Smoking, Coffee & Sleep

[Phmdyw]

I am planning to read on this tobacco board this morning. I've had horrendous problems sleeping since my 2nd year of sobriety. I started drinking a lot of coffee then and smoking more, probably to deal with fear and resentment that I no longer had pot & alcohol to cover up.

I sleep 6-8 hours and it's never enough. I'm probably emotionally exhausted. I'm 46 and my body probably can't handle it anymore.

I can't commit to anything. I can't show up for my own life because I'm so tired and when I'm like that (5 or 6 out of 7 days per week) I'm an emotional and physical mess. I look like hell, my skin and hair look awful, and I can cry at the drop of a hat. Cannot remember things, seasons go by and my life stays still.

I think the computer probably doesn't help either, I can pick up resentments and fears too easily on facebook etc.

I have been "done" and "disgusted" for years, and today I am going to at least try to go cold turkey with both coffee and cigarettes. I have been thru the steps and have God. It is a great opportunity to go to Him more and start actually living life.

[Jasmine2011]

Easing up on the caffeine and smokes is definitely a great idea.

Are you a woman? I have been going through something similar and then after a year of testing, i realized it was perimenopause. I now call it mental-pause because that's exactly how I am feeling! I will be 47 soon.

[Phmdyw]

Yes, and around your age.

[Jasmine2011]

Have you quit the coffee and tobacco?

I don't have a problem with either, sugar is my problem, I tend to over eat.

After a year of sleeping my life away, I am now experiencing insomnia, which is another symptom.

I know a much healthier diet on my part would help significantly but I have such a hard time with it, I don't know why.

[neferkamichael]

Im male and 10 years older than you, but your post describes me perfectly. It time for me to quit to. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[margarok]

Hey, Nerkerfamichael... do you check in with the Smoking Cessation forum on About?

[murrill]

I quit smoking nearly five years ago, and the perimenopausal symptoms emerged. Quitting smoking is one of the best things I ever did. I used Chantix, which helped me quit, and I used an on-line support at about.com to help me stay that way.

[Phmdyw]

I know the cigs and coffee are bad, but i don't think they're at the root. I think it's emotions. Resentment and fear. I will keep working on myself. Thanks

[micealc]

I am Promising myself that Ill give up the Fags this Month.
Ill be back here looking for Support......I was Thinking of using AVRT........Anyone ever try this.
PHMBYW, I'M sorry you are finding AA a bit rough at the Moment.
I'm a member for Many years.....There are Lots of Good People going to meetings,but there are always a few that are not there for the right reason ,theses ones you describe drink again,mark my word.
Take care....Stick around.MC

[Michelle922]

Originally Posted by Phmdyw

Yes, and around your age.

Me Three!! Me three!! I just turned 49, yikes I said it. Once, you quit you will feel better...your engery level will pick up and the rest will follow. Go outside for a walk and get some fresh air. When, I quit I started walking which not only help with the withdrawals but, also with my depression/energy level.

It will get better.

[Toronto68]

I don't know how this has been working out for the original poster, but I think it's a good topic to keep going.

For the physiological introduction, I'm a male, single, and 43. (I add the "single" part because that could play a part in the well-being of a person, particularly men, I should think.)

I think cutting out the caffeine and nicotine was a great idea. For those of us who are addicts of these as well as alcohol, we know how it can be a bit daunting to consider giving up the "extras" after we give up the major thing. Some of us give up all of it all at once, but I think most of us give up alcohol first and then the others. (That's what I'm guessing.) I tried to drop cigarettes after about 6 months, but I gave in before a week was out. Then another year went by of horrendous smoking. About a week or so after I quit smoking, I suddenly got the courage to drop caffeine, and the craving for it was a lot less intense. Then I stopped it and the craving for both of them was weakened even more! The relationship between those two addictions is very tight.

Fast forward for me: I am OK. I am in my ninth month of being without smoking, and roughly the same of course for caffeine. For drinking, it's been 2 years and a couple of months.

I am OK for the most part, but I wonder sometimes if I will run into problems with food. It seems like I want to eat constantly sometimes. I'm not too bad with sweets, but I still do "need" to have ice cream as soon as possible. There are times when I know I "need" a shot of something sweet. Diabetes? I don't know. It could be just cravings in my case.

Fear and resentment? I do ask myself how I am doing with my resentments on a regular basis. Not as often as during my first year of sobriety, I would say, but I haven't forgotten the lessons learned, you know? I haven't discarded the things I know I have to live by. I have fears more often than I would like. I also have the ability to tear up over anything. It's really made me wonder if I was going crazy. It continues to be like a smack in the face to have given up things only to be weak as the outcome. And then when I think about how long I have gone without all those things (substances) that have ruled much of my life, the bulk of my adult life, I feel better to know that I am strong enough to be without them. The gladness doesn't disappear, but I do feel a resentment that I feel fear and have the emotional fragility.

So for me I think I can only keep going. And "keep going" means trying to maintain a balance in the things I eat and in the things I do. Habits that maintain some kind of physical activity and tidiness around the house and mental activity all do their part in keeping some kind of order and decency to life for me. I noticed that immediately over two years ago and that hasn't changed for me.

Once in a while, when I am feeling a sense of dread about having to do something, I get an urge to smoke (the familiar pacification device). And then I get to feel the pleasure in saying I actually don't need to do that, and it's completely gone. But apart from those little episodes, I hold my breath when walking by smokers and avoid them. I am pretty much a classic "ex-smoker"!!!

There are other things going in my life that are not where I want them to be (financially in a nutshell), so that is adding weight to the sense of burden, I believe. Perhaps I wouldn't have so much fragility, so much of a feeling of "I could cry at the drop of a hat" if I didn't have other life issues. Or my obsessiveness. We shall see.

Good luck to those working on quitting and on the emotions and related challenges that have been brought up in this thread!

[nel68]

Originally Posted by Jasmine2011

Easing up on the caffeine and smokes is definitely a great idea. Are you a woman? I have been going through something similar and then after a year of testing, i realized it was perimenopause. I now call it mental-pause because that's exactly how I am feeling! I will be 47 soon.

Thats what I was thinking to... I am 43 soon to be 44 and feel the same way...I know that it is perimenopause...just feel deflated!!...hope we all get feeling better!!

[stefan89]

i smoked for 6 years and i got so sick from smoking sometimes that i gaged , until i found a product that helped me.

[JesseJe]

yeah i wouldn't say that it's only the coffee and cigarettes, but they are definitely contributing to the problem.. I think diet and hormones are playing a huge part in the way you're feeling.

although i have heard that smokers get less quality sleep because their body is craving nicotine as they sleep and disturbs it. but your situation seems more severe than that.

as i said very likely hormonal. you should consider looking at your diet first off. im really really big on diet being the single most important thing you can give to yourself and body and life. its your chance to fuel your being and literally the cells that make you up. there is no way we should put anything that isn't incredible food into it.

sorry dont mean to preach at all, especially since i dont know your diet, but i changed so many of my health problems through diet alone that i can't stress it's importance enough.

wish you the best.

[ressurectJ]

lately ive been feeling the loss of interest .in things... i still have interest it's just not that strong like it normally would of been if i never picked up this bad habit (smoking)..i get anxiety in the morning and the irritability ..still rises up ..espically in the morning and the evening ..its like my body kept a record of all the times during the day i smoked..i would usually smoke on the way into work..then on the way home (i had a 25 min ride home and to work )...ive noticed that exercise does help a bit..the thing that's hard still is if i get to excited my heart starts pumpin and i get all the symptoms of wanting a cigg . or wanting something stimulating ..i feel like the incredible hulk sometimes (Ha)

[Lotrus]

Originally Posted by JesseJe

although i have heard that smokers get less quality sleep because their body is craving nicotine as they sleep and disturbs it. but your situation seems more severe than that.

I've heard this too. But what helped me to sleep better is to not smoke at least two hours before going to bed as nicotine is a stimulant.