SSC Folks,
Odd title, huh? Not really. What I�m referring to is what many new quitters find themselves in... a temporary state of insanity. You�ve seen it, you�ve read it. The stories are different, but the theme is the same... life sucks since I quit and I don�t know if I can cope with life anymore!!
I am convinced that smokers are the most emotionally unstable group of people on this earth. We have given our ability to cope with life over to a drug. Yep, good, old nicotine! It fixes everything! Just ask a dyed in the wool smoker! Life is better, thoughts are clearer, relationships just hum along! All this while your lungs fill with tar, your ability to oxygenate your blood is decreased, your teeth turn brown, your breath is in a constant state of stench, carcinogens fill your cells, and your wallet keeps getting lighter! But wait! You �feel good!!!�
Then you decide to quit and all hell breaks loose! Suddenly you can�t think, you can�t rationalize anything, your smoking buddies look at you sideways, you feel depressed (or your real depression finally comes out), you are just miserable, 24/7!! �Oh, why did I do this to myself?�, you shout as your try to make sense of it all. The Nicodemon whispers in your ear that with a few puffs you will be all better again... your brain tells you that you are killing yourself by smoking... friends are in both corners... this is horrible!! �I never dreamt that quitting would be like this!�, you say over and over to yourself!
Quitting smoking is the ultimate �me� experience. It is you against your addiction. Cry if you want, whine, ***** and moan, the bottom line is that when most people quit, for a period of time, they are basket cases. Not 100%, (we should all be as lucky as you Penitent ;) ), but probably 90+% of quitters experience this. How do you deal with it??? Well, time is the big factor for many. Get that quit far enough along and you start to wake up from your drug (nicotine) induced stupor. Three to six months or so is a good time to dig out from the "pits". For a small group of quitters, true depression does haunt them and professional counseling is the key.
Quitting isn�t easy. If it were, 1000's and 1000's would quit in a New York minute! There is no �magic bullet�, be it Chantix, NRT�s, you name it. If you want to quit, truly want to quit, and are not suffering from true, clinical depression, you will quit. Even those suffering from true depression can quit, given professional care and guidance, once you conquer your depression. (Don't try both at the same time.. take care of you first, then your quit) Nicotine is a nasty addiction, but it�s not an �end all� addiction. Take control of your life. Stop being a slave to some dried up weed! You don�t have to jump off a bridge because your �best friend� is gone. To hell with that �friend�. Life will go on. You won�t jump off that bridge. People will still like you. Even the ones you tic off with your anxiety �moments�.
I have said it time and time again... [b][color=red]THINK!![/color][/b] You are much stronger than your addiction. Demonstrate that! Live that!! Leave the baskets to the basket weavers!
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=purple]Hoping for success without hard work is like trying to harvest without planting.[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 750
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 18,750
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,837.50
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 134 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 18
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Quit Meter
$36,475.20
Amount Saved
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Quit Meter
Days: 9806
Hours: 14
Minutes: 48
Seconds: 39
Life Gained
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Quit Meter
45594
Smoke Free Days
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Quit Meter
364,752
Cigarettes Not Smoked
