EvolutionHealth.care

Home
Main Forum
Quit Smoking
Coping with Withdrawal Symptoms
The void, the emptiness and that feeling in the gut!

Advanced Search Form

The void, the emptiness and that feeling in the gut!

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 243

Tutti, I like this thread. I think it represents "normal" in that there are always and WILL always be times when we struggle, regardless of whether as a junkie or "clean". I cannot begin to tell you how many tears I cried in the early days of my quit. certainly for the first few weeks. Around Christmas, I was grinding to a halt with it all. usually, I am one of those women with a house cleaning rota - I really LIKE cleaning up my house! And at Christmas, I usually go all out - mainly for my 2 daughters. Well, my house was a bomb site. I could barely contemplate the effort it would take to get the tree down out of the attic and as for buyng food for dinner, or cooking dinner...... The thought made me cry. In fact SO much made me cry. Babies in prams. The sound of my children's laughter. A beautiful sunset. Reading of somebody's suffering in a newspaper. Being without my parents (who are a long time gone.) The thought of going to the supermarket. The very THOUGHT of having to get that tree out of the loft. The grief I often felt inside I can only liken to the few times I have lost somebody really close to me. Sad, sad, sad. I functioned at work but that was about it. I got so bad, friends were suggesting I see my doctor for some anti depressants. But something held me back. Because deep down inside, regardless of whatever other feelings assaulted me ( and it felt like I was being assaulted) I just felt so GLAD. Glad that I was not reaching for a smoke. And also had a lot of laughter that inspired me to think good days were round the corner. And here I am. Can't be sure how long it took but certainly TODAY, here I am. I have a star chart on my wall. Only I don't use stars. I went out and bought myself little stickers. Just anything that took my fancy. I have everything from flowers, to Disney, to ones that say "Well done dude" on a thmbs up. Every night, just before I crawl into bed, I add another smoke-free sticker. Every morning I wake up, I lie and look at my chart and marvel at the sheer number of them. (They are stuck on at random. not boring lines or anything.) Every morning, I marvel at - "what? SEVENTY FIVE DAYS of no smoking? WOW!" And I start my day glad. What the brain perceives, the body believes. I've suffered from a lot of depress

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 8760

Tutti, When did you smoke most often? If it was in the afternoon and evening this may explain why you're struggling during this time of the day. Change your routine and include a reward to help lift your mood. Yes, there are moments further down into your quit where you may struggle but just as everyone else has said, it's part of the process. Another learning experience you take with you as you keep going along in your quit. It's not always easy but you can get through it and you never have to do it alone. We'll always be here. Danielle ______________________ The SSC Support Team

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5009

OK ... at the risk of scaring new quitters here goes. When I first came here, I read about having to get through the seasons or even longer, a year to a year and a half before most quitters start feeling 'normal' again. At this point, I decided that 'sacrificing' this time (ie going through whatever pain it took) was worth it. And it was. I'm sure that anybody who has read a few posts here will realise that there is more to this than getting over the 3 or so days nicotine withdrawal. I cannot pretend that the last year has been the best one in my life. But it was the year that I made the best decision in my life and I'm now reaping the benefits. take care Mr Ed :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/13/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 376 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 11,294 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �2820 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 61 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 85

I have no idea if RiverDale Man meant to BUMP a message that is just over a year old... But, I'm sure glad he did! What a difference a year makes! Here's hoping that everyone's still here and well, Peace Jackey [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/22/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 420 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,408 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1755.6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 47 [B]Seconds:[/B] 32

Quit Meter

$215,711.75

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 7817 Hours: 3

Minutes: 29 Seconds: 5

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45413

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

862,847

Cigarettes Not Smoked

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 85

Tutti, Hang in there. Breathe. Go for a walk. Be good to yourself. Most of all, be good to yourself! The Void which Colleen talked of happens to most of us, I think. For years, we've used a drug in our times of need. Do you remember being upset and just having to have one more cigarette... then one more and one more? All that time, you were medicating yourself, just adding more nicotine to dampen the feelings that were going on inside. Now, you're not taking the drug, but that doesn't mean the monkey's off your back just yet. Don't despair! It will get better. As the days go by, you learn to live without your drug, just like any other person who has given up their drug. Nicotine, afterall, is as powerful (if not moreso) than any street drug you could find. As the days slip away, they will get easier. I keep a calendar with the number of days I've been "sober" from the effects of nicotine. I've long passed the time that I had regular cravings from a cigarette, but I still keep my calendar. On the 22nd of every month, I write the number of months I've gone without. Yesterday was 14. That calendar is the first thing I go to every morning. It's the last thing I look at every night. For me, the days are a reminder of where I was, and how far I've come. It DOES get easier. Peace, Jackey [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/22/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 428 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,579 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1789.04 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 59 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 19 [B]Seconds:[/B] 55

Quit Meter

$215,711.75

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 7817 Hours: 3

Minutes: 29 Seconds: 5

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45413

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

862,847

Cigarettes Not Smoked

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2614

Tutti This thread was posted by someone in trouble, they were seeking help. My good friend Colleen came here to use this SSC group for precisely the reason that this site exists. This group is meant to help you quit smoking. May not always be pretty but as long as you are quit you are choosing life. Keeping quit by whatever means works for you is exactly what this group is for. Keep strong. Here is a thread I think you might be able to use... [url=http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/support/viewmessages.aspx?topic=32214&forum=1]Patience[/url] :) Phillip [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 371 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,298 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2968 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 61 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2614

Tutti, no offense taken and I am glad you found the help you needed with Jackey's post. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 372 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,307 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2976 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 61 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 48

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2614

Yes I really did mean to bump this thread! This thread was very important to me, just because... AND a year makes a huge difference. Phillip [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 363 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,086 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2904 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 60 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 13 [B]Seconds:[/B] 38

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2614

BUMP [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 362 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,060 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2896 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 59 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 4 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 186

Phillip, Thanks Phillip for bumping this. As you can see from my quit meter I've been struggling with this addiction. So many times, too many times I've had such good intentions and I end up with a smoke in my mouth again. This time it happened while I was in the Dominican - something inside me knew the night before I left that I was on a very slippery slope. Figured once I got there that it would only be while I was away and that I would quit before I even got back on the plane to come home. Well, that didn't happen and that ALWAYS been my biggest problem. I seem to think that I have some kind of control and can just make the decision to quit whenever I want. When will I stop playing with my life? This is a deadly addiction and I need to remember that. Its more ... so much more than a physical addiction. It also lives in my mind and tells me all kinds of lies. Very cunning. Just4Today I am willing to do whatever it takes to STAY CLEAN from this drug. I have come to accept that this WILL suck for a while and I am willing to go through it. I may end up in that same place I was in when I posted "The void, the emptiness and the feeling in the gut" and I pray that if it comes I will be given the strength to hang in. My heart, my soul is FILLED with the desire to not smoke. Therefore, I press on ... Colleen [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/10/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 10 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 273 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $120 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 58

Quit Meter

$59,036.90

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 6643 Hours: 2

Minutes: 17 Seconds: 59

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45413

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

181,652

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Reading this thread:

today's top discussions:

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Most Active

Most Loved

The void, the emptiness and that feeling in the gut!