Caffeine or Nicotine, both powerful substances, once hooked you become captive of the results of use, like Caffeine, it gets people going, then shortly afterwards you drop like a rock, so you jam up some more Coffee, or some kind of "energy" drink and ramp back up, all day long on the roller coaster, up, down, it never ends.

But you can always counter the down with the additional hit of Nicotine or Caffeine. when you quit, all you get is the down part for a while as your body and mind adjust.

Quitting those you will experience some significant physical tired symptoms, because
your body is demanding that extra hit, over time that will change and you'll find more energy and a more consistent energy as your body moves from the up and down roller coaster to a more even level.

Sleep is the same, you'd stop drinking/smoking, then get to bed, the high wears off, and you collapse into deep sleep, now you don't have that high to fall from and you're constantly thinking about it, so you can't sleep, and since you can't sleep you get fustrated and concentrate on your problem.. Vicious Circle.

Perhaps your doctor will help, something to take the edge off to sleep like a small Xanax before bedtime, vs a sleeping pill, something to remove the edge.

Keep it up, good luck, we're all counting on you!

You'll get there, just keep pushing through one hour at a time. Sounds rough but the results will be worth it!

quote:

Originally posted by Copefree:
Day 8.

Thanks for the words, guys.

I’ve got a doctor apppointment tomorrow morning with my PCP. It can’t come soon enough.

I feel like absolute shit. Nothing is improving.

My fatigue is through the roof, anxiety is pegged, concetration is gone, I’m irritable, have zero patience, and I’m still sleeping pretty badly. The fog is still thick — life is just a big blur right now.

I’m in rough shape, to say the least.

I don’t know if this is some form of deep depression or what. But I need some improvement ... badly.

So for now, I’ll continue making my way through day 8, hoping for brighter days ahead.

PSYCHOSOMATIC!!!!
Get a grip and push through it!
Kill the Beast
Do it today and every day.

Hoping the best for you, bud.
I have dipped hard for most of 45 years, hard to believe, and you have more guts than I do.
I am waiting to see what your Doc says about the severe anxiety and exhaustion you are suffering.
I am rooting for you, amigo.

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleAdobe:
Hoping the best for you, bud.
I have dipped hard for most of 45 years, hard to believe, and you have more guts than I do.
I am waiting to see what your Doc says about the severe anxiety and exhaustion you are suffering.
I am rooting for you, amigo.

Thanks, Double. I appreciate it.

The last thing I want to do is discourage someone from quitting based on what I’m expressing here. Please understand that everyone handles these situations differently.

I know that, in the end, I’ll be much better off than I am now ... it’s just a very trying time right now for me, mentally.

The way I look at it — my body (my brain) has used nicotine to help with stress / anxiety / happy / sad / fun / boring / good / bad emotions for the past 15+ years. Nicotine was always there.

Now, without it, my brain is misfiring like crazy as it doesn’t know how to operate without its best friend, nicotine.

And that’s thrown me into a tailspin that I’m having a really hard time managing (at all).

This is causing anxiety, insomnia, stress, irritability, confusion, etc. etc.

Sounds good on paper, when I write it out like that ... I mean, it sounds simple. But holy hell its an absolute monster in real life.

To put it plainly, I feel like the past 8 days have just been one, long, continuous day. Like a big ass run-on sentence.

Thanks fort this post. I am trying to quit as well.I bought some of the Oregon pouches.

You can do it.

Hopefully your PCP can help with some of the symptoms, but it's still mind over matter. You wont feel good for long if you give in.

You can do it.

I’ll give you some tough love:

Stop brain f-ing your self. It’s nicotine not heroine. In the grand scheme of things the physical withdraw is not a big deal and totally manageable. I can tell from what you are typing you are staggering with the mental aspect of it. F that. Your tougher mentally. Honestly the withdrawal symptoms form a physical level are much smaller than you are telling yourself. Go for a walk or run. Drink a crap ton of water. Don’t let your mind bring you down. Nictone is weapon used against it. Don’t let it prosper via your own mental choice.

Your exaggerating the physical withdra because you are a mental slave to it. Don’t be a slave to a substance. It only gets better

quote:

Originally posted by Amurr:
I’ll give you some tough love:

Stop brain f-ing your self. It’s nicotine not heroine. In the grand scheme of things the physical withdraw is not a big deal and totally manageable. I can tell from what you are typing you are staggering with the mental aspect of it. F that. Your tougher mentally. Honestly the withdrawal symptoms form a physical level are much smaller than you are telling yourself. Go for a walk or run. Drink a crap ton of water. Don’t let your mind bring you down. Nictone is weapon used against it. Don’t let it prosper via your own mental choice.

Your exaggerating the physical withdra because you are a mental slave to it. Don’t be a slave to a substance. It only gets better

Thanks, I’ll try to tell it to just stop.

BTW, heroine and nicotine are equally addictive.

Keep punching back at the addiction, you’re making progress!

Today is day 10. Ten days without ANY nicotine. I’m feeling ... better.

Much better than I was on day 6 and 7, for example, but still not great by any means.

I know it’s still early.

I went to the doctor yesterday, my PCP, and that ended up being a waste of time and money. And actually, I think I might fire him — I was nine days clean of nicotine and his first suggestion for my anxiety and panic attacks was to get on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to relieve the symptoms — WHO THE FUCK THINKS ITS A GOOD IDEA TO GET BACK ON THE DRUG THAT YOU JUST WITHDREW FROM?!?!?

I mean, would you tell a sober heroin addict to reintroduce heroin to their body, via a diffferent delivery method, to make them feel better?!?

Absolutely unbelievable. I wanted to walk outta the room.

I told him “absolutely not — I’m OFF NICOTINE and don’t feel comfortable reintroducing it.”

Anyway, I’m still trucking along. This process has beeen absolutely a bitch. I know the end-game is going to be worth it. But my mind is a wreck from the withdrawal.

I’m going down to Los Angeles for a week, in a month, for a work conference. I really hope I’m back up and at it by then. I need to be on my game.

One day at a time ...

The fact that you are feeling better is a testament you are on the right track. Press ahead. You are making good progress and it will compound (your success).
Keep it up bother. And I would not worry about being on your game on your trip. You will be better than ever!

OP:

Just these past couple weeks my long time buddy has related his recent wrassling match with pain meds his surgeon Rx'd following a heavy surgical procedure.

I was amazed at the severity of his efforts required to rid himself of a few weeks of 'standard hydrocodone. He was/is strongly aware of the effects on all levels but had amazingly difficult time busting through the forces that continued to drag him down. He reflected on the steep slope welcoming him back to a worse habit than anyone warned about.

Having a good support group plus strong willed determination to not continue feeding the habit that was starting to consume him, was essential.

Although my grandpa about 1950 tried to introduce me to 'some candy' as a prank when I was 5, I surprised him by announcing it was definitely NOT candy I wanted as I had tried it (yes, a little sneak taste a few days earlier)....


I was advised we might be through with such demons long before they are though with us, as that was the nature of such a trap.

Best of results in your individual effort to resist by whatever means, of the bonds too weak to notice until they are too strong to break.

You're going to make it. But if you did pussy out you'd have to go through this hell all over again the next time plus you'd have the guilt to deal with.

Now you've got to concentrate on getting your mind off nic. Your body has pretty well gotover the physical need but the mind will dwell so try and get your thoughts/actions on to something else.

When I gave up my 3 pack a day cig habit back in 97 there were days early on that I'd get my work done and then just stay in my recliner. Sucked bad but that part was over in a week or 10 days. Every day you win makes the next one a little easier. Hang tough and good luck

Keep up the good work.

quote:

Originally posted by Copefree:
Today is day 10. Ten days without ANY nicotine. I’m feeling ... better.

10 days. Nice work!
You have proven you can do this.

It ain't over, but if you can go 10 days, you can go 20 days. And a month. And two months.
And one day you will realize you've gone an entire day without thinking about it.

You made the right call at the doctor's office.
No nicotine crutches!!!!!!!!!!
No gum! No patches!
Just walk away from it.

Keep it up! We're pulling for you.

Great work!!!!

KEEP IT UP.

Never, EVER go back. I've BTDT with the "just 1 cigarette", then 1 more pack.

Last time I had a puff was about 3 months in - and a friend offered me a cigarette at a bar - I took a puff and then realized what I had done (yes, we had been drinking quite a little bit). I didn't relapse but was very concerned for a couple days.

Great work!

No reports for a few days...that’s good news, right Copefree?

Drive on

Hang tough guy.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Great work!!!!

KEEP IT UP.

Never, EVER go back. I've BTDT with the "just 1 cigarette", then 1 more pack.

Last time I had a puff was about 3 months in - and a friend offered me a cigarette at a bar - I took a puff and then realized what I had done (yes, we had been drinking quite a little bit). I didn't relapse but was very concerned for a couple days.

Great work!

I would have dreams that I smoked and would wake up feeling guilty.