justfortoday
168 posts
Registered:
12 Aug 2019
01 Nov 2019
in reply to
suemac
Hey there suemac ….
I know how hard this is, I really do. AND, I know that it's possible. I'm at the two month mark, and never would I have thought I could do it. I smoked for so long that life without smoking seemed like the worst thing possible. But now my life is amazing! And it can be for you too.
A couple of things that might help …
Spend some time learning about exactly what happens during addiction withdrawal, both physically as well as the emotional dependency. This does two things. 1) The more you understand what is happening and what to expect, the more you are able to manage the cravings. 2) When we learn something new, it triggers dopamine in the brain. This is something that nicotine does as well, so in a sense, you are re-training your brain to find other, and more natural ways to produce dopamine.
Another thing that might help is to take some time and write down a vision of yourself smoking (for me it was the image of myself in the middle of winter trying to desperately light a cigarette in a snow storm). And then, write down a vision of who you look like as a non-smoker (again, for me it was the image of me hugging my small granddaughters knowing they would never see their Nana smoking). It can be whatever you want and by providing your brain with positive images you are empowered to fight for your quit.
Please know that you are not alone, suemac! I'm right there with you. I promise.
One more suggestion; post how you are feeling under the "Craving" section in the Community Forum. You will be amazed at the people who show up to help you through this.
I'll check in on you tomorrow, okay?
Stay strong.