MrBen

Hi everyone

So I've been sober for awhile now, I couldn't tell you exactly how long, I find counting days just seems daunting so I'm a "one day a time" kind of guy.

Anyway, today I'm quitting smoking again. I quit smoking a few days ago but cracked yesterday. But the weird thing is that what was bothering me was that quitting smoking was giving me alcohol cravings.

Maybe it's because I would usually drink when stressed, I dunno.

Also, how hard is quitting smoking? Geez. I feel like my bones are angry, I'm pretty much staying busy to stop myself snapping at people. On Saturday my friend wouldn't decide what food he wanted to order and I felt like throwing my TV through a window.

Anyone else had the whole alcohol cravings while quitting smoking thing? Tips for quitting?

Cheers y'all x

FeelingGreat

Hi MrBen, I'm not a smoker but just to say the Alan Carr book on stopping smoking worked right away for my DIL who had tried and relapsed many many times. She's been 9 months now without the slightest wish to smoke.

poolsideGal

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010...5b7234a829.pdf

^^^
Someone had introduced this (Carr's book) to me last week.

Nuudawn

I have known quite a few people who have had success with Carr's book. I can't say I am one of them...although I found his quit drinking one incredibly useful. (Note to self reread Carr's book).
I been battling the drinking/smoking thing for years. Are you using cold turkey method for quitting smoking?

ScottFromWI

I asssociated Nicotine ( chewing tobacco for me ) with Beer for many, many years - and they went together as well. I went the opposite route, quitting nicotine before alcohol, but my personal experience was that cold turkey was the best recipe for me in regards to nicotine. The initial few days were horrid, but after a couple weeks it was far easier than quitting drinking has been. I personally feel the patches and fake cigs merely postpone the pain.

ImperfectlyMe

Hey Ben
I hear you loud and clear. I quit drinking last April and smoking cigarettes this april. They are 2 totally different withdrawals. I find the later can invoke rage, while giving up alcohol tends to depress your mood.

Among people who quit smoking you'll find many that say cold turkey is the way to go. I'm not one of those. I quit using patches and wellbutrin temporarily. I'm 8 weeks in and down to the 7mg patches. I found this reduction of nicotine over time to be beneficial to me and those around me.

The quit of smokes definitely brought upon feeling of wanting to escape in me. If I had been newly sober I'd likely go right to the thought of damn I miss drinking too.

Give the patches a try. At 2 months smoke free I'm starting to really see the benefits. Good luck!

Erratic

sry when I gave up drink some yrs ago, I gave up cigs couple month after. I actually found that easier than the drink. Its all about keeping bz and using what u need to help come off cigs. I used patch and inhalator which really helped.

saying that I only gave up a yr on both, but that was down to ill health.

leviathan

whoa. your post was coincidentally timely for me (just dug a butt out of the ashtray! YAY!).

seriously, as soon as i go into withdrawl, i get angry. with everything. i wish i could just be isolated for a week. if i was rich, i would do this.

three months ago, when i was in rehab for drink and pills, pretty much everyone told me to wait with the cigs.

now, reasonably comfortable with my sobriety, i get anxious just thinking about quitting the smokes.

AAARRG!

i hope to join you today or maybe tomorrow, or maybe the day after, or the day after that, or... HA!

KILLIN me.

hang in there.