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my only problem when I stop smoking

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my only problem when I stop smoking

19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2

Thank you all so much for the kind words.It helps a lot to know that there is a cure but it's just hard to get to it.I do need to hear from people that are in the same situation.Every word helps ,every person that is in the right place now, feeling happy and healthy and free. I haven't stopped yet but it will be very soon.I just need to collect some information and weapons to fight the enemy.This time I am going to be prepared and I will win. You know,I admire every one of you that stopped smoking and I really respect your advice and your opinion. Thanks again and stay in touch MW

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$46,230.00

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Days: 6003 Hours: 21

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46230

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138,690

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19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2

I checked so many web sites and so many forums but I can't find an answer for my biggest problem whenever I stop smoking and I have stopped so many times.After a week or so I become very sad and everything makes me sad and I just want to cry for no reason at all.I've been smoking for more than 20 years and tried to stop more than 20 times in my life.I will stop forever if I can find cure for the sadness part.Please help if you can,Thank you M W

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$46,230.00

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Days: 6003 Hours: 21

Minutes: 33 Seconds: 37

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46230

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138,690

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19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1150

mi wee, stay here with us. let's break it down, one step at a time. your answers will come. some depression comes with quitting. other times smoking masks a depression. consider consulting your doctor. read old posts, some of them do a good job of addressing depression. stay here with us, go slow. welcome. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/19/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 25 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 255 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $125 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2670

mw, hi, it sounds to me like you are describing a mourning process for your lost @Friend@ the sickarette. this is normal and i personally find the best way to deal with the blues is to try and distract myself, but also you need to be kind to yourself as weel above all, be reassured that this will pass hugs of support lynnexx [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/24/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 51 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 773 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �204 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 58 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59

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$115,575.00

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Days: 7069 Hours: 11

Minutes: 15 Seconds: 45

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46230

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231,150

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19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2830

mi, Depression is often a very tough thing to deal with when quitting... you're definitely NOT alone! The reason you get depressed is because when we smoked, nicotine delivered something very similar to dopamine to the brain. In fact, it was so similar, that our bodies just flat out quit producing more because we were getting too much dopamine from nicotine. AND, as a defense mechanism, the brain shut down many of the dopamine receptors to balance it out. So when you quit, you quit giving your brain that dopamine, and dopamine is one of the chemicals (the other one being seratonin) that keep us from being depressed. You might want to contact your doctor about getting on Wellbutrin or Zyban. Both of those anti-depressants are dopamine based and actually have been proven highly successful in helping people quit smoking. If depression is your worst symptom, then I would DEFINITELY talk to your doctor about getting on either of these two prescriptions. They should help you a lot! Another thing that can help you is to make sure that you reward yourself well for quitting. Don't let yourself feel like you are being deprived anything by quitting... instead, lavish on yourself and treat yourself well, especially in the beginning of your quit. You are doing a great thing for yourself by quitting and rewards actually help boost dopamine too. So reward yourself well when you quit. You're worth it! :) Rewards don't have to be expensive, but they just have to be things that you really like and enjoy. For more on the chemical explanations of why you are sad, read Shevie's "Rewards, Nicotine and the Brain." I will see if I can find it and bump it for you. Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 412 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 10,314 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1701.56 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 34 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 8760

Mi_wee, Welcome to the SSC! You've come to the right place! Sadness is a normal part of quitting. If it persists or worsens as the weeks go by, you may want to consult your doctor. Sometimes, smoking does mask symptoms of other illnesses. Here's what you need to know about smoking & emotions: Nicotine affects the chemistry of neurotransmitters in your brain. Some of those neurotransmitters influence your mood and are responsible for inducing feelings of pleasure. Once we quit, we don't get those small doses of nicotine throughout the day to help keep our mood up. Some sadness is to be expected. Remember it is temporary. You may want to speak to your doctor about stop smoking aids such as the patch, the gum, the inhaler, zyban, wellbutrin or chantix and find out which options are available to you. Some have found aids to be helpful in diminishing withdrawal symptoms. At this time you can also enlist his/her supervision throughout your quit. If you choose to you'd rather quit cold turkey you'll need to find new outlets for you emotions. Have you ever given any thought to keeping a journal? It's okay to cry sometimes. It's also okay to let it all out and be kind to ourselves while we work through these emotions. It is also very important to keep up with our rewards. These help to lift our mood. Hope this information is helpful to you. Keep us posted. We would love the chance to help you throughout your quit. Any other questions we can help you with? If you need us, we are only a few clicks away! Danielle ________________________ The SSC Support Team

19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 607

mi_wee, I was also. I saw my doctor and found out I was depressed. WAs put on meds and now feel better. See your doctor. Hugs Kim [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/7/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 190 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,765 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $769.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 16 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 10 [B]Seconds:[/B] 39

19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 852

Hello and Welcome mi_wee! The information that you received here is very important. I didn't know all of this before I quit. I learned it on the way, but still didn't grasp the depression thing. It wasn't until I was six months or so quit when I really knew something wasn't right. I had been crying for months. I slept all day (well as much as I could with 2 kids!), I gorged on food ~ I would starve myself because I had no appitite, but when I walked into the kitchen, I went nuts and ate everything in sight! I was also very angry. The simpliest things would set me into this rage that I couldn't control. I even had a couple, very severe, panic attacks. I finally lost all interest in everything. I got no pleasure from anything ~ not even my kids. I didn't enjoy watching them anymore, and all I wanted to do was go away. I wanted to be alone. I just wanted to leave everything.......... That's when I finally saw the doctor. In the room, I couldn't stop crying when the doctor asked what I was there for. She immediately knew I was in trouble. She gave me meds and I was told they would take about 2 weeks to set in. However, I convinced myself that I felt relief on the second day. That is when I stopped crying. Every now and then I still go through spells of all of those described above, but now, I know what it is, and just knowing that makes it easier because I know it will pass. I would recommend seeing your doctor prior to quitting. Make sure to tell them your history of depression when you quit. If meds are ordered, stay on them. You have to learn to work through it afterwards, but luckily, you have found us. We are here to walk with you every step of the way. There is nothing that you feel that hasn't been felt amongst someone here. That is the best part. You will always get advice. And you will always get support! You are never alone. Stay close by, and keep us informed as to your quit date! We are here and ready whenever you are! 4my2girls [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/5/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 284 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,548 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $928.68 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 22 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34

19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 112

wise words for you from Katy, mi-wee. I haven't seen it in recent posts, but when I was a newer quitter and sitting on this board as if my life depended on it (and it did!) we used to describe the first four weeks of quitting like this: Week 1 - Hell Week Week 2 - Heck Week Week 3 - Blah Week Week 4 - Temptation Week NB each "week" can be anything between about 5 and 14 days, but that sequence of roller coaster seems to be experienced by almost all quitters. Blah week is that feeling of flatness and sometimes incredible sadness, that is probably because all the dopamine in your brain has been depleted and your body hasn't adjusted to providing it for you (it has got used to letting cigarettes provide it) One of the ways you can stimulate production of dopamine is by rewarding yourself - ideally have your rewards planned ahead, it might become hard to think about them when you are already sad. Rewards can be as simple as taking some time out for yourself, enjoying a walk a scented candle bath or having a speciality tea, or they can be more substantial like a shopping spree or a meal out. The other thing you can do when you are sad is to come here and post and let the people here help you. Finally, as others have already mentioned, Zyban (aka Welbutrin) is a smoking cessation drug from your Doctor which may help to reduce the sadness (the same drug is used as a mild anti-depressant) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 728 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,324 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4368 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 38 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42

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$37,146.00

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Days: 760 Hours: 7

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6191

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74,292

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19 years ago 0 +0 / -0 763

The sadness is perfectly normal for a quitter. Nicotine addiction embeds itself in your brain as a "friend and comforter". You learn to "use" your addiction. It needs to be fed and when you feed it, you get a certain amount of relief from the stress of a dropping nicotine blood level-(hence the thinking of a friend and comforter)....this behavior also tends to allow you to skim over times of emotion and stress in your real life. Now here you are, faced with the still present emotions of life, PLUS the now serious stress of denying the addiction. You need to realize that this sadness IS a normal part of the process of withdrawal. You have to work your way through it....it really is like "loosing" a part of your life.....you have to begin the process of replacing your smoking with other forms of rewarding yourself. This is why it's really important to have a list of positive things about quitting to refer to. There really in truly are no good reasons to smoke....none....as appealing as our addiction makes it look, smoking is dirty, disgusting and deadly. As a quitter, it will help if you can begin to think this way. Then you learn to distract yourself when the feelings begin to pile up. Be especially GOOD to yourself during the first weeks of quitting....because you ARE so worth it......and believe us that the sadness will pass.....but quicker if you see it for what it is and press on. ((((hugs)))) Katy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/4/2002 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1805 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 72,233 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $10288.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 235 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 9 [B]Seconds:[/B] 14

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$161,805.00

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Days: 5595 Hours: 4

Minutes: 52 Seconds: 24

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46230

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924,600

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my only problem when I stop smoking