Sitting here in day 135 and wondering how to better help all of you in the early stages. No grand advice that you won't see on many other ex's blogs but faith, determination, education about how nicotine works in the brain and the absolute faith in a great God who wants whats best for us all wrapped up with some good old fashion work has gotten me this far. Hasn't been easy but what in life that worth anything is?
One note i hope to pass on is over the years i have suffered from mild "functioning" depression and have managed it with some very low dose meds and the help of my doctors. As we came through the process of maintaining my quit, i experienced emotions and troubles that i chalked up to the quit only to finally realize that it may be more due to the depression. Anger, sense of forboding, drinking too much etc. Thanks to a wonderful family and the best wife in the world, i'm visiting my doctor next week to see if the changes to being a non smoker may have affected the way my medications and coping methods have been working.
None of us can do this alone so please reach out and if you have any depression issues prior to your quit, be very aware that it is very easy to attribute the initial "feelings" associated with the first months to nicotine withdraw (physical and mental) and can actually be depressive feelings taking root. If you have any depressive tendencies, you know how dangerous and destructive they can be.
Thanks to all for the journey here and i'll continue to pray for all of you as you move into the new found freedome of life without nicotine!
In Christ,
Tim
