I think I am crazy.....................

[mcavil]

Hello all... It has been a while since I posted a blog.  I am truly struggling with quitting...  I read these posts and everyone makes it sound so easy....  Smoking causes me to have panic attacks and anxiety.  You would think that would be enough alone to quit, but that little nicodemon has so much control.  I just want my life back... Panic attacks have caused me to not want to go anywhere or do anything.  Not a way to live....  I am just aggravated and wanted to vent.....  Thanks for listening.....

Michelle

[notsmokinganymore]

Michelle, you are not crazy!!! Far from it.  Most of us feel like you do - that's why they call it "No Man's Land'!!!  I've had anxiety attacks for the past 5 years & have been on medication.  I quit smoking 68 days ago & the anxiety attacks have been brutal.  The first 4 weeks, I thought I was going to die.  I understand why women just disappear to never be heard from again. 

I basically became a recluse & the only places I would go would be to church & the grocery store.  I'm getting out more now.  I have broke all contact with my friends.  I just don't have the energy to deal with all their drama & mine too.  Because quiting smoking is drama!!

The good news is that everyday we get a little better.  I am beginning to have a social life.  These warm days are setting off some serious triggers for me because I love to sit outside on my deck with a book & just smoke, smoke, smoke!!!  This year will be different.  Some days I wish it would rain so I'm forced to stay inside!!

We're in this together!!!

T

[va72lady]

Take a long walk and breathe deeply when the nicodemon attacks..Talk to the nicodemon and tell him to get off your back and he will .  The attacks are only 10 min you can hang in there that long.  We can do this.   Shirley

[pipster540]

Michelle, have you already quit or are you getting ready to quit?  Couldn't tell from your page, hon.

Quitting smoking isn't complicated....so sometimes it appears "easy" in blogs....

I'm told that its as hard as I make it....and I guess its true.

Wishing you much success and FREEDOM!

[MarcieWhosoever]

I know about panic attacks. Thankfully I went to doc and she helped me. I am fine now thank God!. Within a month I went from being "normal" to not being able to leave my house. It was one of the worst periods in my life. Alls I can say is .... Prozac saved my life. Im not embarrassed to say so. Talk to your doc, there is things that can help.

best wishes for you! Let me know if you have any questions

Oh and pipster is right, it seems like the better mind set you have the easier it is.

[breathe-free]

I went to your page and read what you said there and some of the comments people left for you to read.   It is a vicious circle your in , but you can step out of the circle.   I know we have to commit to our quit like our life depends on it because it does......I don't think your crazy at all.....Listen to your body it is trying to tell you that when you smoke something is terribly wrong....and it was for me too.  Putting 4000 chemicals into our body has to be poisonous.   So keep coming back .....some people who struggle make a 90 day committment to come on here and blog .   Others make some friends on here to get to know so they can reach out if they are in trouble wanting to smoke.....You are worth the effort to find what is going to work for you.   Breathe Free

[patty76]

You aren't crazy at all!!  Someone on this site (maybe hundreds) put it in a good perspective.  Once you decide you aren't going to smoke anymore, you have to change your mindset to it's not that you 'don't get to' smoke anymore; it that 'you get all this other stuff' if you don't'  I didn't phrase that in the best way, but you get the picture I think.  If you walk into this thinking it's a punishment, you are defeating yourself already.  This is a resolution you are making in your life -- it's not a part-time thing.  You have to go in whole-hog.  If you try half-way, you won't get there.  Even if you go whole -hog you may falter too, but if you don't put your heart into it you don't have a chance (in my opinion).

I have always been rather introspective in my home life as I have a very social job at work.  My family always said I was such a hermit and should get out more.  I frankly thought they were nutz.  I still have a tendency to deal with my home stuff in my off time, but I'll also say that if I get a call to go out at the last min, I do find that I accept more readily now that I'm not thinking out 'gee, I won't be able to smoke there, and this is my relaxing day, and I really don't want to give that up . . .'  Sounds silly, but subconsciously I totally think I was going there . . .  I about blew the socks off my sister last week when she asked me to meet for cocktails at the last minute and I said yet -- I really don't think she was expecting it!! 

I'm hitting Day 66 tonight..  You can do it.  This is my second quit, because  I was cocky enough/stilly enough to actually think I could have one puff on a weak, enabled night and think I could handle it.  WRONG.  This quit I'm way into, and I can't tell you HOW MUCH this group helps.  Just to vent, whine, celebrate, whatever.  Sometimes you just need to let stuff out and believe it or not it helps SOOOO much.

We're here to help if you take the plunge!!!!

[nomoresmokes2011]

Just wanted to tell you your not crazy! My question is what is normal? LOL Looks to me you got plenty of advise so I just wanted to show my support and tell you to hang in there.

Hoping for Happiness Smoke Free,

Julie