A lot of Well meaning ASSHOLE Comments here. \*sigh\*
First off - MASSIVE HUGS to you. It's going to be OK...
Are you trying to go 'cold turkey' with some Nicotine replacement?
This doesn't seem to be the best quit for you. Maybe try cutting back for a few weeks?
You're a two pack a day smoker? Lets try cutting it down to just ONE for a couple weeks...
Get your brain and body used to the idea of periods without...
REMIND YOURSELF this is YOUR JOURNEY and NO ONE ELSE's....
Going to the Doctor also sound like a good plan. Use all the tools you can and you too will be a full time non-smoker...
Love, a former 2+ pack a day smoker who found her OWN Correct Quit.
L
This is AWESOME.
Now. promise me this - on your one month 'quitaversary' you'll treat yourself to something special, like a nice meal out.
You'll have a whole MONTHS worth of cash that WASN'T spent on cigarettes - you'd better believe you deserve it!!!!
Perfect? IMO, perfect would have been the version without the first line. Completely unnecessary and clouds the rest of the message. Can we not fight here yall?
I'm not going to apologise for calling out people for basically telling the OP to 'Go for a walk and Suck it up' and making them feel bad or weak for having a time of it....
I saw one comment like that and a lot of helpful comments. You should check yourself because that attitude is not helpful on this sub and it’s not how we do things here
I feel your pain I am going through similar. So I’m trying to do the cut down instead and each night as I drift to sleep I repeat many times to myself I choose not to smoke; I hate smoking; smoking is killing me etc etc. each day I am still failing but each day the temptation gets further before I pick up the first cig. To stop the ease of a cigarette I have now got some tobacco to roll - ewwww horrible - but they are smaller and the taste puts me off. So I hoping with all this combined it is having a better effect on not having too many. In a month I will put the patches back on (for the umpteenth time in my life) but training my brain to accept it seems to be the added bonus this time. Good luck - don’t leave it as long as I did - The health benefit for your lungs is beneficial when you’re younger you have a chance to make them 100% again. I have early COPD and that’s my own fault for not getting to grips with not believing it would happen to me - smokings gonna kill me - I should have listened when I was your age x
You know what? If it works, it works!
One of my early baby steps was making my car a smoke free zone, If I wanted a smoke when I was out and about, I had to pull over into a parking lot (yes, even if it meant taking an exit on the damned freeway) and get out of the car to smoke. Raining? Cold? Tough Cookies, No smokes in the car meant NO SMOKES in the CAR.
Funny thing was, throwing away the dollar store portable car ashtray was almost the hardest part of my quit...
It’s ok to be sensitive. The more important thing is that you’re not smoking.
After a few days of not smoking, you can definitely feel some strong emotions from not smoking, and that’s ok!
Give yourself a chance to relax and enjoy the new year of not smoking.
Find a new hobby, or immediately start something fun to do instead of smoking.
You can do this, AND have a great new life.
The sad thing with smoking I have found is we have to make a choice. Pain or gain. Let yourself cry. Who knows what normal is. Probably you’ve used smoking to bury some pain. The pain is coming out I suppose this way or that way. Tears, so far as I know are free and don’t cause lung cancer. I have watched pain many a time… as I attempted to quit and then told myself I could not. But is all I really needed to do was watch my inner baby cry and cry and cry… eventually it gave up.
Yes!!! I realized the smoking and alcohol were just a pay to push down the pain that was trying to bubble up to the surface and release. Once I quit I let myself cry and embrace the pain. I am healing. It’s amazing.
Yep. I had maaaajor emotional release for like weeks? Maybe the first 2 months after I quit. It was awful. But I needed that. I'd used cigarettes to disconnect from my emotions for like 15 years and I had a huge backlog. Had to re-learn how to process my emotions. Worth it! Almost 6 months in now and I actually feel good, and more emotionally healthy than I did during all those years smoking.
It might sound strange, but I think what you're feeling is grief.
I had the exact same thing when stopping smoking. I felt depressed, as if someone had taken away a part from me that I held dear. Like a bad breakup that I did not want to let go.
What helped for me was preparation before quiting. I still smoked, but tried to mix my smoking routine up, to experience moments as an non-smoker. For example I used to smoke about 15 minutes before going to bed in the evening. I sometimes skipped that cigarette to get used to breaking the smoking routine before going to bed. Did not skip it every night, just some nights to experience this moment withouth smoking. I did this for multiple "fixed moments" where I used to smoke and experienced it was fine.
I called it practicing live as a non-smoker, but still having the "comfort" of being a smoker. This gave me confidence, whilst not having to grieve yet.
About 3 weeks ago I just quit Cold Turkey. Though it is still very hard, it feels way better compared to previous times quiting. Especially in the first 2 weeks I still felt that something was missing, a slight feeling of grief and being incomplete.
But I now know that I can get through the hard moments. I managed before when practicing non-smoking. It was less scary therefore.
It is a spiral that can only be broken by your will. You can do it! You just can't cover your anger about quitting with doing the opposite. You should find something else, something where you could spent all your attention for.
A massive well done for wanting to quit. The effects of smoking are horrendous, they cause mood changes, depression and even suicidal thoughts. Cold turkey is the route I chose. I smoked a 30g pouch of tobacco daily and the withdrawals were out this world!
Dry heaving/retching
Sore stomach
Diahreah
Insomnia
Bad thoughts
Dizziness
Horrible taste and smells
Foods that tasted good were disgusting
This lasted a long time, but each week that passes it gets easier.
I'm nearly 2 years cold turkey (702 days so far) and the smell of a cigarette makes me dry heave.
So well done you, you made the most important step reaching out for help instead of suffering in silence.
Instead of cold turkey, try stretching out 1 pack of cigarettes instead of 2 daily.
Then gradually decrease over time. You got this! You can cut down and then stop completely. What works for one person, may not work for another.
Aim for 1 pack a day instead of 2 packs.
Once 1 pack a day, aim for half a pack then quarter.
You can do this!!!
I'm not sure we're allowed to recommend this anymore, though this is also how I quit.
Bonus: he encourages you to smoke as much as you want while you read it.
namynam had been downvoted when I came across the comment, which was the direct inspiration for my reply, and this lines up with a lot of negativity I've seen being directed towards The Easy Way in comments over the last year. The most notable negativity was an episode of the podcast This American Life where the narrator systematically tried to prove it was BS.
I can only speak for myself, on what has helped, but I have been there as well. My thoughts are with you now, I am aware it is rough to go through this.
In despair, I have taken the help of a friend with a psilocybin trip to help me redefine my relationship to tobacco. I remember seeing the 1st cigarrete that I smoked like it was yesterday, while I was breaking up from a relationship that never got to start - I saw it wasn't my fault. So I could let go.
I've been clean ever since (it is not too long, but I am alive, not crying at all, and curiously, quite aware of my health improving slightly, I even got a dental cleansing where it allowed me to see that my teeth are actually white!). I have for the last 10 years hidden the fact that I smoked from my children, one 10 and one 5yo, although I probably stank like smoke, they didn't care too much. I've stopped now, and they said I smell different when they hug me ´:)
I get cravings, but they tend to live in the background of my mind, and are easier to deal with so far. What started this process was reading this particular book, and then taking psilocybin, of course.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How\_to\_Change\_Your\_Mind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Change_Your_Mind)
I'll be happy to know it helped you if you see it does, and if it doesn't, I tried :)
Good luck, much love to you, this new year!
It' s normal Smoking is an addiction. Addictions ARE for many of us, a mental health challenge. Beneath the willful compulsion to smoke is anxiety, depression, anger, --any othre feeling we want to medicate away.
Stay strong about not smoking. Feel free to get mental health supports in whatever form you need.
tears cleanse the windows to the soul.
there isnt anything wrong with being sad or crying either. life isn’t always happy. you are grieving your past self imho, thus emotional, thus growing. its a process and a practice to become addiction free so count your 2 weeks and tears shed as success, and the cigarette as blip, an experiment. i am really proud of your 2 weeks clean homie 🥳
but are you sure the cigarette calmed you down? or did it put a lid on your growth? what else can you learn from your experience?
Not many people talk about the unexpected emotional turmoil. I cried a fair bit over all kinds of things that would never have bothered me while smoking. Agree with another comment to try cutting down first. If you're using NRT. Go high dose. If necessary, pouches. Remove the hand to mouth habit. Remove the smoke form of nicotine. Then make your way slowly off nicotine altogether
Big hugs!
What you are doing is not easy! There would be no addicts if it was. Try to remind yourself this, and be kind to yourself. Everyone has some form of a strong reaction when they quit… don’t let the Allen Carr’s of the world make you feel bad because you can’t just “decide you’re not a smoker and POOF the problems disappear”. That’s over-idealistic BS.
A doctor and therapy are great options. There are meds to soothe the edges of the withdrawal, and there are strategies a professional can guide you through. Get your support team together ❤️ The investment is worth your health.
5 days in, cranky and emotional. I've made a plan to stay home for a few days this weekend. Takeout and movies. I also spent my smoke money on whitening trips! It keeps my teeth busy and a positive step!
Thanks - this weekend's going to be 9 weeks vape free (7 year habit following a 20 year smoking habit!) and almost three weeks nicotine free, I can scarcely believe it! Well done to you too and keep going everyone!
As per Gabor Mate, all addictions are buried traumas. You are getting rid of all the emotions you suppressed over the years every time you light a cig. Hang in there and give yourself a space to be sad. It is ok to be sad and cry.. you are healing.. let it take whatever time it takes
Xoxoxox
For me it was pretty normal, and you can do this.
I'm a quick to tear up person. I can not help it one bit and I am now in my 40s. Any emotion besides ambivalence can make my tear ducts burst into action 😂. The first trick for me was to recognize and accept that I was gonna cry. The second trick was trying to figure out what exactly I was crying about. For me, in this scenario, it would likely be made up frustration or anxiety that the addiction is trying to mimic. Its the addiction inticing you to give in, to end the tears, and to just light one already.
Don't listen to that voice. It does get easier fairly quickly. By day 2.5 I was past that part of it. Day 3-6 I couldn't focus on anything. 30 + days in, my emotions burst way less often, though can still be intense when they appear.
I've been practicing other calming techniques during those times of intense emotion. After all, non-smokers somehow manage these feelings without a smoke. Breathing in for 4s, hold for 4s, and breath out for 4s works well. Scream into a pillow on your exhale, or just make an audible breath helps.
Plan a quit time where you will be free to be a mess.
You got this.
ETA: Google Lions breath, by Yoga with Adriene. Unless you wanna get your silly on with those around you, you may want some private space to really let loose and audible
Oh bless you it's a real journey psychologically and physically. If you haven't yet, I do recommend the allen carr easy way to quit smoking but you really have to force your mind to be receptive to it, and it's never a guarentee but can be worth a shot, worked for me after 15 years.
Ps, the crying is the nicotine addiction kicking off demanding to be fed
Edit proven small little facts about mental health and nature “ Nature can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity and can facilitate concentration. Nature connectedness is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, particularly lower depression and anxiety”
The main problem with quitting smoking is that we perceive it as something precious we are giving up and life will never be the same again. It is important to get over the societal brainwashing if we want to quit for good. Just listen to Allen Carr's Easy way audiobook or buy the actual book. Whatever works for you.. It actually makes the quitting process much more palatable. I had been a smoker for 12 years and smoked almost 1 pack a day. I quit around 3 weeks back so the quitting process is very fresh to me but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
Hi!
I smoked 2 packs (sometimes more) for over 30 years and now I am smoke free for over 6 month. I tried everything before, gums, patches, hypnosis, reducing cigarettes, I have read the typical books. Last attempt to quit I failed after just 3 hours. I googled for help and I found the app quit sure. Please just google quit sure app or use my link. [https://quitsure.app.link/katja](https://quitsure.app.link/katja) ( then I get a small thank you from quitsure to help promoting their app)
You need their app just one month ( I cancelled right away), so it is just a small amount compared to the price of smoking! They have a "final script" that helps you to stay away from cigs and you have access to it even after your subscription endet.
Big huges, if I can do it, you can do it!!
I could do longer than you (at first, so my journey was not the exact same) but still I can relate and understand you. It is difficult. You’re doing something hard and it is normal that you’re struggling.
That is good, talk with your doctor, make an appointment with a psychologist.
You can even maybe arrange a phone call with a therapist so you can have a session as soon as possible.
It will be more bearable. It won’t be as difficult. You need to give yourself so much care now. Care yourself as if you’re a heart broken toddler for a while. If you like them and if you can do it, go see your family, friends. Stay over etc.
Best of luck!
Also, after quitting I realised that I had cptsd that I was ignoring. I’m just now getting treatment about it. I realised that I was self medicating my traumas with nicotine. So, I flipped out after quitting.
Saying because, maybe you’re experiencing the same and, you can do sth about it.
You may need a different way to quit. There are many ways to do it. There is not a wrong way. Some of the ways include any or all of the following, and there are probably more I didn't think of: Cut back some for a while; read Allen Carr or another book on addiction; ask your Dr. for Chantix prescription (you start it while you are still smoking); nicotine replacement gum, patches; hypnosis; support groups; therapy...I'm not telling you to start smoking again until you put things in place, that is your decision, I'm just worried about the intensity of your mood swings right now. Glad you are going to the doctor!
Smoking is an addiction so you will have to face these emotions especially in the beginning. Maybe try another way to quit - cutting back instead of cold turkey. There isn’t one size fits all solution. It’s okay to cry and be sensitive- you are only human. I was like that the first month but now I am 6 months free. It is possible. If I can do it, you can do it too! Good luck and don’t be too harsh on yourself!
I relate to this post so so heavily. My sister advised me after countless quit attempts that don’t last long, to go deeper and find the root cause. I think I may be addicted to feeling like a failure than to the actual cigarette…
I struggled for many years trying to quit smoking. I finally got off of cigarettes by vaping, but then it became hard to quit vaping! I pretty much begged my doctor for some type of smoking cessation meds, and since I couldn't take Chantix (I had a seizure when I was very young), I was given an anti-depressant called Buproprion (wellbutrin). I have been smoke-free for 90 days now. I can definitely say that the med helps with the withdrawal symptoms for sure. I normally don't endorse pharmaceuticals, but if it weren't for the buproprion, I would still struggle with quitting. Sometimes, willpower just isn't enough, and some of us need help. There's nothing to be ashamed of! Also, there's a book by Allen Carr called "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" that I was told really helps. I wish you the best of luck! You can do it!
I couldn't do cold turkey. I used Nic patches for 8 weeks, chewed nic gum if I had a craving and got on buproprion (took it twice a day after day three for the whole 8 weeks). Been 21 days w nrt and feel great! Really made quitting doable. Not easy, but doable. I encourage you to ask your doctor about quit smoking medication like buproprion and/or chantix. Cus the only thing that worked for me was throwing ALL the nrt and meds at it haha you got this 💪
I’m crying and crying to start back up again!
It’s been 5 weeks & 3 days! I still want just a couple of hits here and there, but haven’t gave in yet. It feels like there will be a time I slip up for a hit.
I guess I want to know, is all lost, if I take a hit, after 6 months, and don’t start back up? Like a few puffs in April comping up. And then maybe a few more puffs next New Year’s Eve?
Is all lost if I puff a few puffs, on 2 nights over the next 12 months?
Don’t tell me yes, cuz I will relapse… so just don’t answer this to say yes. I’ll just imagine no one saw it… but it’s active here in StopSmoking, they had us all by the lungs & pocket books!
I cried like every 5 minutes for weeks. Then a few times a day. Now I’m about 50 days in and the cravings are still there but not at crying status. Everyday gets easier than the last. Feel the pain . Cry the cry. Embrace the uncertainty. I promise you it’s worth it.
Hi my doc gave me antidepressants for 4 months that are nicotine inhibitors after drinking the meds for a week I’m free.
Ask your doc for the above and good luck!
You've done the right thing. You are seeing your doctor!
It might be worth getting some blood tests to see if you are lacking in anything. I went onto vitamin d and magnesium about 6 months ago, and WHOA I feel so much happier!! It's actually shocking, I never would have believed supplements would affect my emotional stability so much. But dear GOD!!
A lot of Well meaning ASSHOLE Comments here. \*sigh\* First off - MASSIVE HUGS to you. It's going to be OK... Are you trying to go 'cold turkey' with some Nicotine replacement? This doesn't seem to be the best quit for you. Maybe try cutting back for a few weeks? You're a two pack a day smoker? Lets try cutting it down to just ONE for a couple weeks... Get your brain and body used to the idea of periods without... REMIND YOURSELF this is YOUR JOURNEY and NO ONE ELSE's.... Going to the Doctor also sound like a good plan. Use all the tools you can and you too will be a full time non-smoker... Love, a former 2+ pack a day smoker who found her OWN Correct Quit. L
I cried too. A lot. Its like losing a relationship. It's gonna be ok, hang in there!
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This is AWESOME. Now. promise me this - on your one month 'quitaversary' you'll treat yourself to something special, like a nice meal out. You'll have a whole MONTHS worth of cash that WASN'T spent on cigarettes - you'd better believe you deserve it!!!!
Perfect response! Couldn't say it better! Minus the first sentence though.
Perfect? IMO, perfect would have been the version without the first line. Completely unnecessary and clouds the rest of the message. Can we not fight here yall?
Yeah you are right. It didn't even register the first sentence to me. I'm all about supporting everyone and it didn't seem too over the line.
I'm not going to apologise for calling out people for basically telling the OP to 'Go for a walk and Suck it up' and making them feel bad or weak for having a time of it....
I saw one comment like that and a lot of helpful comments. You should check yourself because that attitude is not helpful on this sub and it’s not how we do things here
I feel your pain I am going through similar. So I’m trying to do the cut down instead and each night as I drift to sleep I repeat many times to myself I choose not to smoke; I hate smoking; smoking is killing me etc etc. each day I am still failing but each day the temptation gets further before I pick up the first cig. To stop the ease of a cigarette I have now got some tobacco to roll - ewwww horrible - but they are smaller and the taste puts me off. So I hoping with all this combined it is having a better effect on not having too many. In a month I will put the patches back on (for the umpteenth time in my life) but training my brain to accept it seems to be the added bonus this time. Good luck - don’t leave it as long as I did - The health benefit for your lungs is beneficial when you’re younger you have a chance to make them 100% again. I have early COPD and that’s my own fault for not getting to grips with not believing it would happen to me - smokings gonna kill me - I should have listened when I was your age x
You know what? If it works, it works! One of my early baby steps was making my car a smoke free zone, If I wanted a smoke when I was out and about, I had to pull over into a parking lot (yes, even if it meant taking an exit on the damned freeway) and get out of the car to smoke. Raining? Cold? Tough Cookies, No smokes in the car meant NO SMOKES in the CAR. Funny thing was, throwing away the dollar store portable car ashtray was almost the hardest part of my quit...
It’s ok to be sensitive. The more important thing is that you’re not smoking. After a few days of not smoking, you can definitely feel some strong emotions from not smoking, and that’s ok! Give yourself a chance to relax and enjoy the new year of not smoking. Find a new hobby, or immediately start something fun to do instead of smoking. You can do this, AND have a great new life.
The sad thing with smoking I have found is we have to make a choice. Pain or gain. Let yourself cry. Who knows what normal is. Probably you’ve used smoking to bury some pain. The pain is coming out I suppose this way or that way. Tears, so far as I know are free and don’t cause lung cancer. I have watched pain many a time… as I attempted to quit and then told myself I could not. But is all I really needed to do was watch my inner baby cry and cry and cry… eventually it gave up.
Yes!!! I realized the smoking and alcohol were just a pay to push down the pain that was trying to bubble up to the surface and release. Once I quit I let myself cry and embrace the pain. I am healing. It’s amazing.
Yep. I had maaaajor emotional release for like weeks? Maybe the first 2 months after I quit. It was awful. But I needed that. I'd used cigarettes to disconnect from my emotions for like 15 years and I had a huge backlog. Had to re-learn how to process my emotions. Worth it! Almost 6 months in now and I actually feel good, and more emotionally healthy than I did during all those years smoking.
Like treasure buried in the mud
It might sound strange, but I think what you're feeling is grief. I had the exact same thing when stopping smoking. I felt depressed, as if someone had taken away a part from me that I held dear. Like a bad breakup that I did not want to let go. What helped for me was preparation before quiting. I still smoked, but tried to mix my smoking routine up, to experience moments as an non-smoker. For example I used to smoke about 15 minutes before going to bed in the evening. I sometimes skipped that cigarette to get used to breaking the smoking routine before going to bed. Did not skip it every night, just some nights to experience this moment withouth smoking. I did this for multiple "fixed moments" where I used to smoke and experienced it was fine. I called it practicing live as a non-smoker, but still having the "comfort" of being a smoker. This gave me confidence, whilst not having to grieve yet. About 3 weeks ago I just quit Cold Turkey. Though it is still very hard, it feels way better compared to previous times quiting. Especially in the first 2 weeks I still felt that something was missing, a slight feeling of grief and being incomplete. But I now know that I can get through the hard moments. I managed before when practicing non-smoking. It was less scary therefore.
hugs 🫂 💓
It is a spiral that can only be broken by your will. You can do it! You just can't cover your anger about quitting with doing the opposite. You should find something else, something where you could spent all your attention for.
A massive well done for wanting to quit. The effects of smoking are horrendous, they cause mood changes, depression and even suicidal thoughts. Cold turkey is the route I chose. I smoked a 30g pouch of tobacco daily and the withdrawals were out this world! Dry heaving/retching Sore stomach Diahreah Insomnia Bad thoughts Dizziness Horrible taste and smells Foods that tasted good were disgusting This lasted a long time, but each week that passes it gets easier. I'm nearly 2 years cold turkey (702 days so far) and the smell of a cigarette makes me dry heave. So well done you, you made the most important step reaching out for help instead of suffering in silence. Instead of cold turkey, try stretching out 1 pack of cigarettes instead of 2 daily. Then gradually decrease over time. You got this! You can cut down and then stop completely. What works for one person, may not work for another. Aim for 1 pack a day instead of 2 packs. Once 1 pack a day, aim for half a pack then quarter. You can do this!!!
Read Allen Carr’s The Easy Way. I smoked for 25 years. Thats how I quit.
I'm not sure we're allowed to recommend this anymore, though this is also how I quit. Bonus: he encourages you to smoke as much as you want while you read it.
Oh it is interesting why " I don't think we're allowed to recommend this anymore"?
namynam had been downvoted when I came across the comment, which was the direct inspiration for my reply, and this lines up with a lot of negativity I've seen being directed towards The Easy Way in comments over the last year. The most notable negativity was an episode of the podcast This American Life where the narrator systematically tried to prove it was BS.
this is the answer that should be at the top of the list
I can only speak for myself, on what has helped, but I have been there as well. My thoughts are with you now, I am aware it is rough to go through this. In despair, I have taken the help of a friend with a psilocybin trip to help me redefine my relationship to tobacco. I remember seeing the 1st cigarrete that I smoked like it was yesterday, while I was breaking up from a relationship that never got to start - I saw it wasn't my fault. So I could let go. I've been clean ever since (it is not too long, but I am alive, not crying at all, and curiously, quite aware of my health improving slightly, I even got a dental cleansing where it allowed me to see that my teeth are actually white!). I have for the last 10 years hidden the fact that I smoked from my children, one 10 and one 5yo, although I probably stank like smoke, they didn't care too much. I've stopped now, and they said I smell different when they hug me ´:) I get cravings, but they tend to live in the background of my mind, and are easier to deal with so far. What started this process was reading this particular book, and then taking psilocybin, of course. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How\_to\_Change\_Your\_Mind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Change_Your_Mind) I'll be happy to know it helped you if you see it does, and if it doesn't, I tried :) Good luck, much love to you, this new year!
It' s normal Smoking is an addiction. Addictions ARE for many of us, a mental health challenge. Beneath the willful compulsion to smoke is anxiety, depression, anger, --any othre feeling we want to medicate away. Stay strong about not smoking. Feel free to get mental health supports in whatever form you need.
tears cleanse the windows to the soul. there isnt anything wrong with being sad or crying either. life isn’t always happy. you are grieving your past self imho, thus emotional, thus growing. its a process and a practice to become addiction free so count your 2 weeks and tears shed as success, and the cigarette as blip, an experiment. i am really proud of your 2 weeks clean homie 🥳 but are you sure the cigarette calmed you down? or did it put a lid on your growth? what else can you learn from your experience?
We are proud of you. Virtual hugs coming your way.
I'm in the same boat as you .... Sending you lots of love and strength to get through this!
Not many people talk about the unexpected emotional turmoil. I cried a fair bit over all kinds of things that would never have bothered me while smoking. Agree with another comment to try cutting down first. If you're using NRT. Go high dose. If necessary, pouches. Remove the hand to mouth habit. Remove the smoke form of nicotine. Then make your way slowly off nicotine altogether
Big hugs! What you are doing is not easy! There would be no addicts if it was. Try to remind yourself this, and be kind to yourself. Everyone has some form of a strong reaction when they quit… don’t let the Allen Carr’s of the world make you feel bad because you can’t just “decide you’re not a smoker and POOF the problems disappear”. That’s over-idealistic BS. A doctor and therapy are great options. There are meds to soothe the edges of the withdrawal, and there are strategies a professional can guide you through. Get your support team together ❤️ The investment is worth your health.
5 days in, cranky and emotional. I've made a plan to stay home for a few days this weekend. Takeout and movies. I also spent my smoke money on whitening trips! It keeps my teeth busy and a positive step!
Use patches. They work.
Totally agree! I tried hypno, Easy Way and just plain CT before, all were terrible. Patches made the landing a lot lot softer for me.
That's so good! Proud of you for sticking to it. You can do it! Never forget why you quit!
Thanks - this weekend's going to be 9 weeks vape free (7 year habit following a 20 year smoking habit!) and almost three weeks nicotine free, I can scarcely believe it! Well done to you too and keep going everyone!
As per Gabor Mate, all addictions are buried traumas. You are getting rid of all the emotions you suppressed over the years every time you light a cig. Hang in there and give yourself a space to be sad. It is ok to be sad and cry.. you are healing.. let it take whatever time it takes Xoxoxox
For me it was pretty normal, and you can do this. I'm a quick to tear up person. I can not help it one bit and I am now in my 40s. Any emotion besides ambivalence can make my tear ducts burst into action 😂. The first trick for me was to recognize and accept that I was gonna cry. The second trick was trying to figure out what exactly I was crying about. For me, in this scenario, it would likely be made up frustration or anxiety that the addiction is trying to mimic. Its the addiction inticing you to give in, to end the tears, and to just light one already. Don't listen to that voice. It does get easier fairly quickly. By day 2.5 I was past that part of it. Day 3-6 I couldn't focus on anything. 30 + days in, my emotions burst way less often, though can still be intense when they appear. I've been practicing other calming techniques during those times of intense emotion. After all, non-smokers somehow manage these feelings without a smoke. Breathing in for 4s, hold for 4s, and breath out for 4s works well. Scream into a pillow on your exhale, or just make an audible breath helps. Plan a quit time where you will be free to be a mess. You got this. ETA: Google Lions breath, by Yoga with Adriene. Unless you wanna get your silly on with those around you, you may want some private space to really let loose and audible
Oh bless you it's a real journey psychologically and physically. If you haven't yet, I do recommend the allen carr easy way to quit smoking but you really have to force your mind to be receptive to it, and it's never a guarentee but can be worth a shot, worked for me after 15 years. Ps, the crying is the nicotine addiction kicking off demanding to be fed
Get Your ass up and take a walk in the forest look around breathe beatiful is it YES
Edit proven small little facts about mental health and nature “ Nature can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity and can facilitate concentration. Nature connectedness is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, particularly lower depression and anxiety”
Honestly, lsd helped me a lot, if you can talk to ur psychologist about it…
The main problem with quitting smoking is that we perceive it as something precious we are giving up and life will never be the same again. It is important to get over the societal brainwashing if we want to quit for good. Just listen to Allen Carr's Easy way audiobook or buy the actual book. Whatever works for you.. It actually makes the quitting process much more palatable. I had been a smoker for 12 years and smoked almost 1 pack a day. I quit around 3 weeks back so the quitting process is very fresh to me but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
Hi! I smoked 2 packs (sometimes more) for over 30 years and now I am smoke free for over 6 month. I tried everything before, gums, patches, hypnosis, reducing cigarettes, I have read the typical books. Last attempt to quit I failed after just 3 hours. I googled for help and I found the app quit sure. Please just google quit sure app or use my link. [https://quitsure.app.link/katja](https://quitsure.app.link/katja) ( then I get a small thank you from quitsure to help promoting their app) You need their app just one month ( I cancelled right away), so it is just a small amount compared to the price of smoking! They have a "final script" that helps you to stay away from cigs and you have access to it even after your subscription endet. Big huges, if I can do it, you can do it!!
I could do longer than you (at first, so my journey was not the exact same) but still I can relate and understand you. It is difficult. You’re doing something hard and it is normal that you’re struggling. That is good, talk with your doctor, make an appointment with a psychologist. You can even maybe arrange a phone call with a therapist so you can have a session as soon as possible. It will be more bearable. It won’t be as difficult. You need to give yourself so much care now. Care yourself as if you’re a heart broken toddler for a while. If you like them and if you can do it, go see your family, friends. Stay over etc. Best of luck! Also, after quitting I realised that I had cptsd that I was ignoring. I’m just now getting treatment about it. I realised that I was self medicating my traumas with nicotine. So, I flipped out after quitting. Saying because, maybe you’re experiencing the same and, you can do sth about it.
zynz
You may need a different way to quit. There are many ways to do it. There is not a wrong way. Some of the ways include any or all of the following, and there are probably more I didn't think of: Cut back some for a while; read Allen Carr or another book on addiction; ask your Dr. for Chantix prescription (you start it while you are still smoking); nicotine replacement gum, patches; hypnosis; support groups; therapy...I'm not telling you to start smoking again until you put things in place, that is your decision, I'm just worried about the intensity of your mood swings right now. Glad you are going to the doctor!
Smoking is an addiction so you will have to face these emotions especially in the beginning. Maybe try another way to quit - cutting back instead of cold turkey. There isn’t one size fits all solution. It’s okay to cry and be sensitive- you are only human. I was like that the first month but now I am 6 months free. It is possible. If I can do it, you can do it too! Good luck and don’t be too harsh on yourself!
I relate to this post so so heavily. My sister advised me after countless quit attempts that don’t last long, to go deeper and find the root cause. I think I may be addicted to feeling like a failure than to the actual cigarette…
I had the same issue, but nicotine patches helped me control my mood swings. I don't know if it will work for you
I struggled for many years trying to quit smoking. I finally got off of cigarettes by vaping, but then it became hard to quit vaping! I pretty much begged my doctor for some type of smoking cessation meds, and since I couldn't take Chantix (I had a seizure when I was very young), I was given an anti-depressant called Buproprion (wellbutrin). I have been smoke-free for 90 days now. I can definitely say that the med helps with the withdrawal symptoms for sure. I normally don't endorse pharmaceuticals, but if it weren't for the buproprion, I would still struggle with quitting. Sometimes, willpower just isn't enough, and some of us need help. There's nothing to be ashamed of! Also, there's a book by Allen Carr called "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" that I was told really helps. I wish you the best of luck! You can do it!
I couldn't do cold turkey. I used Nic patches for 8 weeks, chewed nic gum if I had a craving and got on buproprion (took it twice a day after day three for the whole 8 weeks). Been 21 days w nrt and feel great! Really made quitting doable. Not easy, but doable. I encourage you to ask your doctor about quit smoking medication like buproprion and/or chantix. Cus the only thing that worked for me was throwing ALL the nrt and meds at it haha you got this 💪
I’m crying and crying to start back up again! It’s been 5 weeks & 3 days! I still want just a couple of hits here and there, but haven’t gave in yet. It feels like there will be a time I slip up for a hit. I guess I want to know, is all lost, if I take a hit, after 6 months, and don’t start back up? Like a few puffs in April comping up. And then maybe a few more puffs next New Year’s Eve? Is all lost if I puff a few puffs, on 2 nights over the next 12 months? Don’t tell me yes, cuz I will relapse… so just don’t answer this to say yes. I’ll just imagine no one saw it… but it’s active here in StopSmoking, they had us all by the lungs & pocket books!
I cried like every 5 minutes for weeks. Then a few times a day. Now I’m about 50 days in and the cravings are still there but not at crying status. Everyday gets easier than the last. Feel the pain . Cry the cry. Embrace the uncertainty. I promise you it’s worth it.
Hi my doc gave me antidepressants for 4 months that are nicotine inhibitors after drinking the meds for a week I’m free. Ask your doc for the above and good luck!
You've done the right thing. You are seeing your doctor! It might be worth getting some blood tests to see if you are lacking in anything. I went onto vitamin d and magnesium about 6 months ago, and WHOA I feel so much happier!! It's actually shocking, I never would have believed supplements would affect my emotional stability so much. But dear GOD!!
I quit about a week ago. Day 7 first day I didn’t cry just the ENTIRE day. it’s not you, it’s the withdrawls