Struggling
OK so I have now been quit free for 23 days 13 hours and 35 minutes, an awesome achievement on my behalf as i still have alot of people around that are smoking including my DH. I'm not so much as struggling with the fact of having cravings all the time but they are getting stronger now and the thoughts are getting stronger and longer but since quitting which I did with Champix until I had a allergic reaction in week 5 and then had to cease the tablets, my blood pressure has gone really high and now i'm on medication for the and due to severe spinal arthritis my gp has now taken me off nearly all my pain meds as he says they won't help with my blood pressure. SO have spent weekend in sheer agony and pain and have thought to myself why am I doing this, is it all really even worth it when I have been nothing but sick since the day I took my last puff. I'm Hoping someone can help me through or otherwise I fear that I may start smoking again which is not what I want to do considering how far I have come
Hi Doglover
Please stay strong, you can do this:)
You are in pain which is bound to make you feel miserable, don't mistake that for nicotine cravings as they are well and truly gone.
We go back to past behaviours from habit only, just tell yourself how far you have come and how amazing you are.
Keep reaching out ...I for one will support you every step of the way x
Hi Doglover, wow you have done so well, it is extremely difficult to give up when you have others around you who smoke, I know, hubby,daughter , other family members and friends, but I am doing it and I know if I can you can too, just concentrate on each smoke, when you feel like you really need one, or are craving really badly, get on here and read and post - and just keep distracting yourself,once the feeling has gone,pat yourself on the back and say yes I did it, that's one down just really push on not having the next smoke, not on giving up completely, thinking I am giving up almost pushed me over the edge it is just too overwhelming but giving up one smoke is quite doable. I am just over 100 days, and I am still concentrating on not having one smoke, it has got a lot easier, but still feel like one now and then. I hope this helps you even if just a little bit. There are so many wonderful people on this site, who just like you want to give up and we are all here supporting each other. Big deep breath you cando it. Also a big big hug to help you feel a little less miserable.
Hi Doglover hang in there, today I am 230 days smoke free, my husband smokes I even go buy them for him so it can be done.
Don't know if it will help, but here is what worked for me, in the early days I only ever look at one day at a time, sometimes, on bad days it was one hour at a time I would tell myself that today I will not smoke and I didn't.
I would also remind myself that even though when I was smoking I would reach for a cigarette to help me through whatever was going on at the time, in reality the cigarette never really fixed anything.
So when I think I need a cigarette to help a situation or manage the level of pain I am in, I now ask myself if a cigarette is really going to help in the long term and I answer no.
I understand your frustration, I actually feel more unwell now than I ever did when I smoked, maybe I would have been unwell anyway who knows.
The cravings have gone, now days it is more a memory that passes quickly most of the time.
I smoked 40 a day for over 45 years so there is hope for everyone even you, remember you can't have even one cigarette, so take one day at a time and good luck