7 days smoke free!
Well I'm 7 days cigarette free today! (I'm still vaping occasionally) but tonight I'm really feeling like a cigarette to the point I can feel my pulse racing 😪 I thought it would be easier to quit during this lockdown as I won't be around other smokers and am not doing my usual routine, but nothing is helping me tonight, not even vaping is helping and it has been helping all week.
Congratulations on your first 7 days! That is a wonderful milestone. It is proof that you can do what you set your mind to. I read all of your stories and think that perhaps you should read Allan Carr again. Keep learning, even if you learned NOPE the hard way, now you know that just one will become thousands. Back in 2018 you wanted to beat your record quit, or refrain from smoking....NOT quit forever, Remember how proud you felt when you were stronger than the nicotine monster. How good your skin looked and how you even breathed better at your young age. We 40 year smokers would expect some difference. You also said that you ditched the redbulls. Perhaps making too many changes at once especially with a history of anxiety would not have eased the burden.
While all reasons for quitting smoking are good, I am afraid that you are quitting for the wrong reason....affordability, and that as soon as circumstances change, your decision to quit smoking will too. Vaping has to be cheaper than cigarette smoking, but the long term effectx are still unknown. Using it as a stepping stone to quitting nicotine may possibly work, but the desire to quit HAS to be there.
Nicotine is an addiction. Why not treat it as a medication then? Stop thinking of it as pleasureable. It is a remedy to your cravings, or symptom of nicotine withdrawal. Many medications only mask the problem but don't solve the problem. Pain killers kill the pain but don't address the problem.
Put the time in to change your overall mindset first. Yes, you will still need to get over the nicotine addiction, but it will be easier once you are out of the habit of smoking, hate taking time out to do your FIX in an uncomfortable manner, and want more in your life that counts!
You are young , with a whole future ahead of you. Are you going to let an addiction rule you? Aren't there better things that you want......a house, vacations, early retirement? If your amazed about the difference in your skin and breathing now, what about in 40 years?
Find your reasons to quit smoking. Understand that we were brainwashed and that we are stronger than nicotine. We did not really like smoking, we just did not like how we felt if we did not get that fix. A vicious cycle isn't it?
I really do want you to succeed this time. You CAN you know. Should you click on my name and go back in my stories you will find a link to a free Allan Carr e-book and a story about GIVING UP, Try this. some ideas that may help you to quit vaping (smoking) when your ready.
Hi there :-) I was actually thinking earlier that I should open up allen Carr's book again as I recently bought a copy for my mum :-) that's exactly what il be doing shortly after my shower to remind myself again why I chose to quit!
Back in 2018 my problem was redbull, but now it's coffee :-( I loved waking up in the morning and making a coffee and chain smoking out the back for about an hour, now I have replaced the cigarettes with the vape, which u are 100% correct, there has not been enough research surrounding vapes so that scares me health wise also!
It's true when u say I quit for the wrong reasons unfortunately :-( 80% is money and 20% is health, which is a stupid way to look at it... I was saying to my mum yesterday that I feel it would be alot easier to quit for health reasons if I could physically cut myself open and see my lungs for myself, u know the old saying "you need to see it to believe it? It is a totally wrong mind frame to be in and I have to switch my brain to the real issues behind smoking!
One of the biggest reasons I have stuck it out so far is because I always remember how disappointed I am in myself when I have quit in the past and then started smoking again so I keep telling myself "don't do it, it's not worth it".
One of my hardest issues is, because iv had anxiety/panic disorder since I was 18 (I'm now 33), everytime I quit smoking my anxiety peaks and I automatically think "oh no, my body is not coping well because I quit and I can only relax when I smoke" when in reality I know alot of people get abit of anxiety when they quit for the first phase and I need to tell myself "your only having abit of anxiety at the moment because that is a symptom of nicotine leaving the body, it will soon pass so relax".
I went through some of your stories and jotted down some of the links u suggested taking a look at :-) I'm going to have a shower, jump into bed and read them before I go to sleep and fingers crossed my body feels stronger tomorrow :-)
Thanks for your support and comments through this time x
Hi there kingkelz. Sorry to hear you are struggling so much with anxiety. Are there healthy things you can do to help in reducing the anxiety? Are you doing those things? ❤️ I have battled with the anxiety in my quitting. The things that helped me have been talking to a doctor, talking to a friend, sharing on here, helping others, meditation, music, prayer, going for a walk,focusing on breathing excercises, taking time for myself. Stay with us kingkelz ❤️🙏😊
Hi there :-) I'm definitely trying x how long does the anxiety last? I'm hoping not too long x
I imagine it's different for everyone. My anxiety stated to lessen around week 5 or 6. I am rolling towards week 9 now and I am still experiencing anxiety but not has strong as I was.