Hi Shevie, I wonder why they didn't list depression right after withdrawal? Most nicotine quitters experience mild depression right after HELL & HECK weeks right? Hell, Heck, The Blahs. [color=blue][font=Tahoma]All the best~[/color] [img]http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/6922/n3us.gif[/img][size=3][color=blue]2[/color][/size][img]http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/2344/k6ob.gif[/img][/color] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/20/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 265 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,832 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1325 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 25 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 49

Hi Shevie. I still experience some of these from time to time. We cannot allow them to get the best of us. We must recognize the warning signs and do what it takes to avoid disaster - Relapse. There are so many times that I have wanted to give up or thought that smoking would make things better. I'm glad I've had the rest of you telling me the truth and that I listened. Great advise. Thanks for sharing this with us. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 315 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,308 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1102.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 27 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 12 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

I think that's totally right about the road to relapse. It's so easy to get caught in that trap and think that one won't hurt, but it always does. Good post Shevie. Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 196 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,905 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $809.48 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

I found the following on an addiction recovery website. It begins with the Post Acute Withdrawal phase which is the start of the quit and continues to relapse. We all will experience a good deal of this without actually relapsing, so don't panic if you see some of this in yourself. I think it is important to lay out the map, so to speak, in the hopes that someone truly on the path to a relapse will have the opportunity to recognize their progression and take corrective action. [b]Post Acute Withdrawal[/b]: I start having problems with one or more of the following; thinking difficulties, emotional overreaction problems, sleep disturbances, memory difficulties, physical coordination problems, becoming accident prone, and/or starting to experience a serious sensitivity to stress. [b]Return To Denial[/b]: I stop telling others what I�m thinking/feeling and start trying to convince myself or others that everything is all right, when in fact it is not. [b]Avoidance And Defensive Behavior[/b]: I start avoiding people who will give me honest feedback and/or I start becoming irritable and angry with them. [b]Starting To Crisis Build[/b]: I start to notice that ordinary everyday problems become overwhelming and no matter how hard I try, I can�t solve my problems. [b]Feeling Immobilized (Stuck)[/b]: I start believing that there is nowhere to turn and no way to solve my problems. I feel trapped. [b]Becoming Depressed[/b]: I start feeling down-in-the dumps and have very low energy. I may even become so depressed that I start thinking of suicide. [b]Compulsive And/Or Impulsive Behaviors (Loss Of Control)[/b]: I start using one or more of the following- food, sex, caffeine, alcohol, work, gambling, etc. often in an out of control fashion. And/or I may react without thinking of the consequences of my behavior on myself and others. [b]Urges And Cravings (Thinking About Smoking)[/b]: I begin to think that smoking is the only way to feel better. I start thinking about justifications to smoke and convince myself that using is the logical thing to do. [b]Chemical Loss Of Control (Return To Smoking)[/b]: I find myself smoking again to solve my problems. I start to believe that �it�s all over until I hit bottom, so I may as well enjoy myself for the tim

N2k, while there is no actual timeline attached to any of these steps, I agree that depression should have been listed in the Post Acute Withdrawal phase. Perhaps the original author didn't want to confuse the PAW depression with the later stage of depression which, I believe, is more intense. Or perhaps he just overlooked it like I did. So much for midnight posts. Thanks for pointing that out. :) Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 354 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,088 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1345.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 66 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 53 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

Shevie, Brilliant insight, thanks for sharing! I think we have all gone through one or more of these. We can all learn from one another :) Keep Strong, Josie _____________________ The SSC Support Team.