DenaliBlues

nope

nope

Who da man? You da man! Well done @Mac#23, and congrats on your champion quit!

Hope you’re doing great @Pilgrim! 

14 years! What an INSPIRATION that is to me! Congratulations. 

Well done! So glad you are reaping the rewards of quitting already!!

Hooray for five months!!! What a wonderful start to your forever quit. 

Well said @Minnie Mouse! I agree with this. Not only do we need to create new - hopefully healthier - coping strategies, we also need to rewire the reward centers in our brains.

For a while after I quit, everything seemed flat. Nothing satisfied. Because I’d scorched all the dopamine receptors in my brain by force-feeding them with nicotine. I thought I’d never feel happy again. 

But I was wrong. That malaise was temporary. After a while, I started to be able to enjoy things again… the taste of food, the feeling of a cool breeze on a hot day… the fizz of my favorite beverage. Life’s little pleasures. 

It’s a beautiful part of recovery, actually. 

Yeah, my quit wasn’t pretty, either. I was outa my mind for a while, and I still struggle with feelings of loss sometimes. But that struggle (and this forum) help me maintain my commitment to my forever quit. Go thru the misery of withdrawal all over again?! No thank you!!

Hi @Orion. Congrats on the start of your quit! I’m very sorry that it feels like such a struggle right now. 

I agree with others who have suggested a check-in with your prescriber. But it’s also true that quitting entails some losses and sorrows to reckon with. It’s not just a chemical dependence that needs to be broken, there are also emotional aspects to addiction that arise as well. Sorrows, feelings of no energy, flatness, the sensation of being adrift, nothing gratifies… these can be part of the quitting terrain, with or without medication. 

The good news is that they pass. It gets better. One day you’ll laugh aloud at something. You’ll catch yourself singing in the shower or the car. You’ll find yourself really enjoying a meal, or looking forward to an activity. All without being chained to nicotine. Good things await you on the other side, so hang in there! 

N O P E

The first summer of my quit I did “speed weeding.” Whenever a craving hit I would dash outside, frantically yank up weeds for 5 minutes, then run back inside. The neighbors thought I was bonkers… but it worked! 

Hiya @Nellie. Just chiming in to say welcome! I, too, was a heavy smoker for more than 40 yrs. So I appreciate the courage it takes to make that leap. Kudos to you!

I quit using patches and the occasional lozenge as a bridge strategy while I got my bearings. I ultimately found it quite hard to do a gradual step down with progressively lower-dose patches. It kept me in a constant state of withdrawal, which irritated the bejeezus out if me and prolonged my quitting agony. So I transitioned to cold turkey fairly soon, to clear my system once and got all. But each person is different - find whatever works for you and let us know! 

Attaway to rock your quit @FinalAttempt: try something new, have some fun, stay busy, and flip the bird to those old patterns. Nice work!!

NOPE

NOPE

Well done @despair not!! Congratulations on 9 amazing years. Give that man a standing ovation! 

Five years!!! Such an awesome achievement, @Gus. Huge congrats, and thanks for all the encouragement you shared when I was first quitting. You helped me so much!

Gladiator 

pours a drink

Woo hoo @beazel! What an inspiration! 

NOPE

rodeo