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Post by Don on Sept 23, 2004 19:06:11 GMT -5
Those smoking dreams are very, very common. It seems that all of us quiters experience a smoking dream, complete with some shock and guilt when immediately waking up. I guess that's our subconscious looking to fill in that addiction. Pathetically shows how hooked we are, eh?
Furthermore, I don't know the science behind why our dreams are so wierd when sleeping with the patch. Appearantly nicotine has some impact upon our brain cells. Patch users can try taking them off before bed and see if that helps.
For others, insomnia becomes one of their withdrawal symptoms.
But, rest assured, (pun intended) sleep patterns will get better over time.
You will hear the common refrain from quiters: "It does get better" And, by the way...it really does!
Hang in there, no one ever died from a craving.
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Post by willpower on Sept 24, 2004 8:01:50 GMT -5
When I slept with the patch, and my husband too, we both had really bizarre dreams, mostly nightmares. You should take the patch off just before going to sleep to avoid the dreams.
Although, I did have a dream a couple weeks ago in which I was smoking.
I have been smoke free for 67 days now and I can tell you that I still avoid certain situations that I think would be too tempting, like going out to a bar. I do go out to dinner, will sit in the bar with my friends who are smokers for a short time, but I can't stay too long. I find it helps to think of myself as a non-smoker, as if I never had been a smoker to begin with. Also, I feel as long as I still enjoy the smell of cig smoke I am still in grave danger of relapsing.
So, my advice, avoid any places or situations where you know you will have very strong cravings. Keep yourself as busy as possible. Have an alternative to smoking, like chewing gum, eating sunflower seeds, hard candy, etc.
Keep the faith and commitment, you can do it ten of thousands have.
Willpower Smoke free 67 days, three hours six minutes, money saved $335.
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Post by codey on Sept 24, 2004 14:43:40 GMT -5
All of you are so wonderful!!! Thanks for the great advice! It really does help to stop here and read some excerpts when I feel like I can't do it any longer. It really helps me get through one of those "waves". I didn't realize when I was smoking how addicted I really was. It's amazing how you can rationalize something that is so bad for you. On a positive note, I went outside for lunch today, and I could smell so many wonderful aromas... It brought me back to my childhood, I didn't know what I wasn't smelling. It's nice to get another sense back!
Smoke free 4 days, 18h, 42S, 95 cigarettes not smoked, savings = $16.74, life saved = 7 hours 55 minutes.
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Post by slim on Sept 24, 2004 14:54:13 GMT -5
Codey,
I have said this many times (and experienced myself) that as you gain quit time and start to surf around the net and get involved here at Smokebusters your eyes start to open as the smoke clears! You are starting to see this and that is a good thing! You are on the right path and doing a great job. I encourage you to keep the quit no matter what. It will get easier and things will level out at some point. Every battle won weakens the beast and strengthens your quit. Onward my friend.
One week is around the corner.
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Post by Blake on Oct 27, 2004 19:17:56 GMT -5
Codey,
You still come to this board? Let us know. If you started up again, then set a quit date and start over.
You can do it.
~Blake
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Post by sunbuddha on Nov 15, 2004 11:30:51 GMT -5
Hi everyone I am a soon to be quitter, I guess. I've tried to quit many times before and it's never worked. I've used different methods and still I'm smoking. The patch made me nauseous, Zyban actually made me crave cigarettes more (so much so that my habit went from a pack to a pack and a half), and of course i've tried cold turkey. But, I know in my bones that this time is different. This time I am going to do it. I am pregnant and high risk. Home on modified bed rest. So I'm not around any other smokers but my husband. He is quitting too. He is 3 days and counting. I threw out all the ashtrays. I bought yarn and a needle (crochet) to keep my hands busy. I bought cough drops that are mentholated and taste similar to my brand of cigs. I have cinnamon gum. So far all of these methods are helping but, I'm still smoking. I have went from a pack and a half to ONLY half a pack. I am trying to convince myself that that is a big accomplishment for a 3 day time period. But I am afraid if i accept that, that my sneaky addiction will convince me that that is enough and I don't really need to quit. Let me tell you what I have accomplished and how..... maybe someone can help me figure out how to beat the other cravings back. I can get up in the morning and go for 2 hours or more without the first cig. I have even learned how to enjoy my coffee without it (the cough drops help alot here). I eat when I am hungry. When I start to crave a cig. I do a mental check with my stomach "am I hungry?" if the answer is yes, I pop some cinnamon gum and chew while I wait for food to cook. Fidgety hands......I threw away the ashtrays so they wouldn't tempt me just by being next to me. I crochet while I watch t.v. or while sitting in front of computer, or on the phone etc. I keep the cigarettes outside in the car, so that I have to put shoes on etc. just to get one. (This helps with the fidgets too). When I drive somewhere I take the cigs. out of the car and put them in the house. They just aren't there when I drive. This craving is a little rough. I fidget with the radio alot. HHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't get past the I've just eaten cigarette. Or the kids are driving me up a wall one. I feel good about the progress I've made so far. But I am beginning to realize that those two have me stuck. Does anyone have any suggestions? If I could just beat those back with something I'm sure I can be smoke free. Any and all ideas are welcome. I really need help. Thank you for lending your ears and bending your brains for ideas. sun
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Post by Don on Nov 15, 2004 17:39:16 GMT -5
Howdy hey Sun!
[glow=red,2,300]Welcome![/glow]
Pregnacy is a darn good motivator to be Quit.
I commend you on finding ways to keep your hands preoccupied. Keeping busy is one way to keep your mind away from the cravings.
There's lots of little triggers that you uncover when quiting. I had a surprise trigger after a job well done...the reward cigarette. Caught me off guard but had to say no to that one too.
Kids driving you crazy. Umm...ALWAYS WILL! Cigarette or no cigarette.
We'll be rooting for ya!
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Post by ncpops on Nov 15, 2004 19:24:08 GMT -5
Hi Sun. Well I would try everything I could. Drink lots of water, exercise of some type, medicine that works. There's more than Zyban to use...A Psych doctor can help. Anexity & depression are the speed bumps on the addict's road.. We are addicts ... admit it we must, then we can work to defeat the "Nicobeast".
Determination. Resolve. Without them, you're sure to flounder. Get some patches, nico gum, whatever....set your goal of no smoking....go for it!
If you slip, get up try again. You can do it!
Jimpops
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Post by Graciedonovan on Nov 15, 2004 19:56:00 GMT -5
Welcome Sun. As Don said, the kids will always drive you crazy, smoking or not. The one after a meal I got over pretty quickly during my last quit. I got up immediately from the table and did the dishes. Wet hands can't smoke. That soon became a habit and I found I didn't miss the one after a meal. The "reward" one after I accomplished a goal was hard. The driving the car or talking on the phone ones were hard. There's a saying that goes "you have to want to NOT smoke more than you want to smoke". Once you can really feel, touch and grasp that concept, it becomes much easier.
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Post by Elaine on Nov 16, 2004 14:44:36 GMT -5
hi Sun!
I had a hard time with driving without a cigarette so what I did was to "smoke" Twizzlers. I would bite off the ends and smoke away. Sure, I looked silly and had bright red lips half the time, but it worked!
I used the lozenges. I had tried the patch and other methods but with the lozenges I found I was getting nicotine when I "needed" it.
I hope some of these suggestions help...you CAN do this!
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Post by slim on Nov 16, 2004 18:33:24 GMT -5
HI Sun Welcome The advice above is excellent You have so much to quit for! Sure it's hard, it's the hardest thing I have ever done, but you can do it. You can learn to live without the smokes....you really can! I think with the baby and all, you should perfect the deep breathing technique to get you thru tough cravings. By the time you get done with the excercise the cravings are generally gone. Whatever you have to do to quit and stay quit....that is your path. The path to smobriety really is better than smoking-even tho your addict brain will argue that one for awhile. You can quit for one hour. and then requit for another and so on..... one step at a time. God Speed _slim post often for best results
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Post by sunbuddha on Nov 17, 2004 9:06:48 GMT -5
well, today's the day. Last night I deliberately went out and spent all the money i have. The money i usually hold onto for cigarettes.
payday isn't until friday.
smoked my last cigarette at 8:30 last night. no cigarettes. no money to buy any. I refuse to borrow money from someone to buy them. I am now officially, 13 hrs. and 36 min. into my quit.
God save the kids and my husband from the craving beast.
thank you everyone for the support and the great ideas. Your right the kids will drive me crazy regardless. What kid doesn't drive their parent crazy? I am going to try washing the dishes after eating. I think that might be a big help. I have been fidgeting and chewing my crochet needle, kinda like the twizzlers I think. Probably not good for the teeth. But then, neither is smoking.
thank you, thank you, thank you everyone.
a smoke-free sun
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Post by sunbuddha on Nov 17, 2004 10:52:01 GMT -5
it's 11:44. I scoured the house and dug out every last dime, nickel and penny I could find. Came up with enough to buy a pack. Called my husband, told him what I was doing. He listened well but, didn't encourage or discourage me, depending on how you look at it. He's quitting too. But struggling, like I am.
I went to the store and bought the cigarettes. Came home and stared at them for about 20 minutes. Then showered and started cleaning the house. I still haven't had one.
Does anyone know the song "Live like you were dying?"
2 years ago after the birth of my son, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. They removed most of my cervix. Which is why I am high risk pregnancy. At the time I had re ocurring nightmares of cancer. I would dream that I had throat cancer from smoking and it was eating it's way down into my body, while the cervical cancer was eating it's way up. In my dream, I died.
I have been trying to quit off and on ever since.
I really want to quit. I want to be smoke free. I know I can do this.
Thanks for lending your ears.
15 hours 26 min. smoke free sun
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Post by Don on Nov 17, 2004 11:28:23 GMT -5
Ok Sun,
You know what you have to do...tear each cig apart and toss them away. Make them unable to be smoked. Show yourself the waste of your money.
Cancer is a scary thing. Why invite it?
Father in law died from lung cancer.
Mother in law had mammogram just yesterday due to a sudden growing lump...doctor thinks it's malignant.
There is no guarentee that you'll get cancer from smoking, just a higher probability.
You know it's bad for you but you feel controlled to do it anyway. That's the addiction. Try a nicotine substitute, gum etc for now. Get used to having a few days without having a smoke, even 1. It's powerful psychologically to live a day without a smoke. It shows you that you can live without a cig.
Use the money for something else next time. Treat yourself. Set goals and reward yourself. Even if it's just for a day. Then, go longer, go farther. You didn't just become addicted with your first cigarette. It took some time. It'll take some time to get away from them too.
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Post by cathybailey15 on Nov 25, 2004 18:22:49 GMT -5
I've seen several new names at the bottom of the page lately. If any of you are lurking about, please pop in and say hello. We would love to have you as part of our group, even if you've not quit yet! We will all do our best to make you welcome! Dot and the gang. ;D Thank you I am a new member and this is only my second day without and alittle on edge today I hope I can do this. I can use all the surport I can get. Thanks Cbailey
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