety quite the opposite .keep busy keep posting best of luck

and a big fat well done to those on our journey to freedom and self control ..its a great feeling eh :T:T:T:T:T

have a magic weekend whatever you are up to myself i'm felling a fir tree ..Timbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrr:D
JD xx

Lucy1010

taj wrote: »

Day 2 patches

well, im nearly at the end of the second day and it hasnt been too bad really, about three times today i craved a smoke but each one only lasted a few seconds ..if it was to continue like this my sheer determination should get me through, fingers crossed. I have read every post looking for inspiration and i certainly found it on here. Ive been drinking the water constantly and that does help so much, but yesterday i was reaching for the cigarettes out of habit (none there)...i found today i wasnt doing that so much and long may it continue.

Lucy i was shocked at the pictures..i knew about the blackened lungs of smokers but what an incentive to carry on what we're doing...roll on 9 months down the line when they are back to pink again!!!
I found a few charts on the internet over the last few days, of the timeline of non-smokers and how the body improves from even the very first day of stopping...it all make sense i know. I just hope i stay strong... im sure i will. Jackie

Hi Taj

I think because the photos are so in your face it's different to seeing a thumbnail of blackened lungs on a cig packet... for me those large photos jumping out at me on my screen are far more effective at mirroring what could possibly be inside my body.... it is frightening and it does scare me but the good news is that we can repair the damage - and the sooner we stop the smoking the better

I have been doing great! 28 days, 21 hours and 34 mins since I quit but tonight I was nearly possessed by the devil himself whispering into my ear... "wouldn't it be good to get a pack of 10, it is Saturday night and you are alone, nothing to do, make the evening more exciting with a few smokes ..."

I am so glad I didn't listen, I came straight here read through the threads again and felt so happy for not giving in! I would have HATED myself...! The cravings are less these days and last for a matter of seconds, in the first few days those cravings hit me so hard and stayed with me for so long... it was so difficult to overcome them but here I am now and smiling

Good luck everyone and please keep posting progress, even if you have fallen off the wagon, you still need to come here, we know how you feel and we'll help you get back on it xx

P.S I love being able to give friends and family a big hug without having to retreat quickly in case my hair smells of stale smoke or masked smoke

Lucy1010

Kiwisaver wrote: »

That's me, I was feeling hugely embarrassed about being the sad and lonely smoker amongst my friends and family but still not ever considered giving up, no matter what ugly pictures the Government put on the back of my fag packets.

I haven't see the UK packets but ours have diseased eyeballs, gangrenous feet, rotten teeth and gums, diseased lungs and all kinds, yet they never once made me feel like they disgusted me or that I wanted to give up. Granted, the pictures posted here recently are a lot more graphic and in your face size wise, I could barely dare to look at the throat cancer one (always been a big fear of mine), but wonder how they would have made me feel if I was still in denial and still smoking. I probably would have dismissed them as scare tactics and they would probably have had the opposite effect and made me dig my heels in and smoke more.

I am up to 52 packets of fags that I have not smoked, that's 1,040 less smelly fag butts polluting the planet and $720.18 of hard earned wedge that I did not set light to and send up to the sky in a puff of smoke. :T

Life saved: 3 days, 14 hours, 40 minutes.

Hey Kiwi

I didn't see photos on my cig packets apart from the words SMOKING KILLS but I became immune to those words... pictures speak louder than words but even then I think I would have ignored them. I am frightened by those photos now because I started to physically feel the symptoms of my smoking and I got terrified... I realised that I TOO COULD BECOME A CANCER VICTIM, I am not invincible, I was hurting my body and I was slowly killing myself

little_evo

Today is my birthday! YAY :bdaycake:

It has been roughly 18 years give or take a little (I think) since i started smoking and like many always wanted to give up. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks without a smoke, my wife brought me a cake up in bed this morning and i blew out ALL the candles in one go, normally 1st thing it probably would have taken me 2 attempts!

Still chewing gum but not as often as i really do not want to get too dependant on the 4mg gum, although i am swopping and changing this between 4/2mg gum and regular Mentoes gum.
Today with the money we have saved as a treat we are eating out! YAY...(Beats washing up the dishes after sunday lunch-lol):dance:

Lucy1010

little_evo wrote: »

Today is my birthday! YAY :bdaycake:

It has been roughly 18 years give or take a little (I think) since i started smoking and like many always wanted to give up. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks without a smoke, my wife brought me a cake up in bed this morning and i blew out ALL the candles in one go, normally 1st thing it probably would have taken me 2 attempts!

Still chewing gum but not as often as i really do not want to get too dependant on the 4mg gum, although i am swopping and changing this between 4/2mg gum and regular Mentoes gum.
Today with the money we have saved as a treat we are eating out! YAY...(Beats washing up the dishes after sunday lunch-lol):dance:

Happy Birthday LittleEvo! Ahhhh lovely post!! Enjoy your lunch out

taj

day 4 on patches

I'm still doing ok, went to a houseparty last night and i was a bit apprehensive as i knew i'd be amongst smokers (they did go out into the garden to smoke) This has been the first test and i smelt the smoke as it drifted indoors (fuelled with a few martinis) i managed to cope with it and didnt smoke. I was sooo pleased when i woke up this morning and had climbed another hurdle.