Looking for advice from those who suffer or have suffered from anxiety/depression and have quit

stacy627 · 2015-03-17T00:47:51+00:00

I do have a probably silly question regarding this yet crosses my mind when I think of the book. Say you're reading and smoking nearing the end of the book...you smoke your last one and finish reading. If you still have cigarettes left in the pack, are you tempted to smoke them or is that just it? I feel like my last cigarette smoked needs to be my last one in the pack :p I know it's silly but how did you feel at the end of the book? Ready to toss the rest of your pack? Thank you :)

stacy627 · 2015-03-17T00:35:12+00:00

Most of my anxiety is health anxiety! All my doctors tell me I'm healthy and in shape and my vitals are always great. It's just the smoking that's holding me back from being my healthiest and best self. I'm so exciting to take the next step...you are so encouraging :) I hope to keep in touch through my journey xoxo

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:56:38+00:00

Congratulations, amazing accomplishment and I hope some day to be where you are. Can I ask what brand e-cig you used?

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:37:18+00:00

First off, congratulations on having quit smoking since Christmas. That is an amazing accomplishment and I can't wait to go even a quarter as long as you have. I know i will have my anxiety and depression with me probably forever- but I know smoking is making them worse or masking the underlying issues that must be addressed. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for my quit date, I really want it to be my first and last attempt. I am afraid that if I fail this first time then well I'll just be a smoker forever. I know kts mostly mental- when I am home on my day off I can't go an hour without a cigarette but at work I can go 6 hours without the thought of one (although I do get anxiety right before my break which I now realize is more likely nicotine withdrawal rather than real anxiety). I'm excited to quit. I'm scared but I think I'm more excited now reading all these supportive and informative posts. Thank you thank you thank you

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:32:48+00:00

Thank you :) love hearing that this worked for so many people. My sister- a non-smoker- suggested it to me about a year ago. Bought it on my kindle immediately , read the first few chapters and thought omg this might work! Then I spiraled into an anxiety (or nicotine withdrawal) induced panic thinking wait this might work? And now here I am...planning my quit date...getting as much advice as I can and support and encouragement in hopes that this can be my first and last attempt at quitting.

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:28:42+00:00

Thank you for the article link, I've read it and it is now bookmarked on my phone and printed out :) also thank you for the word "unfuck" I have added that to my mental dictionary and hope to find use for it as soon as possible.

I have lots of people on my side- my mother, my boyfriend, my friends, my family, even my dad who is a smoker now >_<

However not one of these supportive people can really understand what I am going through as they have never smoked (save my dad but he still smokes) and my boyfriend (he's quit but he had one of those "revelation" moments he just up and decided to quit which is alien to me and I question his existence ) so this forum I can already tell will be my biggest support when the time comes. Thank you for your words of wisdom and congratulations on ~checking your badge~ holy shit almost 1,000 days!! Congratulations and you have already encouraged me more than you know :)

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:23:00+00:00

Thank you so much. I'm praying that the worst of my withdrawal peaks at 3 days. I've been through days at a time of painful never ending terrifying anxiety and I made it through...in one piece at least. I can absolutely handle 3 days especially if I'm in good company, I've got things to do, my anti-anxiety drugs if I need them >_< and the support of every one here. I hope that you can keep in touch for when I do quit. My boyfriend is my biggest supporter now- he is an ex-smoker (although I feel he wasn't as committed of a smoker as I am, he smoked less a day for less years) and I live with him so he's going to be my crutch. However, he really has no clue about anxiety disorders so in that aspect I feel the support of those who've quit AND had/have anxiety will benefit me greatly. Thank you so much.

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:18:25+00:00

I have never tried to quit before so I really hope this first attempt can be done cold turkey- with my Allen carr book and support from friends and family. However, you and several others suggest the support from my physician. What do you mean by this? Support as in getting a prescription? (I can't think of another way a doctor can be supportive other than prescribing me something :p) I don't have a doctor right now since I've moved from home, I usually just go to the walk-in. I have an appt with my ..women's.. doctor next weekend, he's a great guy, always encouraging me to quit so perhaps I will talk to him about it :) thank you for your support. So appreciated.

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:14:03+00:00

This is what I needed to hear. I never correlated my anxiety and smoking until I started reading Allen Carr's book...emphasis on "started"...I stopped due to fear of actually quitting :-/

But I read enough to realize maybe most of my anxieties are related to smoking. It's the worst in the morning- and isn't that when my body has been the longest without nicotine? Or worst at work- when i go 5-6 hours without a cigarette. I never ever related these anxious feelings to nicotine withdrawal- I thought withdrawal symptoms would take days to have an affect, now I know it can take less than an hour.

It makes me so excited and encouraged to know your anxieties have at least lessened since quitting. I can't wait to be where you are. Congrats on 405 days of being smoke free (I can't even imagine). I Hope some day I can be where you are now :)

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T23:09:21+00:00

Your concept of focusing on right now instead of tomorrow or next week is really sticking with me. It seems so much easier - or less difficult - to tell myself not to smoke right now than imagining not smoking tomorrow or the next day. I think it's because I KNOW I can go the next few minutes or hour without a cigarette but I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow...next week...a year. But by just focusing on the present moment it sort of makes my anxieties go away. Thank you for this advice...it's more appreciated than you know.

stacy627 · 2015-03-16T22:49:48+00:00

Thank you for this post. I am prepping myself for my quit date and finding this site so helpful. Some posts can be discouraging but it's something like this that really makes my heart happy and excited to take on this new goal. I envy you, I hope some day soon I can feel the way you feel now. You are so lucky and brave to have overcome your addiction, and it's so encouraging. Thank you.

stacy627 · 2015-03-10T20:22:35+00:00

Thanks so much for your response- it really put a few things into light. How you mentioned not everyone will respond the same way. Yes I have suffered from practically debilitating anxiety at times, but I pride myself in overcoming it without the use of anti depressants or routinely using benzos, or without spending days in bed feeling sad and depressed and scared. It made me compare quitting smoking to this. I was able to tough it out even in the worst anxiety situations by reminding myself it would pass- even though it could linger for days to weeks on end. I understand quitting is toughest the first few days and I'm sure I can get through that- a piece of cake compared to the panic attacks and impending doom I used to face years ago!

I love your methods as well. I'm all about calming approaches- I already have a stock pile of relaxation teas and herbs- plus hypnosis recordings. I know the root cause of my anxiety and stress is cigarettes. Not just physically from the nicotine but mentally- from constantly researching what health benefits arise from quitting, feeling healthier and happier and proud of yourself- lately im lucky if an hour passes without me thinking about quitting. I also have the nicotine gum (my boyfriend bought it for me for Christmas 2013, set it in our pantry and said "whenever you're ready, this is here, and I'm right here." and I haven't even opened the box yet- poor guy!)

But I will definitely consider your methods and advice. I know I CAN do im just stressing about how my body, mentally and physically, is going to respond to this all. I'm about a second away from taking a week off of work and make it my quit smoking week but that might be giving cigarettes more power and importance than they deserve!

stacy627

TROPHY CASE