First post, Day 6

[Rhia]

Blah.  That's how I have been feeling, when I am not angry, or crying or aggravated that is. I quit smoking 6 days ago.  I am on the patch and Zyban, but this process stinks.  I have been following the posts in another support group, but it hasn't felt supportive to me.  I am the wife of a Marine and the mother of a 3 year old daughter.  My husband has been gone on training for the last 2 months and will hopefully be returning home soon.  I thought that quitting smoking while he was gone would be the best idea, so he wouldn't have to deal with my mood swings and incessant snapping and tapping to keep my hands busy.  Oh boy, how wrong I was.  Trying to run the house, take care of my daughter and go to school is more stressful than I thought, especially without my smoke breaks from reality.  I defiantly think that I should have waited until he was home so that not only would I have help with our daughter, but also the support that I need.  My two closest friends where I live are both smokers, and while they support me, they are also watching me to see if I fail before they try to quit.  So that sucks.  It is kind of annoying when I look to them for support and they just tell me to stay strong and not give in and that they look up to me!, knowing good and well they are going to go have a cigarette right afterwards.  

Oh well.  Anyways, I have never had a blog before and I am not sure how these even really work, but I might as well use it as my journal type thingy to write to when I am not having a good day, or heck, if I have an amazing day (although I have a feeling those will be a while down the road...).  

Although it is said that having a positive attitude is half the battle, this stinks.  I have been miserable the last week, cranky, short tempered with my poor daughter and just down right feeling horrible in general.  I hope it ends soon.  I have read some websites that say regular cravings can last up to 6 months, and I know that I can't deal with this for 6 months.  

Okay, that is enough.  Have a good night 🙂 I have homework to do since the runt is in bed. 

[John10forteen]

6 DAYS!!! Any idea how amazing that is? In case you don't know .... It is. I'm 4 days clean but I used to say I'm "only" blah blah blah. Be absolutly proud of each day. Put a medal on your chest each day so when your marine comes home, He'll see a hero in the doorway!

Smoking is just a useless time sucking chore that serves no purpose...... oh yea ....the addiction thing, Breath deep, take another step and forget about 6 months into the future.

You got this!

[promise_judy]

Welcome to our group. Your blog was pretty typical. Most of us come here vent, share, and to learn how to quit. Congrats you just like the rest of us "seekers of the truth".  I also think that 6 days is outstanding and you should be very excited that you have done this. We just need you to keep an open mind and learn as much as you can about how and what you are fighting--addiction to nicotine.

What we have to offer you is our own feelings and experiences of our own quits.

So all that is required from you is to spend whatever "FREE" time you have--reading and bloging here on this site.

Be patient with yourself and others.

We know you can do this!

Keep on adding those smoke free days.

XOXO

[kiki2]

Hi Rhia,

I too am on day 6.  Its been quite the rollerccoaster, huh? Some days better than others, right? I think Ive gained 6 pounds per day on this quit. 😮  Ok, maybe not...thats how I feel  tho.

This is probably the 3rd maybe 4th time Ive truly quit.  Once when I was pregnant with my daughter. This time Im quitting cause I asked myself to,  Not my Dr.  I was tired of being tired every single day and needing a nap.  Im only 44, I shouldnt have to nap every day.  Wake up with headaches everyday.  and good god...now that I am not smoking. Did I actually smell like that everyday??  ICK!!  

You can do this Rhia!  Breathe in, Breathe out!!

[linda258]

Keep going... you are doing great.  The first week is bad but not impossible and you are doing this.   No one wants to re-do the first week so keep walking.  It will get better.

We are addicts and your body is in the process of kicking out the poision in your body. 

You have money that you are saving by not smoking.... use it to pamper yourself. 

Read the research, it helps to understand.  I was not happy either... but I was determined not to smoke.  It is worth it not to smoke ... don't let the addict in you talk you into smoking.  Don't let it take control. Hang in there .. you CAN do this.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

what are regular cravings?

actually most people have passing thoughts after they make it through the first month with an occasional strong craving in the 3+ months that follow.

If people really kept a journal of only their bad days, I ould bet that they only have 10 bad days out of the first 130.

About then, is when you realize you aren't thinking about smoking all the time.

It takes time to unlearn smoking. It was tied to our brains and connected in one way or another to everything we did all day.

Read my page and you may find some help there.

[Junior7]

You are doing great!  Hang in there!  It does get better! 

[Thomas3.20.2010]

First, I want to Thank You and your husband for serving our Country! In my humble opinion , families of servicemen deserve just as much credit for service because their lives are dramatically more challenging! So Thank You!

6 days? WOW! What a tremendous beginning you have accomplished! Well done! All of these frustrating mood and thought patterns are perfectly normal!

BUT it does get a lot better sooner as you learn about Nicotine Addiction and Recovery! 

The only way out is through so keep going and trust that those of us who have been exactly where you are now are telllng you the truth! After Week 1 the second Week will have a different feeling about it. The third Week is even better! And no, it won't take 6 Months if you retrain your brain and do your homework!

Please read Dale Jones' page to find out more!

Your husband will be soooo proud of you!

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

I'm sorry you found us a bit late, but better late than never.  I also did not find this site until after I had quit, but still found the reading material suggested to be helpful (and it made a great crave buster!).

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone.  Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

[Linda239]

Rhia, when you have been a smoker, 6 days is fabulous!  I smoked for 44 years and was so sick of smoking.  I remember being so scared at first.  I just stuck with it, bad days too.  I remember crying as I told myself "I don't smoke anymore!".  Now, I look back and laugh about it.  When I was going through it I sure didn't laugh and I didn't want anyone else to either.

Just keep going and think about how great it will be to be a non-smoker and how proud your husband and child will be of you.  Just do your reading (really helped me), come in here and vent, read some blogs, and listen to the others.  I know when I first quit, I was on this site all the time.  Now here I am at almost 2 years and cannot explain how wonderful my life is now and how great freedom really is.

Just hang in there and stay true to your quit.

[Ms.J_11-10-2013]

Welcome to the family, this is where you need to visit often, read, learn and read some more.  This is an addiction we are fighting and you need to find out what it is and how to  go forward and beat it.  As everyone said 6 days is great, the nicotine is already out of your system.  What you are feeling is natural, your body is confused, it realizes that something is different.  It isn't being poisoned by thousands of chemicals dailey and it is getting clean crisp air instead. Stay strong and know that it is doable and make that little "runt" and that soldier proud of you!!!

Jackie

[Sootie]

HA!  I  don't know if you know how to look up old blogs yet....but, if you go to my page and click on my blogs you will see I wrote a on way back at the beginning of my quit entitled........BLAH!

You can do this and you must------it is the best decision you will ever make. Stick close to the site....keep reading and talking with people. This really is doable.

Stay Strong.

[Rhia]

Hey everybody, I just wanted to thank you all for your encouraging words. I will try and get back to each of you individually at a later time, but I have had a busy day, and there is still so much more to do 🙂  Hope everyone is having a good one.