By the way
Your description of your withdrawal symptoms is completely spot on and well described.

It WILL get better!!

Keep slogging through it. Don't even look back.

A friend quit cigs awhile back,,, threw the cost of a pack in a jug. after a year he bought a snowmobile.

I think I’ve been off 7 years after being in for 10. Skoal long cut.

Simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

What helped me stop is actually not setting a date and taking a little time to not feel guilty about it. When I shed the constant guilt, I realized it was part of a cycle and I started to recognize other things about the addiction that I didn’t like that outweighed the pleasure I got out of it.

Now I’ve just got to get some gum recession work done to the tube of $7,000. Still expensive after the better part of a decade quit.

Your screen name was actually a bit of an inspiration a couple times. Like “man, that guy knows how tough it is”

You got this!

Drive on

Day 3, and I’m still Copefree.

I woke up again multiple times last night. 11pm, 1am, 4am, and finally 7am. Each time I was up for about 20 minutes or so ... and I got on the internet to distract myself. There’s a great quit group I joined as well and that’s proving to be really helpful to me.

Here’s to hoping that today isn’t worse than yesterday — yesterday was absolutely horrid.

I already think I’m feeling better, though. Hopefully this stays true.

It’s crazy what happens when you main-line 150mg’s of nicotine to your brain, all day / every day, for a over decade and then all of a sudden stop it.

I’m feeling every bit of it.

But I’m Copefree, another day.


PS. Thanks for all of your input and words, guys. It’s encouraging.

Great cope. My wife is a dental Hygienist and I can tell you from her experience you are making a great decision for you and your family. Make it stick brother.

You got it bud! Day 3?! That's huge already. You'll be done permanently in no time!

Rock on, brother!
I really believe cold turkey is the way to go.
Nicotine addition is a bitch, and the best path forward to is leave it behind. No crutches.

Hang in there, and maybe try some Z-quill to help you sleep all night. Works pretty good.

If you’ve got the time, several of my friends kicked tobacco habits by working themselves to the point of exhaustion in the gym when the cravings got bad.

Keep it up Cope!

I did over thirty years ago. I had a white patch on my cheek. The dentist told me that if it became malignant that I would die. It was hard, I chewed a lot of gum and sucked on Jolly Ranchers. After I beat the habit, I could not chew gum. Good luck, you can do it.

Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.

It’s well worth it to quit. Cold turkey is what worked for me as well (cigarettes).

I’d say in the 5 years it’s been, once 6 months had gone by, I have only craved them a couple of times a year. And it’s usually situational, like working late in the cold when it was always nice to light one up to break the monotony.

But I don’t miss the cost, the smell, the morning coughs, and the nicotine pangs when it’s been a certain amount of time and the body wanted more.

Good luck.

Day 4 is underway.

I slept like crap last night. Went to sleep at 10pm, up at 12:30am.

Asleep at 1:30am, up at 3am.

Asleep at 3:45am, up at 6am.

This shit is driving me mad. But I am going to trudge on. Day 4, for the rest of my life.

You can do it.

No idea what you do for exercise, but adding some / more cardio to your routine may help with the sleep. And maybe a benidryl or NyQuil too.

Cope - Be the Warrior. I look back at my withdrawal and laugh. You will too in the near future.

Put the money you are saving in a mason jar and prepare to buy your next Sig - or whatever floats your boat.

Mike

Day 5 is here. I got my longest stretch of sleep yet last night — 5 hours!! From 11:30pm - 4:30am. That was needed.

Today is tough, man. I feel like absolute garbage his morning. The nausea is strong. And the brain fog is still thick.

When will I get some clarity?!?

Day 5 may be kicking my ass already, but I’m gonna take the beating nicotine free.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Copefree,

Once again.

Drive on

Cope ~ I've been sitting here, checking-in on your saga daily, but not saying anything...

The reason is that quitting is different for each of us, an individual Hell of sorts. You have been getting excellent tips and support from your "team" here!

Your description of getting the Nicotine monkey off your back is absolutely accurate; it is a Bitch!

The good news is: Statistically, you are just about to make your second breakthrough... Getting that better night's sleep was the FIRST, by the way!

As was mentioned, the urges will still be there a week from now, the Second Breakthrough is that they will be less frequent, and gradually of lesser strength!!

One day, in the not too distant future, you will suddenly realize late in the day that you haven't had the urge at all... and that will begin to happen more and more frequently, until they fade almost completely.

You are a Winner already... now you just need to stay on the tracks and not be fooled by that nasty thought that will creep in: "Just one dip won't hurt."

As TMats says so succinctly: "Drive on"

Don

Every time you stifle the craving you win the skirmish.

Every skirmish you win makes the next one easier to win.

Drive On!