Opinions please

[sosoverytired]

Right, I want to quit smoking. Today is day 3 cold turkey. However, brain fog is killing me. Close to Christmas and lots of important self employed paper work to get done in about 2-3 weeks.

For background. Historic anxiety and depression. Anxiety has re occurred due to shock bereavement about 8 weeks ago, disabled child, both children with health issues.
Upside down house. Personal health issues.
For reference the panic attacks look like heart attacks.
Basically I have to function right now or many many things go very very wrong.

I do want to quite and thought of giving up at this stage makes me sick, however I need to function for the next couple months (TIL January) and can get a proper plan in place.

Só opinions please. Cause either way I feel like I'm failing.

Have you tried nicotine replacement therapy? It can help loads with cravings

Contemplated but I'd rather get it over with. Can't chew gum and patches seem weird. But talking to the pharmacy tomorrow.

Start after Christmas and New Year is over, you've got too much going on, stopping numbs your brain

How long does the numbing last?

How long does the numbing last?

Try the patches, talk to the smoking cessation nurse at your practice or a pharmacy.
Day 3 is epic! Make it to day 3

Doh. Day 4. Make it to day 4

I just know if I can't clear this fog the business sinks and Christmas doesn't happen. Not helping the anxiety lol

Good for you! See your gp practice, they will have notices up about what they offer free. Defo get whatever you can. You could suck the gun rather than chew it, like a boiled sweet! I don’t know if they offer niquitin minis on the nhs.

Spoke to gp. Less than helpful. Amitryptaline. As I have suspected ulcer due to shock and stress. Due to the loss this summer I need Christmas to happen and go right.

How many a day did you smoke? Could you try just cutting down until you're past this most stressful period? You're asking a lot of yourself

Sorry. Looking at posts it looks like I'm looking for reasons not to quite. I want to quit desperately. However I'm not functioning and grieving etc. So I'm conscience that around me is falling apart. My anti anxiety meds will take 3-4 weeks to kick in. And my mood swings are horrific so I don't want to mess everything up by being my bullheaded self and insisting I get through this right now.

If that makes sense? Feels like a double edge sword. Going back now feels like failure. But I can see I'm shutting down to everyone as well and basically not functioning at all so everyone is suffering. Haven't Cooked in two days. (Kids fed though). House a mess and important things not started as words moving on paper etc.

I'd gone to max of about ten a day.

Could you allow yourself 4 a day?

You could keep going if you choose that though. The first 2 weeks are the hardest but everyday during those 2 weeks gets easier after about day 3 which for me was the hardest.

I used an e-cig for 2 weeks.

I would try the patches. They seem to work for a lot of people. And however weird it is, it gets you where you want to be (is it weirder than putting dried up plant leaves in a tube in your mouth and setting fire to them?).
You're doing well to get to 4 days btw

Can you pay an accountant to do your tax return?

I'd suggest going to bed now. Tomorrow is day 4. Think about it again then.

I'm gonna talk to pharmacy tomorrow. I'm mostly concerned nothing will get done or I'll run out of time. Also the anxiety and depression really kicking in as it would be crippling.
I have self referred to well being service and got the anti anxiety medication so taking steps. I just can be rather bull headed and jump head first.

Not always a bad thing but is when it affects the rest of the family.

Not enough money to pay an accountant or I def would lol. I'm in bed and will re visit tomorrow. Thanks for the support. End of day 3 so officially a full 3 days now. It's a 18 year habit so won't break overnight

You're trying to justify going back on them. You can do this and it will get easier. You don't need to smoke to get through the next few months. You will get through the next few months regardless. But by January you can be already 6 weeks into quitting, be over the worst of the cravings, your meds will have kicked in and your lungs already repairing themselves. Get some nicotine replacements and take it one day at a time. Can I make it through today without one? And deal with tomorrow when it comes.

I have a horrible reaction to whatever it is they use to make the patches stick to you so I came up in huge blisters and couldn't wear nicotine patches. I used a vape to get me past the worst of withdrawal; it's nothing like as bad for you, because it doesn't have all the tars. The thing was though, they didn't warn me that for the first week or so I was likely to develop the most amazing cough as my lungs started to be able to get rid of all the tar and gunge in them from the years of smoking!

It worked, though, because it gave me something to do with my hands instead of a cigarette at the times I would usually have had one.

Then what you do is cut down the nicotine in the vape until you're "smoking" none at all, and realise you don't actually need it at all any more. (And then you notice how everywhere you used to smoke stinks of it, and have to wash all the curtains,but that's something not to worry about just yet... And not smoking is a lot cheaper so you might even afford new ones.)

I gave up smoking ten years ago and the thing that clicked with me was the tight shoes analogy.

You are choosing to wear tight shoes all day long just for the pleasure of slipping them off for a couple of minutes.

Every time you smoke the nicotine countdown starts again and those shoes become tighter!

Try writing up a plan to help you tackle the paperwork with daily mini goals and allow a few days clear in case you run over

My mum kicked a 40 year plus habit by vaping. And the vape is easier to get off that the cigarettes because you can withdraw from it gradually.

You can do it!

Well done, 3 days cold turkey is brilliant. I found the brain fog started to shift after a week. You can do this.

I did it with a vape. Much better for you and not as jangly on the nerves.