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Amber IS Quittting Smoking! Really! ... and she's doing it for the best reason possible!
Amber wrote: "I can't just do something to take my mind off of anything,"Try putting a thick rubber band on your wrist and snapping it.
I was not anticipating this. Yes, I expected to be frustrated and thrown off-kilter for a while, but I was not expecting my emotions to sit at the very surface today. One false move, and I'm either going to bite someone's head off, or cry. This is not normal.And my boss is an ass. Not helping.
Amber wrote: "I was not anticipating this. Yes, I expected to be frustrated and thrown off-kilter for a while, but I was not expecting my emotions to sit at the very surface today. One false move, and I'm either..."Nothing wrong with crying.
Any luck looking into acupuncture in your area?The primary thing that acupuncture does -in my untrained, sister of an acupuncturist opinion - is help restore balance. If you're feeling off-kilter, this is where it could really come in handy. Among other things, I've used it for a really psychologically off moment in my life(a really emotionally traumatic confrontation with my father several years ago). It really helped me feel like I was back to my own norm.
I haven't had a chance to do any really thorough research yet, but if it can help restore balance it's way up there on the list. I was way more psychologically dependent on cigarettes than I ever realized. I don't crave them as themselves, just as a major part of my day and having that gone feels like I've somehow given up the only part of my day I have any control over. I feel weirdly stranded, like someone died.
Mod
Once out of the office, things got a little easier. However, I still haven't made it to 24 hours smoke-free yet. I am systematically getting the number lower and lower. Day 1: 10 (didn't officially make the decision to quit until about halfway through the day.) Day 2: 6. Day 3: 5. Day 4 (today): 3. Tomorrow, shooting for the whole day smoke-free.
That's a pretty impressive effort for only Day 4. Stay with it Amber.
Keep up the good work, Amber! One day at a time!
This whole quitting thing is really making me realize how much I hate my job. I can't go outside and hide in a haze of smoke and convince myself that this is all there is. The market sucks, but I put in a couple of job applications this morning, one as another admin assistant, but for a non-profit, and one for a graphic designer, which is in my field but I am probably professionally under-qualified for. But we'll see.Thanks for all the encouragement everyone, it has been really, truly helpful. If I didn't have this thread in which to bitch and moan, this would be even harder.
Day 4 - concentrate on today and this moment. you are doing great!
Amber wrote: "This whole quitting thing is really making me realize how much I hate my job. I can't go outside and hide in a haze of smoke and convince myself that this is all there is. The market sucks, but I p..."I have a client who could use a good graphic designer. Unfortunately, she doesn't want to pay the wages that would attract one.
This is a good place to bitch and moan. I hope you have a good day today. HUGS!
Charly wrote: "I sense a way to redirect some of that nervous energy you were talking about. Jump into a job search and of course if you quit before your interview you can also apply to non-smoking firms.You ar..."
You're right Charly, you really are. I'm taking things slower than I probably should, mostly because I'm afraid of the meltdown (yesterday was awful).
I am a very, very lucky person. Not just because I have all of the great TCers behind me, but my husband has been absolutely wonderful. I told him I wanted to quit, and I didn't even have to ask him to quit with me, he just threw his hat right in there with me. He seems to be doing better than me, too; no crazy mood swings, no headaches, no bitching. And he's doing a fantastic job of not poking the angry bear that has taken his wife over for the last few days.
Oh, that makes a huge difference! Good for both of you.
I haven't bought a pack of cigarettes for two days. The money that I saved bought me the latest book by my favorite essayist and writer of books about books: A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel
I remember reading an essay by Russell Baker about quitting smoking, in which he said that he would take whatever money he saved not buying cigarettes and put it in an envelope in his desk drawer. Within a week or two, the sum was large enough that it really captured his attention, and over time, he became increasingly focused on the envelope and decreasingly interested in smoking. Worked for him. Might work for you, too--or at least help.(If you're too young to remember Russell Baker, he was an Op-ed columnist for the NYTimes in the 1970s and '80s. He retired sometime in the early '90s, I think, but is still around and writes occasionally for the NY Review of Books.)
Jonathan wrote: "I remember reading an essay by Russell Baker about quitting smoking, in which he said that he would take whatever money he saved not buying cigarettes and put it in an envelope in his desk draw. Wi..."I have had a lot of people suggest the money jar/envelope. It is a really good idea, except I tend to never use cash. I just have to write the amount down on a piece of paper and add it up over time.
good job, Amber! It is nice to reward yourself with a book or something else just for you like a mani/pedi or a massage.
Hi Amber,Just joined TC here. Been on HA (Horror Afficiandos) for quite some time. I have heard smoking is as tough or tougher than to quit drinking.
I quit drinking Oct. '05, after 30 years....cold turkey. I put myself in rehab, so I would be away from my beer 'fridge. Four days in, I knew could do it. Hell, other than maybe having a bad cold...was the only time I went that long without a beer. :)
But.....remember, your doing it for yourself...and you have to want to quit.
Need to chat, message me.
Not too bad, thanks for asking ms. petra.:) I'm still not quite able to shake my one smoke in the morning, which is mostly due to the fact that facing the office is getting increasingly difficult. Yesterday was an off day, unfortunately; social smoking is still a big issue and I had 3 or 4 yesterday, mostly due to my inability to fight the urge to join friends when they smoke. I just realized the other day that I have been smoking for nearly my entire adult life; just another reason I need to quit!
Lee wrote: "Hi Amber,Just joined TC here. Been on HA (Horror Afficiandos) for quite some time. I have heard smoking is as tough or tougher than to quit drinking.
I quit drinking Oct. '05, after 30 years......."
Thanks for the support Lee, and welcome to TC. This place is AWESOME.
I've watched my mom give up drinking and smoking, then pick them up again, then drop them again. From her experience, smoking was harder to initially stop because it was an all-day thing, but drinking was much harder to keep from picking up again, even after quitting for some time.
I hope you have a good day today, Amber. Keep strong.
Guess I feel lucky Amber...walked away from it...and stayed away form it. Also....hell of way to lose weight! :)
That's a pretty tough stance, Charly. Addiction to anything- physical, chemical, psychological - is tough to overcome. What works for one might not work for another.
Sarah Pi wrote: "That's a pretty tough stance, Charly. Addiction to anything- physical, chemical, psychological - is tough to overcome. What works for one might not work for another."I agree with Charly. As long as a person keeps smoking, even if it's only one cigarette a day, they remain a smoker. The only way to be a non-smoker is to make the choice to not smoke. Delaying the inevitable doesn't make beating the addiction easier.
But taking a few days so it's not cold turkey can be the difference between really quitting and making yourself so uncomfortable that your will power will waver.
I know Michael and Charly are right, it won't be over until it's over. But I am opting, perhaps not all that wisely, to ease out rather than jump. It's not the best, but for right now it will have to do. My decision to quit was made very suddenly, and I'm not sure if I was totally prepared to do it when I came to that decision, and I might not be prepared even now, but I'd rather try slowly and possibly fail than drive myself crazy. I'm ok with failure, when I can learn something about myself from it.
I smoked for a long time and it took me a long time to finally quit and I'll never judge how someone else goes about quitting. It's just that goal is abstinence and eventually, no matter what, it comes down to the smoker vs. that crave.
24 hours smoke free! Now it's just time to keep the momentum going until I'm able to stop thinking about it all the time.
I think about Amber whenever I see the commercials for Nicorette on the Go or whatever it's called. Charly, I don't agree with the whole "I'm proud of you BUT (big ol' ass but in the middle signalling that this next clause is going to negate whatever came before it) you need to get on with it" thing. It's like saying "I'm trying to be nice but this is what is I really think." and she's not doing it for you to be proud of her; she's quitting smoking for her.
You go, girl!
Charly wrote: "I understand those who think the quitting can be gradual, less traumatic and so forth but having been there I would suggest that the trauma is less in the long run by simply stopping. New habits ..."
Again, I agree with Charly. Whatever works for each individual, works, but I don't see any advantage - once the decision to quit has been made - to continue adding nicotine to one's bloodstream. Sure, nicotine patches and gum give the lungs a break, but at some point a smoker has to stop putting nicotine into his system and the patch and the gum only delay the inevitable. The beautiful thing is when a smoker stops smoking, nicotine is out of the body in 72 hours. After that it's just willpower and determination.
Amber wrote: "24 hours smoke free!"Fantastic! One virtual pat on the back to you!
Amber wrote: "24 hours smoke free! Now it's just time to keep the momentum going until I'm able to stop thinking about it all the time."High fives!
This is sooo cheesy, but when I open this thread and see everyone cheering me on, I get a little teary. Maybe it's nicotine withdrawal, but I really think it's just that you are all great!
Good work Amber!! I smoked before I had my daughter.. I quit cold turkey the second I found out that I was pregnant (it was a surprise- sort of). It’s much easier to quit when it’s for someone else. I started smoking occasionally when I went back to work... but I’m planning on quitting entirely soon. I’ll just have to avoid certain friends, and certain patios for a while ;-) We’ll quit together Amber!! :D
Mod
Well done, Amber! I knew you could do it!::cheers::
Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go AmberGo Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber Go Amber
You go, girl!!! I'm so proud of you!::high kicks::
And you do it YOUR way. Whatever works best for you. And if you slip, don't kick yourself in the ass too hard. Just take it for what it is, a temporary setback, and then get back to gittin'. Don't let preachy people get to you, girl. You're doing it your way and you're doing fantabulous!!
BunWat wrote: "::Admiring crowd assembles, carries Amber around on the shoulders for a victory lap::Keep it up!! You can do it!"
Good thing you picked me up before the obligatory stop-smoking weight gain sets in. :)
Another suggestion: change the thread title again to "Amber IS quitting smoking." Give it the most positive, forceful spin you can. This is within your reach, so no need to attempt.
Virginia is probably a hard state to quit in since it's a tobacco state. You can still smoke in restaurants and clubs and stuff. I have a couple of friends here in Maryland who have quit because they're sick of being forced outside all winter when they're at restaurants or bars or clubs.