Ronantian

Day 4, anxiety is very high. It’s exacerbated by the withdrawal. Struggling not to blame myself for going back smoking when I know it ends up like this. Hope everyone is doing ok?

biminiblue

Hang on, Ronantian.

One day, one hour, one minute at a time if you have to.

Do you get any exercise? That is the one thing that really helps my anxiety the most. Even 50 jumping jacks whenever it hits - gets me back breathing correctly and gets me out of my head and in to my body. In the moment.

Ronantian

Thanks Bimi. Unfortunately when I’m going through anxiety, I don’t have a lot of energy. I’m going for walks, but want to get back into jogging when I’m feeling a bit better.

biminiblue

Sure, I understand. What I'm saying is that a minute or two of activity, not necessarily running for 20 minutes - but just brisk activity in the living room will activate the parasympathetic nervous system. It's fast, free and it works.

Squats, toe-touches, dancing, jogging in place, just shaking the arms and shoulders vigorously for one minute. Not actual organized go-out-and-do-it exercise.

Ronantian

Yeah, that’s something I’ll try over the next few days. Thanks, appreciate it

FlyingDutchMan

I don’t know if you experience the same thing, but I always seem to have some sort of backfire with stress and anxiety after I stop using. All this unprocessed stress and anxiety seems to come out all at once and it can be very overwhelming. Hope your weekend will be better.

Dee74

I’m with Bim on exercise helping stress.
even five minutes and I can bring my anxiety levels down.

D

Ronantian

Yes FDM. I think that I start smoking when I’m feeling stressed and don’t want to acknowledge it. Then I go down a spiral where I use until I can’t avoid the stress anymore. Then I have to deal with all the build up of anxiety while I’m detoxing. I find it hard not to blame myself because I know that smoking will end up with anxiety eventually.

Ronantian

Day 5 today and feeling really anxious. Sleep is effected and I’m so drained mentally and emotionally. I never want to end up here again. No more smoking. It just hurts me.

biminiblue

Drop and give me 20!!

You've got this!!





(20 pushups...it will work, honest.)

Ronantian

Did it bimi. Felt lightheaded and struggled to do 20, but did it.

biminiblue

Yay!!!! I have faith in you!

Now, eat something good for you.

CharlesG

3 months in today, proud of myself but feeling very stressed and physically tired. I can’t stop sleeping in. I’ll do my best to get up in next thirty mins and do something active/positive.

Dee74

3 months is awesome Charles - congrats

D

duane1

Day 2 tonight. Didn’t get any sleep last night. Reasons for quitting: Ruins my short term memory to where I can’t do my job as well as I’m capable of doing, dulls my emotions, hate having to always hiding it from my kids and feel I should be a better role model for them, makes me tired and does little for me after the first high of the day, makes my emotions surge when I haven’t had my fix yet, negatively affects libido, nasty smoke smell on my breath and clothes, negativity affects my health even though I don’t feel it in my day to day life, makes me avoid completing tasks I find mentally challenging in my head. I could go on.
I switched addictions from alcohol to pot 12 years ago. I just want freedom from being under the control of a substance. I’ve never experienced it for any length in my adult life.
Roadblocks is I have friends who are big pot smokers. Sort of a similar road block to when I quit drinking, but I had to quit drinking or I was going to die sooner rather than later. Pot, the negative stuff isn’t nearly as dramatic, so I could see it being really easy to slip back into.
I know I won’t smoke the next 3 weeks because I have a promotional test I want to be clear minded for. This led me to quit right now. I hope I can carry that momentum into a much longer sobriety.

Dee74

Welcome Duane

yeah just like I had to stay away from big drinking mates, I had to stay away from big smoking mates - at least until I was at a point I preferred being sober.

I hope you find, like I did, that not smoking brings a lot of gifts and makes returning to smoking pretty nonsensical
D

duane1

Thanks Dee.

Dee74

d

duane1

Tomorrow is 2 weeks, but the real struggle starts after this weekend. I have a big test Sunday. I know, mother’s day, crazy! Anyway, I quit to clear my head before the test. At least that was the motivation I used to get myself a streak going, but I am experiencing so many benefits right now. I’ve become so much more happy and gregarious. I talk to everybody at work. I am participating more in work related discussions. I got a compliment on how I look yesterday and I can even see I don’t look as warn out. I haven’t gotten a compliment like that since I quit drinking 12 years ago. My memory though not back to normal is improving. My drive is improving. I’ve lost 3 lbs already from avoiding the munchies.
I have anxiety about what that first puff would feel like and how all the positives I am experiencing will quickly fade away. My next goal is to make it to vacation in July. If I can do that, I simply won’t bring any with me when I go and can get through till August. Hoping I can get there and then work on more goals from there.

Dee74

Have a plan for Sunday - you know the situation or triggers that might come up..think about how to handle them and be forewarned...

you can do this!

ps congrats on 2 weeks

D