PolarBlue

It's the first time I tried giving up smoking since I started 15 years ago. I had a bad case of bronchitis mixed with alcohol withdrawal symptoms (bad combination), and thought it was time to give it all up. Since I've been smoking heavily over the past few years I get bad lung infections every winter. Had enough of that.

Not doing bad with the alcohol really. The first few days were hell but things are getting better. Not to say I wouldn't love to down a beer, but you know how that goes. I saved enough money over the past couple weeks to pay for Christmas presents and then some. That's always a plus. Its time to stare this in the face and stick with it this time.

Just thought I'd say hi and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope everyone says safe and sober.

Dee74

Happy Holidays Polar Blue

If SR is your only means of recovery support, do use us as much as you need to. There'll be folks here all across Xmas and New Years.

D

Soberwolf

Well done on giving up smoking Polar

& on staying sober too

Keep going

PurpleKnight

Keep pushing through PolarBlue!!

SoberLeigh

Nice job, PolarBlue.

Merry Christmas.

Rina

Wow!! Way to go for quitting both at the same time!

Impurrfect

I'm really impressed that you stopped both at the same time. I'm almost 8 years into recovery, and working on the quitting smoking.

You are tackling both and that is HUGE so congrats to you!!

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

OklaBH

YEA! You sound tons better than your previous post! Im proud of you! 18 days is fantastic!

PolarBlue

Thanks, everyone. I got the last of my Christmas shopping done today. It felt strange going shopping completely sober and not smoking a cigarette on the way. Kind of refreshing.

I think I had a little help with the smoking part. My parents took me to the hospital for a mixture of bronchitis and I guess alcohol withdrawal, but I didn't tell them that. I was having tremors and even hallucinations. Saw shadows moving and couldn't shut my eyes without feeling like my brain was being jolted. Not sure if it was seizures or what.

After getting antibiotics they asked me to stay with them until I felt better, so I couldn't smoke at all during that week. I had no way to get cigarettes even if I wanted one. lol. After I came back home I decided I should stick with it. Save money and of course improve health.

I hope everyone's doing well. Ready to see what happens in 2015; this year flew by.

brynn

Polar, that is awesome!
I quit smoking about a year ago and bought a new car with the money I saved on cigarettes alone! And the money I'm saving on booze, I feel like I won the lottery!

By the way, we have the same sobriety date! Yay for us!!

Serenidad

Awesome! I quit alcohol and cigarettes at the same time too! 17 days ago! We can do this! I read a study a few months ago that said quitting smoking at the same time you quit drinking GREATLY improves your odds of staying sober! Yay!

PolarBlue

Best of luck to you both. It's still early but I feel confident this time. I already saved over $150 so that's incentive enough to leave it alone for good. No one likes to think of the cost when they're doing that stuff. I knew it was adding up, but refused to look at how much. Close to $7 a day for cigarettes, and about that for alcohol. Give or take a few bucks depending on what I was drinking. That's close to $400 a month.

May as well have thrown it in a bonfire. It would have been healthier.

Soberwolf

Way to go Polar

JanieJ

Awesome job, Polar

Merry Sober Christmas to you, my friend xx