Mossman, you may already be crazy and just don't realise it! The "on the edge" part may never happen, it may last for a few days or a few weeks - everyone is different. I know I felt something change after three weeks - that frenetic feeling of always fighting the urge just seemed to, well not exactly disappear, but definitely slide down the Richter scale from a 10 to about a 2.73. Now, at just over 6 weeks, it's about a 1.12. I'm still hanging out for the 0.00 but mostly I am zen and calm (it's true I tell you).
If you have a plan for those bad times, you will be prepared. Sometimes, you feel as though you can't take another minute, make yourself wait one more minute, then one more and so on. If you cobble together your hours, you soon have a day and so on. So, it begins and your body starts to heal itself and you reach a point where even if you want to smoke, you don't want to "wreck" all your hard work and also you realise how great you feel being able to breathe properly.
I chewed sugar free mints and "smoked" cut down straws. I also took up knitting again and jigsaw puzzles (your students might look at you sideways though if you try that in class!). People on here swear by drinking cold water - I drank hot tea and that works for me. Basically, find whatever will distract you, keep your hands/mouth/mind busy and whatever works for you.
Remember, as a smoker you had bad days. You will have those as a non-smoker but the trick is not to reach for a cigarette to get through them. You will now have to deal with any emotions that arise and face them - that's probably the hardest part for a lot of people who quit. We've smoked away anger, sadness, stress, happiness, anxiety etc for so long, it is hard to suddenly have to face those situations without our "friend".
Good luck from Down Under. The veterans on this site are testament to the fact that it can be done. [Sings "Did they ever know they were my heroes?"]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B]9/23/2007
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 44
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,100
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $528.00
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45
