sharonsiff

Just fabulous! Before you know it it will be two :)

Sue...I will confess I gave going to the dentist up from the age of 18. I have scrubbed my teeth like mad to make up for it but stopped going duebto the nearly fainting everytime in the chair. Was embarrassing and just horrible. Funnily enough when I stopped smoking I found huge 'I can do anything courage' and went last August. Nearly fainted, cried tbh as I felt so frustrated and silly. As it goes not a thing wrong with my teeth...as luck would have it..lol

Exactly the same my end Sue. Mind you even without the periods (they stopped for 6 months when I stopped smoking) it was still lightheadedness and jittery as normal. The biggest pain I find now is the flamming fatigue and anxiousness, although the could do without any of it now I realise it's not the norm. Just read that teenagers can grow out of it, fingers crossed for our Lucy.

The ironic thing for me is I have always been a fainter (can remember fainting having a plaster ripped off atv6 years old) but never questioned it! I said to the doctor today that as a kid your just told your a fainter and you crack on, head down and get on with it. I will be over joyed if the water/salt increase, or if needs be medication sorts this out for our Lucy and myself, over joyed! Have you always been a fainter/dizzy spells type then Sue?

Yes please Joe I would be very grateful. Sue...so you get the bath faints too! Seems not many doctors know about the condition. Thank goodness for our Joe and him pming me.

Oh Colleen I hope it's soon sorted for you my lovely.

Just had dinner and our Lucy shared something that warmed the cockles of my heart;) She is reluctantly reading the book, is a teenager!, anyroad....PE today was running, she worries as she has balance issues andvtrips over fresh air! So she told us that she controlled her chimp today..wow.. She felt herself come over a bit 'funny' then stopped and said to herself 'it's my chimp, just stop and think it through' She said she thought if I fall I fall, I can do this and am more than capable of doing this. She turned her thinking around, boxed the chimp and ran and...wait for it...she even won! Omg...the fact she read the signs, stopped it in it's tracks before it turned into a full blown panic attack. Made up for her, just made up, could cry with happiness tbh.

Sue...seriously you chat with me about you anytime, I really mean that (cross my heart) I read on another site about how showers/baths can be a problem, don't know if it is for you? Lucy and I both go a bit dizzy getting out the shower or bath. Sounds strange I know, anyroad..I read that it's part of it and to drink a large glass of water before showering and finish on cooler water. Feel like...at last!...answers to stop it happening. Last time Lucy had a bath she got out and fainted. So now she only has showers as it worried her she might faint again Sue. Geez...the things I'm learning. The heart racing in my chest is something I will be glad to get under control too. As I say Sue please feel free to post here or pm me, be nice to chat to someone about it.

Congratulations....only two months to go

Evelyn I don't know what to suggest about the crying my friend but congratulations on being a week smober! Excellent news xx Anything you can do (pass time) that warms your heart, makes you smile?

I will keep you up to speed Joe and thanks ever so much for your support and everything xx

Hi Sue, here is the website my doctor told me to check out. http://www.potsuk.org/what_is_pots2 Maybe have a chat with your doctor too? Hope the link explains and helps xx

Wow...how exciting congratulations to you both xx

Will do Stu, will do...shoulders back and all that jazz ;). Thank you xx

Thanks Ross xx The important thing I forgot to mention...see brain fog-again! ;) Is that the doctor said that smoking has no doubt masked over the tiredness, anixety and poor concentration for the last 30 years. Yes the dizziness and fainting have always been there, and very low blood pressure, but the fatigue and other things are greatly increased. Bloody cigarettes!...mind you, only myself to blame- no one forced me. I can feel it in my water that our Lucy and I will soon be sorted;)

More news.... Joe gave me some info on POTS syndrome and have made an appointment to see the doctor again, with Lucy on the 22nd :) Interestingly though...I had my appointment today for a follow up to put me on mood stabilers. Explained I didn't want to, explained about using mind management and he was happy with that. Anyway, I mentioned bits I'd learnt about POTs and although I wasn't trying to self-diagnose I fell into the anixety, fatigue, poor memory and poor concentration. But the main one was the dizzeness and fainting. Been like it all my life, on my record that I nearly fainted just having my bloods done 3 weeks ago. Am used to it, the dizzeness is the same- just accepted that I get dizzy often and faint as I have very low blood pressure, it's obviously very embarrassing! But what can I do, it just happens.. So he did a mini test (checked my blood pressure and made me get up very quickly) from that he is convinced I do have POTS as whatever should have happened(blood pressure/hear wise) upon standing didn't and of course I nearly fainted. The good thing is I have to now increase my salt and drink 2 liters or more of water a day. That in itself can help with the symptoms :) If not then still good as he is then going to refer me to the POTS specialist, so all good. So our Lucy is having the same stand up test as me on the 22nd, as she, like me is a dizzy fainter type. Who knows maybe the fact she is nearly fainting is sending her breathing into panic and if the dizzy/fainting can be sorted then the breathing will see to itself...fingers crossed. Sorry it's long but just wanted to get it off my chest, am feeling a huge sense of relief! If however it doesn't then

So sorry for you :( Sounds like you see smoking as part of what's you, your identity? Felt exactly the same...just pants. Maybe read up on the psychological side of the addiction? I wish I had the answer (got there in my own mish mash way) If only we could purchase a new identity ;) You've read up on nicotine and the nature of addiction so maybe reading up on the psychology of self might help? What's done is done, dust yourself down and crack on.

Marti, you will find a way to be at peace with your emotions I'm sure of that. If your head becomes full of emotional thoughts have you ever tried writing them down? Gets them out of your head and once out you can re-read them in a logical, truthful manner. I've learnt a trick....when I get 'thoughts' I now stop the thinking in it's tracks, I accept the thoughts are not helpful, once I happily accept that they are not helpful I either write them down to deal with later or immediately move on and engage my brain in a task or chore. I've learnt not to beat myself up (mentally) to. NEAT Exercise you can use One good exercise is NEAT. It is Normal to have Chimp outbursts and activity that you will not manage well. Therefore you should Expect this to happen from time to time. Accept that you are not perfect and this animal is powerful. Take care of the outburst or activity by appropriate means, apologies if you have affected others, forgiveness if you feel guilty. Marti....I have no idea if any of this message is relevant to you, or even helps you? I hope it does but if not you will find the 'mental peace' by the fact you know it's currently missing. Good news to end on is that strong emotional reactions are very natural and the sign of a healthy mind- Dr Steve Peters. ;)

It's finished off brilliantly, well I thought so. I'll say no more and wait till you're on Season 2. I will have to take tips on the food presentation though, just screams Masterchef..lol

I cringe too..lol..mind you the presentation on the plates!, just wow...five star dining. Although not somewhere I'd go eat ;) Season 2 got off to a cracking start..

Many congratulations to you Nancy, soon be a year ;)

Hi Marti, As Nancy says for many it does even out this link helps explains why some of us feel this way and why it doesn't always feel easy http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/news/700-smoking-impacts-on-mental-health-as-well-as-physical.html If however it doesn't even out and it's down to faulty serotonin receptors in your brain there is good news too! You know what I'm going to say before I even say it..rofl..my beloved Chimp paradox book..he he he Seriously though, it has helped me as it gave me an easy model of how the mind works, as like you I smoked from 13 very heavily in my case, and had no concept of self without 300 shots of harman per day. So it teaches you howbthe mind works and how to 'manage' it. I don't know what emotions you are feeling, mine was a constant sense of dread and worry, so I see these as coming from the 'chimp' and now that I can identify where and why I've learnt what to do-with the help of the book. So either way good news for you Marti as your brain could be sorted in days/a few weeks or if not, and you can tell it's not lifted (your current feelings), then I 100% recommend the book.

Sadly my mother ;)...still takes all sorts. Glad to hear Mrs Sarge gets plenty of romance.

Sad that he lost but at least now Stu he won't go and numb his pain with drugs and booze, like he did in the past.

Are you romantic towards Mrs Sarge?