[ikigai_sp1]

I've been smoking for about 5 years and I'm quitting. When I smoke, I smoke about a pack and a half a day. I'm about two days in and feel great and terrible at the same time. My breathing is normal. I can walk without feeling out of breath. And I'm having cravings but drowning them out by doing healthy things - like walking or eating grapes one by one or sunflower seeds which have a lot of magnesium.

I'm prepared. I have nicotine patches and Stevia. I read that Stevia decreases cravings.

[emgreen]

That's great! Two days is something to be proud of! Let us know how things are going.

[scatterbrained04]

How is it going? Looks like it's been several days since you have posted.

[ikigai_sp1]

Well I fell back into smoking again without some nicotine patches. I eventually got some today and haven't been smoking since.

It feels good not smoking because I feel saner...I also don't hear as many things. I think it will be a big thing when I quit for good.

[Grath]

Originally Posted by ikigai_sp1

Well I fell back into smoking again without some nicotine patches. I eventually got some today and haven't been smoking since.

It feels good not smoking because I feel saner...I also don't hear as many things. I think it will be a big thing when I quit for good.

There are always setbacks. Don't give up!

[ikigai_sp1]

Originally Posted by Grath

There are always setbacks. Don't give up!

I won't! This site is a great place to get feedback and help on issues. I like to read stories about the lives of real people instead of seeing them in movies. There are tons of setbacks in everything that people do, but I feel a certain motivation this time to really get this out of my life.

My sister is a big smoker of things other than cigarettes, and both of my parents used to be huge smokers before they had serious health issues because of it.

I just don't see anything that smoking does for me anymore besides give me a chance to see some of the people of the neighborhood.

[CalamityJane425]

Originally Posted by ikigai_sp1

I've been smoking for about 5 years and I'm quitting. When I smoke, I smoke about a pack and a half a day. I'm about two days in and feel great and terrible at the same time. My breathing is normal. I can walk without feeling out of breath. And I'm having cravings but drowning them out by doing healthy things - like walking or eating grapes one by one or sunflower seeds which have a lot of magnesium.

I'm prepared. I have nicotine patches and Stevia. I read that Stevia decreases cravings.

Hey there!
You've got my support my friend!
I'm at the same place you are with the smoking cessation. I was weird about it I'd like a cigarette take two puffs then stamp it out. Other times the whole thing got smoked. I'd go through a pack every other day or so. I'm working out ways to replace smoking myself. And thats hard unless theres a nicotine peanuts or something. I might consider pistachios although those are super expensive (up to 7 bucks at the store).
I just ordered a perscription of some nicotine gum that seems to work best. I have a diagnosed mental illness + I'm isolated I don't have friends & I only have my elderly Mother who is still alive.
I haven't heard of Stevia? I'm surprised that it isn't advertised on TV.
OH, I want to share with you something my late Aunt once told me about when you have a craving.
Take a deep breath & wait a few seconds....then the craving will pass. SHe was a former smoker. She said this I think a few years ago. If you want support drop me a line.
Nicotine is an addiction like anything else.

[ikigai_sp1]

I've been back on the right track for about two days now again. I have some store brand nicotine patches that seem better than Nicoderm CQ for some reason. You would think that they wouldn't be as good, don't you think? But sometimes a surprise comes your way.

I've also heard that you shouldn't drink caffeine while trying to quit smoking. I make my coffee with too much ground coffee (get what I'm saying? I feel like I'm not being clear enough or that I sound stupid). Not as much as my dad who has like 15 cups just in the morning on his off days.

Anyway, it has to do with the dopamine released in the brain is what I've been researching. The brain releases dopamine while drinking coffee and while smoking cigarettes which is why both are addictive. They both make you feel good. But the thing is I am schizoaffective which means that I have too much dopamine anyway. This is getting messy.

I feel like if I quit both I will at least get a tiny bit better because I'm not doing something to make my condition worse which is a big contributor to me wanting so hard to quit this time.



Anyway if anybody is looking to quit, you have my full support. I've heard that it is as addictive as cocaine and that like

[ikigai_sp1]

Originally Posted by CalamityJane425

Hey there!
You've got my support my friend!
I'm at the same place you are with the smoking cessation. I was weird about it I'd like a cigarette take two puffs then stamp it out. Other times the whole thing got smoked. I'd go through a pack every other day or so. I'm working out ways to replace smoking myself. And thats hard unless theres a nicotine peanuts or something. I might consider pistachios although those are super expensive (up to 7 bucks at the store).
I just ordered a perscription of some nicotine gum that seems to work best. I have a diagnosed mental illness + I'm isolated I don't have friends & I only have my elderly Mother who is still alive.
I haven't heard of Stevia? I'm surprised that it isn't advertised on TV.
OH, I want to share with you something my late Aunt once told me about when you have a craving.
Take a deep breath & wait a few seconds....then the craving will pass. SHe was a former smoker. She said this I think a few years ago. If you want support drop me a line.
Nicotine is an addiction like anything else.

Hey! Support is something everybody needs when they are trying to do something like this. It would be nice! Thank you!

I first heard about Stevia when my aunt got it when my mom's family gathered for my grandma's death. I just noticed that it relaxed me when I was stressed and when I started quitting, I noticed it kind of felt like I didn't need a cigarette as much. I don't know if there is any scientific evidence to that, but it works for me!

I was weird too about cigarettes. I would cut them in half or down to just a quarter of their length - minus the cotton part or whatever you call it. I would smoke more, and my back would start to spasm because I was hunched over on the cement.

[tecomsin]

How's it going?

[ikigai_sp1]

I'm having a harder time stopping smoking than I realized because I know that it actually relaxes me and I keep getting stressed out for no reason. The chemicals really do relax me or the actual plant really is that soothing. I know that sounds strange but I want to break the habit because my parents don't like that I smoke. I don't even like it because it feels like I'm bowing down and breaking my back all the time just smoking them.

I realize that smoking can't break my back but it stresses me out and I even enjoy it.

[ikigai_sp1]

I'm officially quitting now. I got a vape and have juice that doesn't have any nicotine in it. I got it a few days ago with my mom and got some wicked vape flavors. I got peppermint, black cherry, lime, and something else.

I really like the vape device. I don't feel like I'm detoxing from anything though when I thought that I was going to have to go through all these "growing pains". lol. Not that I mean growing pains. I mean all these things like bitterness, snappiness, excessive thirst, weight gain, etc.