Smoking Addiction & Recovery Support Group
The CDC claims that nicotine is a "very addictive drug" that can be "as addictive as heroin or cocaine." Nicotine is typically eliminated from the body within 2 to 3 days, however, physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms may last for much longer depending on the individual. If you are trying to kick the habit, this community is dedicated to giving smokers the...
I've been smoking since the age of 12. Addicted since the age of 15. I used to smoke between 30 and 40 cigarettes a day, every day. I've "quit" twice before. Once for 6 months because a boyfriend didn't like smoking. Once for 9 months when I was pregnant with my first child. I turned 30 this year. I LOVE smoking. I HATE smoking. I don't really want to quit. But I need to quit for so many reasons, the biggest ones being....
1. I have developed some neurological issues that may be MS.
2. My kids. My kids. My kids. They have been imitating mommy's smoking.
3. Money. We're going to lose our house. If my husband and I both quit, we'll be saving almost $600 a month.
My husband gave it up on January 1st. He has been using the patch and has had 1 cigarette everyday. (Not sure that really counts as giving it up but ok, it's an improvement.) I read the Allen Carr book last weekend and had my last cigarette on the way home from work on Monday. In about an hour I will be at the end of day 3. I have essentially gone cold turkey.
(Tuesday afternoon I fished some butts out of the ashtray, took a few drags and then felt guilty and sprayed them all with water and threw them in the trash. I also went out for beers last night and brought an E Cig with me. I didn't beg anyone for a smoke but I felt guilty about even using the E Cig for some reason, like I was cheating or something.)
Physically, I feel fine. After all that time my physical addiction isn't that strong I guess. I've had a few hot flashes and some physical manifestations of anxiety. Emotionally I'm a wreck. I'm crying A LOT, being rude to my kids and husband, having panic attacks. Crying. Did I mention crying? ;)
1. I have developed some neurological issues that may be MS.
2. My kids. My kids. My kids. They have been imitating mommy's smoking.
3. Money. We're going to lose our house. If my husband and I both quit, we'll be saving almost $600 a month.
My husband gave it up on January 1st. He has been using the patch and has had 1 cigarette everyday. (Not sure that really counts as giving it up but ok, it's an improvement.) I read the Allen Carr book last weekend and had my last cigarette on the way home from work on Monday. In about an hour I will be at the end of day 3. I have essentially gone cold turkey.
(Tuesday afternoon I fished some butts out of the ashtray, took a few drags and then felt guilty and sprayed them all with water and threw them in the trash. I also went out for beers last night and brought an E Cig with me. I didn't beg anyone for a smoke but I felt guilty about even using the E Cig for some reason, like I was cheating or something.)
Physically, I feel fine. After all that time my physical addiction isn't that strong I guess. I've had a few hot flashes and some physical manifestations of anxiety. Emotionally I'm a wreck. I'm crying A LOT, being rude to my kids and husband, having panic attacks. Crying. Did I mention crying? ;)
you have to want to quit more than anything you have ever wanted. you have to either love smoking or hate it but you can't do both. Let's talk about the kids. not only are they imitating you but they've been exposed to toxins. This article explains third hand smoke exposure.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081229105037.htm
if that doesn't scare any parent, nothing will.
smoking while using the patch is dangerous as one 21 mg patch has the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes. your husband is running the risk of nicotine overdosing.
http://silkquit.org/stop-smoking/as3faq/nicotine-patch.aspx
quitting is doable but you have to do the research and you have to have a positive outlook. make a list of the reasons why you want to quit smoking, not circumstances but reasons that why quitting smoking will personally benefit you because in a quit, your family can be a factor but having the motivation for a quit has to come from you.
i invite you to join us for roll call and pledge every morning. i also invite you to read the old posts in this group as well as our sub group called good posts
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/good-posts
i wish you the best of luck.
You can do this
Hugs Deb
everything youre feeling is completely normal, especially this early in your quit. i know that my psychological addiction was much harder to break than my physical addiction. i didnt realize until i quit that i used cigarettes for *everything*- when something good happened i celebrated with a cig, when something bad happened i ran to smoke for solace, when something stressful happened i smoked to deal with that stress (i thought cigarettes helped me de-stress until i quit- i am a million times calmer without nicotine), when i was tired, when i was bored, especially when i was angry (and i thought smoking made me feel better, but all it did was supress the anger. now i actually get to deal with it and really get rid of it), when i was in pain, and on and on...
breaking all of those strong, ingrained associations takes time. but it is worth it. i knew i had to stop smoking for my health, for all of the reasons we stop, but there are so many wonderful things about quitting that i had no idea would happen.i am and always have been very hard on myself, but now i always have something i feel really good about. i also feel a really strong sense of freedom- i am shocked by the number of both big and small ways in which my life was controlled by cigarettes. i know how hard this is, but hang in there and keep fighting no matter what- it will get better, i promise. you can do this, and we are all here to support you.