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the empty feeling


17 years ago 0 3368 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I am so flippin' happy for and proud of you ex-smoker! Did you know that my initial name on this forum was X-Smoker? I changed it to Breaking free ... so obviously I like your name as well. LOL I understand the 'empty' feeling. I too had it. And something is missing, but you can make that work for you instead of against you. Twist your thoughts in your mind. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that missing feeling. It is easier to acknowledge than ignore. Acknowledge them by telling yourself that a cancer is missing from your body ... and then smile. Eventually healthy tissues will be where the cancer was ... so to speak. Imagine your body healing, because that is what is happening. Let your mind, your thoughts flow in this manner. Concentrate on your body healing, feel it and know that you and your will power to not smoke are making it happen. You ARE doing this Ex-Smoker ... and I couldn't be happier for you! [IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a17/Daniwiz/Animation1.gif[/IMG] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/12/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 585 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $76 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0
  • Quit Meter

    $54,514.80

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 5957 Hours: 12

    Minutes: 52 Seconds: 31

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    45429

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    136,287

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

17 years ago 0 8760 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi ex-slave, That feeling your having might be the anxiety associated with a nicotine craving. Try some physical activity! I'm guessing that if Tylenol PM is working for you, exercise may too. Just be sure to do it no more than 5 hours before bedtime. Physical activity will also help bring your energy levels back up. Hope this helps, Danielle ________________________________ The SSC Support Team
17 years ago 0 115 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
My own empty feeling came as I got to my third week-I broke down and cried for my loss, my best friend, my crutch, my enjoyment, my life for the last 21 years. I was emotionally drained and empty and felt useless and unloved!! I know how you feel but please please trust me when I say it passers, you will get through this and feel more full of life than ever before, more at peace, you will love yourself more, and your life has begun all over again. Keep going, breath deep, and tell yourself "WELL DONE" Joanne [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/3/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 28 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 715 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �140 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 26
17 years ago 0 5009 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Ex-Slave, I like your name as well, because it describes the way I feel about myself. Oink says(above) 'You are still in week 1 and that is the hardest week of all, these feelings will not last for months on end I promise. As each week goes by it will get easier, don't get me wrong, it does not suddenly become a breeze, you still have to work at it.' As a fellow February quitter, I couldn't agree more with the statement above. I know that I feel so much better than in Week 1. I know that I still think about smoking, but not all day like I used to do early in my quit. I know that those of us with 6-12month quits think about smoking far less than I do, and those with 1 year+ quits even less still. It is a gradual road to recovery; there is no magic pill and it is a difficult road at times. Ex-Slave, I don't dispute that you're finding things hard at this stage of your Quit. It WILL get better and it WILL be worth it. It's really worth the initial hard times! Take care Mr Ed :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/13/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 107 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,220 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �802.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 17 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 31 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20
17 years ago 0 2257 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Stick with it ex-slave, it's worth it. You will feel better. When you did smoke, you had good days and bad days, not smoking is the same, good days and bad days. You're in week one which no doubt, is TOUGH. YOU are tougher and stronger!!!! You will find the void to that empty space, it may be puzzles, walking the dog, a new hobby of some kind that requires your mind and hands working. Try to think of an activity that you enjoy right now where there's no smoking. Movies, library, shopping, etc. Hangin in Not Givin In, CobenFan [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 67 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,146 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $234.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 46 [B]Seconds:[/B] 58
17 years ago 0 852 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Ex-slave, I too remember that feeling in the beginnning of my quit as well. It does go away. My smoking thoughts now just breeze by most of the time. Take it easy. Be kind to yourself. Distract your thoughts. The more you dwell on the thoughts, the more power you give to them. Then, of course, it will feel endless. Force yourself to think of other things. Keep us posted. And do not smoke. You'll just have to go through this again. 6 days is a great accomplishment!! Congratulations!! Have you thought of your one week reward??? ;) 4my2girls [b][i][color=Maroon]What Consumes Your Thoughts Controls Your Life[/b][/i][/color] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/5/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 87 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,624 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $284.49 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 56 [B]Seconds:[/B] 26
17 years ago 0 893 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Ex Slave, breath in deeply and breath out - do it again and again. You are still in week 1 and that is the hardest week of all, these feelings will not last for months on end I promise. As each week goes by it will get easier, don't get me wrong, it does not suddenly become a breeze, you still have to work at it. Keep focussed on how great you smell, the extra cash in your pocket, how your every minute is not consumed with smoking the next fag. Remember that horrible taste in you mouth, the smell, the coughing, the wheezing. Don't give in now, 6 days is such an awesome acievement, protect it with all your might. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/6/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 114 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,370 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �285 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 20 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 15 [B]Seconds:[/B] 25
17 years ago 0 103 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
hello ex-slave.........good name, particularly like the "ex" part. At the risk of sounding phylosophical, or maybe simplistic or even arroganant depending on your perspective, restlessness is one of the curses we in the modern world have to face as we increasingly become more and more technologically advanced. It has been our habit, no pun intended, to fill our restless moments and " free " time with smoking. That 5 minutes or whatever, it takes us to poison our selves at regular intervals each and every day, gives us pause. We are "doing" something and yet how effortless it is, we are filling a time frame.........not wasting time, in other words. We have or at least I have grown up believing that time is very percious and we must make the best use of it, fill every minute, be productive. If we are not running here and there " doing " things for ourselves or the people around us, we might be accused of being lazy, idle, useless or God forbid unproductive. We don't even read books anymore! We either buy them on disks and listen to them as we are rushing somewhere in our car or what till it come sour in movie form! God help us! We need to relern all of the automatic things we have been doing for soooo many years and actually THINK about what we WANT to do with our life and our very short and percios time on this earth. Remember spending time just lying on the ground watching the clouds with friends and finds all the wonderful shapes? How about we park the car at the lake and watch the sun set? How about we spend one day a week or even a month visiting someone at a nursing home.......imagine how you could make their empty day happy and maybe give them something to look forward to each week. There are countless was we can show human kindness........I can't even begin to mention them. Maybe I will in another note as I feel very passionate about the very selfish world it has become.........no more boy and girl scouts helping old ladies across the street.........no more Grammer school kids collecting for the March of Dimes etc. Sorry, about the rambles but, life is for sharing and giving and we have wasted enough time on satisfying discusting, selfish and distructive behaviors. Make a difference ex-slave............stop feeling sorry for yourself ( not meant a
17 years ago 0 5195 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Ex-slave... I felt like I was reading one of my old posts from the beginning of my quit. :) You are doing fine. The empty feeling will go away. I felt I had lost my best friend and in essence I had. Take some deep breaths. Eventually life filled that void for me but it took a while. You will find things to do instead of smoking. Keep trying different things until you find what works for you. You are in the process of building a new life for yourself and breaking a horrible addiction that has controlled you for most of your life (I'm assuming). No you will not do this for the next 60, 70, 80 days. You do this for today. Tomorrow you do it again. Each day gets better if you just hang on tight. Remember: Every day is one day closer to never feeling this way again. That first day you make it to work without thinking about a cigarette, I'm sure you'll be on here posting and excited about it just as I was. You will realize "HEY! I didn't think of smoking!" You are doing fine! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 334 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,689 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1169 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 25 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59
17 years ago 0 610 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi everyone, Another smoke free day! I am going to work, so I will have something to keep my mind occupied most of the day. I appreciate all the concern and rejoice in the fact that it will get better. It is a low grade gnawing in the pit of my stomach..something is missing, something is missing. It is like an itch that can not be scratched! Well, off to work. Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I am vowing to stay positive today about not smoking. It is a WONDERFUL thing, not something that should be yearned for or missed. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 6 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 176 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $22.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10
  • Quit Meter

    $90,858.00

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 5957 Hours: 12

    Minutes: 52 Seconds: 31

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    45429

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    454,290

    Cigarettes Not Smoked


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