Stress (Good and Bad)

[KAREN]

One of the things I hear people tell me when they have quit smoking
and started up again was that they were under a lot of stress. Makes
sense in a lot of ways as I used cigarettes to deal with or even cover
up stress.

I was out on my back porch with a cup of coffee enjoying the beautiful
weather here in Minnesota a short while ago and was thinking back on
why I started smoking again back in December of 2003. I was going
through stress, true, but I have gone through lots of stresses in
life, some were bad and some were very good stresses. Basically, I
think I just wanted to smoke!!

However, I started to look at the difference in stresses. Well,
losing a job, or a family member or good friend through death, or an
illness, or a divorce, loss of home through hurricanes can be a bad
stress obviously. The poor victims down South of me know only too well
what stress is about, God bless them!!

However, I smoked during good stresses too. I smoked at birthdays,
holidays, weddings, night outs with friends or hubby, vacations, after
I got home from having my son. Some of these are stressful, like the
weddings and a newborn, they are wonderful times in our lives but
getting prepared for them are stressful.

I have been clean and sober for 23 years now. Yes, I am recovering
alcoholic too!! I have never had the need to drink when I went
through stressful times whether they be bad or good....ONE DAY AT A
TIME of course LOL!! How is it that something could start me back
smoking so easily back in 2003? Well, I stopped talking with people
about my cravings, I kept it a secret, deep down I was planning the
next smoke, I did not deal with the stress I was going through, and I
guess like I said earlier I just wanted to smoke!!! I think I had it
in my head that smoking affects me less short term then my drinking
did. Drinking I went downhill very quickly, whereas smoking it took
years to feel the effects.....or so I thought!! If I am honest with
myself, smoking cost me my free breathing, money, not to mention the
time involved in taking those extra smoke breaks during the day. It
smelled up my clothes, my breath, and I probably could have gotten rid
of those colds a lot sooner if I was not busy puffing down 2 packs a
day!! Nahhhhh smoking didn't cost me anything LOL!!

Stress, good or bad, should not be a reason for me to smoke. It is
dealing with the stress and finding other positive ways of dealing
with it that will be the key for me, along with the knowledge that I
have quit because I want to quit. Money, aside for the cost of buying
them, it will cost me a lot more in doctor visits, even with my
insurance then it would for buying the cigarettes.

Not sure how much sense I made here.....kind of rambling but these are
thoughts that have been going through my mind today and just wanted to
post them while they were fresh in my mind.

In A.A. they say suit up and show up. For my smoking it will be the
same. That and KEEP THE QUIT!! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your
weekend. I plan on it!!!!

I have been quit for 1 Week, 2 Days, 17 hours, 24 minutes and 53
seconds (9 days). I have saved $77.80 by not smoking 389 cigarettes. I
have saved 1 Day, 8 hours and 25 minutes of my life. My Quit Date:
9/8/2005 9:00 PM

Hugs and love,

Karen

[Graciedonovan]

Karen, you make a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing your feelings with us. You're doing great.

[dorothyl]

;DGreat post Karen.
Love Dorothy

[Flo]

I agree. Great post Karen. It's an old one but still relevant. When one is under stress, one needs a cigarette. This is the logic right? However, isn't it a fact that the 30 minute nicotine feed time is what causes stress in its own right? So, while you may be going through something stressful, having a cigarette does not help that situation. It only takes care of the crave which you get anyways. Every 30 minutes.

Then there is the stress of smoking itself! The worry that smoking is deadly always at the back of one's mind.

Then there is the smoking more, enjoying it less thing.

So, I don't know if I'm making sense to you (though it makes great sense to me! LOL), smoking is a stressor in itself.

I find that I'm not nearly as stressed as I was when I smoked. When I get upset, taking a deep breath, stopping for a minute, going for a walk, all calm me down.

The worry of smokers of what they will do under stress if they quit smoking is a red herring. Not smoking brings calm.

How ironic.