Beat the Head
I am now on day 50 after 45 years smoking. The cravings are not too much of a hassle now but the head is still a real fight.
It keeps telling me that I am getting ripped off because I am not getting any rewards for things I do. I honestly believe that overcoming your sub-conscience is a much harder job than the nicotine withdrawal (I am on Champix, so that is helping with the nicotine).
Any time I get a spare moment I seem to think about it, although it seems to be more prevalent at work, than at home or elsewhere and so far have kept away from alcohol until I think I am strong enough
But I am getting there. I find that one of the best helpers when fighting the mind is chewing gum. Wrigleys are happy
its sort of funny and not, I said to a friend when I quit its like some turned the volume up to 11 on my head.
its a real thing the nicotine does stop pain and thoughts to some degree, it also kills us in the processes, but up until I quit it was a trade I was willing to make.
now I learn new ways of dealing with my head LOL like bashing against a brick wall, did I say that out loud, sounded funny in my head.
no really that's why I need to tell someone how I feel I have used lifeline etc.. on here its not the nicotine that was really the problem it was the person taking it.
so yeah its takes time and I am sure something we are all working on.
also look on youtube for stuff on OCD etc.. most of us would have some form of it.
and well just my take on the whole thing.
IC
That's awesome, well done!! Champix and day 13 no smoking and doing well. No urges or cravings, some fleeting thoughts but its not really about thinking of having a smoke, but thinking about where Im at with this quitting business.
I caught up with a group of smokers who I know outside a cafeteria this morning, stopped and chatted...as i walked away I felt sorry for them all and definitely did NOT want to be them!
Yes, gum is very helpful, i have sugarless lollies by my comp too.
Well done, I am on day 71 after about 47 years smoking, I also have been on Champix tomorrow I finish the full course. I have found it to be extremely helpful, I have thought on occasions that it's a bit like cheating, it helps with the withdrawal symptoms but like everyone else we still have to use willpower.
Like everyone else on this site we can hold our heads high and Pat ourselves on the back for each day we get through smoke free.
Everyday I think about smoking but I know how hard this has been, and I know I am an addict, so I can never have even one. So I still take one day at a time but that's OK, keep updating your progress.
Change your idea of a reward. Caving in is NOT a reward. The more you smoke the more lifelines you will use up. Hang in there.
Some of the quit sites insist that you make a list of rewards, three days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month etc. Perhaps the psychology behind that is to replace the perceived reward of smoking with an actual physical, positive reward
Well done on getting this far down the track. The way I see it is that smoking is an in-built reward loop. We crave, we seek reward, we smoke, we are satisfied for one minute, we crave again, we seek reward and so on. That means that, regardless of nicotine, we continue to feel a psychological need for reward and as long as we quit that is unsatisfied. All of that seems unfair but it is a good way of explaining to ourselves how hard it is to stop.
The good news is that the whole notion or 'reward' diminishes as time passes. It doesn't go away altogether but it fades a lot.
Good luck and keep on visiting this site.
There is not much to add with all the great comments above; but I will try. The thought of reward is interesting I look at stopping smoking and choosing to live my life, being wealthier both physically, mentally and financially as reward in its self. To hug my daughter, take her on dinner dates (with the money I am saving) and hearing how proud she is of her dad is the kind of reward I am happy to accept. The only reward smoking gives is to the Evil Smoking Empire (insert brand here) and they don't deserve any kind of reward in my honest opinion. Keep up the fight of being smoke free life is a great reward to have.