Killing the Urge
I started a course of Champion six weeks ago. I quit smoking two weeks into the course, but still feel the urge a lot if times. What can I do?
Hi Turkey2205.
I gather you just found us and signed up. If you read our stories, and especially the replies given, you will find that Champix and NRT's are only an aid. They do nothing to help your accept the loss of a friend, the sense of loss without our crutch to get us through our anxiety, boost our confidence and help us relax.
The very first thing is to know that the above statement is all lies. Yes, you miss it, but it is not a cigarette is not a friend and never was. Nor did it ever do anything for us. When you can accept that and see the truth, it makes it much easier to let go and move on.
Champix shuts down the receptors which smoking excited.
It shut down our dopamine sensors or pleasure centers while you adjust to the changes in your life while not smoking. While altering routine and picking up another GOOD habit to replace smoking with, You need to take this time to change your way of thinking .
It is easy when you consider it only made you feel good for something that it caused. Those cravings are it begging to be fed and you are now starving it. Just as it slowly poisoned your body over the years.
You have the control now. It no longer tells you when to drop everything and feed it.
Quitting smoking will not only make you healthier and wealthier, but feel awesome about yourself. You will be more confident and love the true sense of freedom.
So don't miss your enemy and you will not crave.
We don't crave what we do not want. Desire freedom more than you want a cigarette.
Dopamine can be replaced with other jolts of pleasure. The smell of lavender, the taste of chocolate, hugging, kkssing, and all the things that make you feel good.
Champix alters mood so make sure someone close can monitor radical mood swings and suicidal thoughts. Most people have no problem , but users should be aware.
You are amongst people who understand your concerns. Everyone is different, but we can all quite smoking.
READ, LEARN, BELIEVE AND THINK POSITIVE.
Welcome aboard the non-smoking train Turkey, You have some good advice on altering your mindset from Happiness, this is true, because I was on Champix and it did work for me, albeit with only half a dose. I still had to work on my thoughts, and what I needed to put into my mind and body during my quit process.
The first thing I learned was that urges were only thoughts, and I had to let them go, and not hang onto these thoughts, I used deep breathing slow breath out, and put another thought into my mind (like NOPE) this mantra worked for me and stopped the thoughts from escalating. NOPE (not one puff ever).
The other thing I learned was that changes in your body, need to be looked into, and a routine of some sort of physical movement, needs to be adopted, whatever you enjoy doing.
At two weeks you should be aware if the 2 dose of champix is ok for you. Your scripts are regulated by your GP and you can visit your GP at any stage if you need to. I chose to drop a dose in the evening, (this still worked for me) and some people have taken the 2nd dose with food (dinner).
A reminder that you are in charge of your non smoking routine, and a reminder that you will have another quit date to stop Champix,
I also decided to work out what joys I had discovered during my day and thought about them at night, this brings you greater happiness on waking, I repeated this over my quit time and my list grew to loads of discovery and joy. I still use this method, when I have a lot to contend with in my life.
Keep in touch Read and post whenever you want to.