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Not smoking. Not coping well

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Posted 1/14/2014 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Since I quit my anxiety is worse. Today I got so bad it triggered my ibs so I've been living in the bathroom. I'm so nervous. I got cold so I put on a sweatshirt. Then I got hot and sweated my patch off.

I'm just not adjusting well. I feel horrible. My anxiety, IBS, I can't sleep, I've got bad headaches.

I don't know what to do.
Posted 1/14/2014 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hang in there Mommie, you know it will get better maybe not today but it will pass, anything that can
cause this much trouble to quit must really play heck with the body/mind, Peace

Larry ***
Posted 1/14/2014 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
:(

This is all a means to an end. Yes, it is hard now...but if you stick it out, even among all these awful feelings...you will have reached your healthy goal and be free of the habit that you want to ditch!

Do you have a reward system for yourself? Maybe you could schedule a massage for every benchmark you meet? The money that you save not buying cigarettes could very well cover the cost!

Do you have an on-line support group for smoking cessation? I am sure that you could find one. We are always here for you...but it wouldn't hurt to talk with others who are going through exactly the same things and symptoms?

We are cheering you on. You are doing one of the hardest things in terms of addiction...keep up the good work!

S.C.
Posted 1/14/2014 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm proud of you for sticking it out and hanging in there!

I know this is a tough one to kick. And yes, in the beginning, your body will go through all kinds of turmoil. I know you already know this, but I wanted to reassure you.

I like S.C.'s idea of finding a support group for smoking cessation. Have you looked into that at all?

As we've learned here, it helps a lot to be able to communicate with others who are going through the same thing, and who can relate to everything experienced.

I am going to ^^echo^^ S.C. with encouragement, and remember, we'll be your cheering section!




M.
Posted 1/15/2014 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
I quit two years ago, with the help of a free online video thing hosted by Joel Spitzer. I won't link it here, but if you do a google search for one last puff or his name, it will come up. And it tells you everything you will experience going through, every thought, every dream...I would not have been successful (I believe) without the help of this man. He truly was a wonder for me.

BUt good luck, stick to your "guns" and remember you have power over your mind, it doesn't have power over you :) You can do this!
Posted 1/15/2014 4:45 AM (GMT 0)
😪I gave in. I feel like such a failure. I told my husband I'll do it again when he comes home for his days off. I think I just need someone here with me to talk to or distract me when I start to feel bad. He understands. I just couldn't take it. The first couple of days were fine. But I guess it takes a few days for the nicotine to leave your system is what I read. I was too scared to put another patch on because I didn't want nicotine overdose. I did that once and it was miserable.

So I apologized to my husband now I'm gonna apologize to all of you. I know it's gonna be hard to kick a habit I've had for so long. I will do it again and be more prepared. And have my husband to help me with my rough patches.

Thanks again. Sorry to disappoint people. I'm disappointed in myself. I tried so hard. It makes me sad.
Posted 1/15/2014 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, hon. It took me SO many times to quit smoking. It is NO WHERE as easy to quit smoking as Non smokers think. Someday, you will be successful, just hang in there. :)

What I did when I quit, was I slept alot. No computer no nothing for the first couple days. Because I'd smoke when I was on the computer, after I ate, etc...Then I had to relearn new habits to replace the not smoking. Just gotta stick with it and I hate to say it, but when someone tries to quit, people look for reasons NOT to stop, it's the nicotine talking...but you will best it someday. When you get tired of it. Seriously though, check out that person I told you about? He might even help you find the strength you need to help you succeed. And Good luck again. :)
Posted 1/15/2014 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
Why are you aplogizing? This is a process...

...it could be one step forward, two back for awhile.

The point is, is that you are tying...and effort counts!

Keep going...and try not to put absolute/black and white expectations on yourself.:)

You can do it! This doesn't have to be a perfect journey...just keep trying your best!

S.C.
Posted 1/15/2014 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
I know this sounds like a cliché but if you think about it,....it's not.

The example I continually use when I try something and do not succeed is Thomas Edison and his invention of the light bulb.

He didn't get it on the first try,...or the second,...or the 15th try....

But what eventually led to his success was not giving up.

Same thing here! You'll make it when you're ready. Be kind to yourself and understand that setbacks happen. Most smokers who quit,...it took several attempts. Please don't be hard on yourself.

We're here for you!




M.
Posted 1/15/2014 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
bakomom,

Hugs to you and no apologies necessary to anyone.  This is your problem and you will get the job done with a  whole bunch of us to support you.

Actually you were successful as you identified what you wanted to do and got to work on it.  Many people suffer nasty withdrawal problems when they stop smoking.

My hubby was in the throes of an anxiety attack on the second day he had stopped smoking. He was pacing and sweating and beside himself.  I called his Dr. who ordered enough doses of Xanax to get him through 5 days and for the present time - give him a cigarette until I could fill the script.

After he got the first days done with the help of med he continued on with his no smoking program.

A link that may help you understand better what is going on.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/symptoms-triggers-quitting 

No beating yourself up but do believe in yourself.

Kindly,

Kitt 

Posted 1/16/2014 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
The first attempt I made at quitting I slept a lot. Mostly because I'm a wake up and smoke person so it's hard to wake up and not head outside. Trying to figure out what to do besides smoke when I wake up was the hardest part. This time I just couldn't sleep no matter what I took or how much which was really frustrating because I wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep it off. And since I couldn't sleep I ate more. The first couple of days I was a little more agitated. But I kept myself busy doing stuff around the house and organizing and doing things that have been piling up.

I'm gonna try again in another week when my husband comes home. But I plan to quit a couple days before so my initial grumpiness is out if the way. Last time we were quitting together and I thought we were gonna kill each other.

I bought cinnamon gum, nicotine gum in case the patch falls off again and a toothbrush to chew on. I read that having a toothbrush in your mouth helps. So I'll see.

Thanks again. It won't be the last time you hear from me.
Posted 1/16/2014 3:14 AM (GMT 0)
You Rock Mommie, it will happen for you because you will not give up, Peace

Larry ***
Posted 1/16/2014 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Larry. Yeah I won't I'll keep trying eventhough it's so friggin hard
Posted 1/16/2014 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds like you have quite a strategy going for you, and that is great!

You're not just slinking back and giving up...but you're being active, you've got your "back up" plans, your "just in case" tools, so you're preparing yourself in advance.

That's a huge step, and I can see you've given this quite a bit of thought.

We're here for you....I'm proud of you for putting those steps in place. It shows forward thinking, and that you're not just trying to "wing it" and hope for the best.



M.
Posted 1/16/2014 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
I do have a plan so I hope it works. I told my husband maybe we can go for walks or to the gym together.
Posted 1/16/2014 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
Good Luck with your plan.  Start making a list of what your going to do to keep busy once you give up smoking.  Make a daily list and as you accomplish your tasks mark them off your list making sure to jot the time you completed the task so you can look back and see how fast the hours go by - just keep on saying No to smoking once you have stopped...........throw out all your cigarettes.

Start working on what motivates you to stop smoking.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 1/16/2014 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
I'm an ex-smoker as well. I can attest to the fact, it took more than one try!

What eventually worked for me was the gum. The patch, (for me, anyway), didn't seem to help.

What I liked about the gum was that it still gave me a sense of control....when I craved a smoke, I would chew on the gum, and the craving would go away. You keep the gum sort of tucked between your cheek and gum.

When another craving came, a few more chews,..and it goes away. For me, it worked because I felt like I had some "say so" in nicotine delivery.

It worked by first breaking the habit to "cigarettes" themselves....the delivery system of the gum is at your command.

Eventually I started to notice I was forgetting the gum and just didn't feel like smoking anymore.

In this day and age, there are so many wonderful resources for you to turn to and utilize. When you feel afraid, pop in here, read the posts of the ex-smokers, and look into various quitting techniques. There are lots of methods!

Another big help, for me, was exercising! The more I exercised on a regular basis, the more I realized how much smoking impacted my lung capacity. Exercise is another "tool" at your disposal.



M.
Posted 1/16/2014 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
In the process of trying to quit also. I'm using the e-cigs to quit. Can't say it works everyday but it helps a lot. Been going down on the nicotine level slowly and hopefully one day I will be able to kick it completely. Wish you the best.
Posted 1/16/2014 10:05 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah when I attempt again it'll be my 4th try. My first lasted 2 months, my second two days, then this last time was almost 4 days.

But this is all in 2 years. My mom died of smoke related health problems, my grandpa did, and we just watched my husbands grandpa slowly die from smoking.

I found that the patch works well for me but certain spots on my skin it won't stick to no matter what I do. Which is why I got some gum to back up in case I lose a patch. I was always scared to use the gum because I was afraid I'd get sick from swallowing my spit.

I noticed the fourth day was super hard on me this time. I remember last time after a week I was ok. Then at 2 weeks it got bad. Then it went away. At 2 months I had no thoughts of smoking. Occasionally but it wasn't hard to deal with. I just hate that I gave up all that hard work thinking smoking was going to lead to weight loss.

I appreciate all the support and encouragement for my upcoming feat.
Posted 1/16/2014 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hello! Just wanted to add my input to this post. Im an ex-smoker as well. I quit smoking 2 years ago this month actually and my anxiety has been really ever bad since.(even worse than before, makes no sense but knowing im heathier this way helps a little!) I went through withdrawal for weeks. I was literally sick. Felt like I had the flu, then the stomach flu, I threw up a few times, was dizzy, tired, headaches, constantly nauseas, didn't want to eat.... I quit cold turkey. I actually cut down then completely quit. My heart started to race terribly out of nowhere every time I smoked and it scared the crap out of me so that's the main reason I decided to quit. I wish you the best of luck! Its not easy! If it weren't for anxiety in the first place I would have never quit, I guess was a good thing for me because it made it so much easier to quit, others its not so easy to quit! In the long run you are healthier and knowing that through the struggle of quitting can really help. Everyone around me smokes so that made it really hard, but I was sticking to it this time. I chew Wrigley's doublemint gum constantly and it really helped before and still does now. Also, those e-cigs, they help too. When I go out and have a few drinks I buy one of those so I don't end up smoking a real cigarette because I know I would,but they really taste and feel like youre smoking a real cigarette. Hey its one step toward a healthier you!

Good Luck!!!

Lacey

Post Edited (Laceymyaalayah) : 1/16/2014 4:35:58 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/17/2014 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to add,....make sure you don't combine "tools" for quitting. If you're wearing a patch, or have just taken it off, it's dangerous to chew on the gum, for example, right away, because the drug from the patch is still in your system. Now that has potential to make you sick.

I would select one tool and use it exclusively. Mixing smoking cessation products is risky. It's especially risky if you do them at the same time.....but as I mentioned, even if you take the patch off, it's not a good idea to then go and utilize another nicotine tool.

We all respond differently, but we're lucky that there are many more alternatives now than there were years ago. Perhaps combining methods is making it harder for you to quit? Just thinking out loud,....because your body is being sent mixed messages.

Give one method a solid try. (By all means, if it helps to chew non-nicotine gum or chew on a toothbrush, then go for it!) We just wouldn't want your body to get extra doses of nicotine. Besides being dangerous, it will make it harder to quit.

You hang in there dear, and you'll make it. I think it's safe to say that any of us who have successfully quit,....well, it took us several tries, and sure, we fell down and stumbled. But remember,....that's okay. Don't beat yourself up for that! What's important is that you're intent on getting through this.

Step by step.....




M.
Posted 1/17/2014 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah the first time I quit I had a patch on and it fell off. Later I put another one on. I bought one of those water e cigs then smoked half a cigarette. I was up dry heaving that night.

I'll keep it in mind not to use both.

I seen people quit smoking with the e cig but for me I don't think it would be good because the habit is what gives me the most trouble. So to me I think using it is not breaking the habit just substituting it. But I won't tell anyone not to use it. Whatever works for them.

I just really hope I can do it. I took some advice and made a list of things that need to be done. So I'm pretty much prepared. Just gotta pick my day.
Posted 1/17/2014 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
I read a story I could not believe, a man was taken to ER thinking he was having a HA, when they took off
his shirt he had 27 patches on his body, his explanation was the Doctor told him to put on a new patch every
day, "he didnt tell him to take them off" talk about annal.
Posted 1/19/2014 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Ha ha that's funny and horrible at the same time
Common sense!
Posted 1/19/2014 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
when you're ready- you will quit
What I found is that it's the inhale- exhale that you really miss
When I was ready (it was 29 years ago come July) I let my carton run out and I was done. The first week was the hardest. When I felt like a cigarette I took a deep inhale and then blew out a big exhale a few times. I kept telling myself fresh air in & out was so much more healthy and really the same thing that was relieving my stress with a cigarette.

All my best of luck to you- when you are ready....
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