#TheQuittingDairies: Stress, Neighbours from Hell and Handy Tips & Tricks
This Weekend has been a challenge...
Stress and anxiety are the main enemies that I have had to face as well as dealing with the new neighbours from hell.
I've managed to be good, cutting to 2-3 cigs a day and using my trusty friend the inhalator and chewing gum to avoid cravings /replace a cigarette and have been still using the patches as well.
The problems started on Sunday, it was a Bank Holiday Weekend in the UK which means we don't have to go to work on Monday and plus it was extremely sunny and hot so sitting in the garden reading was perfect until the new neighbour decided he wanted to host what I can only describe to be a rave from 3pm to 2am in the morning!
Before you think I'm being a party pooper, it was a professional PA with Decks plus a microphone and baring in mind I have Sensory Processing Disorder* and anxiety I was in that twilight zone between being able to cope or having a raging meltdown, and to deal with said emotions nicotine replacement therapy in mind was simply not going to do the trick so I had a smoke!
I know, bad Sophie!
The stress was so bad that it carried on into Monday and now I think I'm back on track with it and hopefully will not smoke more as I've been really good so far in the will power department.
Stress, anxiety and depression are side effects of any type of addiction, I've been through an extreme case when I decided I no longer wanted to take prescription-only painkillers and came off them cold turkey with a lot of meltdowns, extreme anxiety attacks and constant pain.
🎊 I've now been painkiller free for a year and 1 month!🎊
What I learnt from the experience above is it is better to do it with support rather than going it alone as in the end you'll either fail or continue with a vicious cycle of periods of being able to manage and then falling back into the trap of needing/wanting the cigarette, pain killer or other addictive substance in your life.
I do go on and on about coping strategies and also writing everything down and getting it out of your head in a journal because in my experience it's better to get it onto a page and forget about it or at least to process what you're feeling and thinking even if it's complete and utter nonsense!
You don't have to show it to anyone, you don't even have to read it yourself but so long as you have an outlet to write whatever is swirling around your head and letting it out instead of bottling is better in the long term.
I have been writing a lot more when I really needed to and getting my thoughts down in scribbles that looks and reads like complete and utter nonsense rather than trying to mask the fact that I'm not okay and it unraveling leaving me a complete and total mess who can't cope anymore.
On Sunday I couldn't process what I was thinking or feeling as I was so overwhelmed and over stimulated that I felt like I was going to just explode in rage at one point but I pulled myself together and tried everything before having a cigarette.
I've also had some problems with the patches and this is a bit of trail and error when it comes to wearing them and i had this pins and needles sensation running up and down my arm and also a lot more muscle spasms.
Little it be known that you can actually get muscle weakness from wearing nicotine patches and I was told and wait for this.. to put it on my bum.
It's hidden, it's padded and also there might be less numbness or in my case spasms from happening so I'm going to do that and see how it goes because in all honesty my arm really hurts and also means that I can wear a sun top without worrying that I'm going to have a square shaped white patch or a burnt patch of skin (because you should not expose the patch to sunlight as I have now learnt) as I've got a sun tan at the moment from British weather!
It also means that I will in theory forget that I am actually wearing it as that as been a strange thing, I'm constantly aware that I am wearing a patch and knowing that other people can see it.
I'm not ashamed of wearing a nicotine patch, because I'm trying to quit smoking and this is the best way to do it but I sometimes do realise that others can see it and that bothers me a little but I've grown to feel proud of the patch!
🎊Since this weekend I've made some more positive steps in the quitting process and no longer smoking cigarettes! 🎊
I'm a day and half into it and I'm not going to lie I have been feeling a bit more anxious but persisting with the inhalator and the gum and not giving into cravings as I have no tabacco (which is a good thing) and I've done a day so far without having the need to buy/smoke cigarettes or tabacco at all.
Literally I was in a supermarket yesterday and walked straight past the counter where I would normally run to in a wild panic and yesterday I didn't even think about it, no temptation, no nothing just instead puffed on my inhalator (that tastes disgusting when warm) and chewed my chewing gum as well as using my trusty patches.
I also did not start my daily routine with a cigarette yesterday, which might seem odd or strange but I think that was a good thing to do for myself to change the routine and use the inhalator instead of having a cigarette.
I strangely felt calm as well yesterday and didn't feel anxious about not having one at all, it was as though I'd made that conscious decision in my head and it was done.
Today however it's been a little different, I woke up in a bad mood.
I was cranky and irritated this morning and really groggy and just didn't want to get out of bed which lead to me just feeling pants.
This might have something to do with hormones and mother nature having her monthly visit which is something I knew I had to deal with but hormones just don't help when you're trying to quit smoking!
I have to remember that what I'm feeling is normal, at the end of the day it's just being amplified because i'm at the back end of my period and my hormones are raging and all over the place and I think my brain needs some endorphins to make me feel better so I will go to the gym tonight and will not binge eat whilst watching Netflix.
The main Top Tips I have for Stopping Smoking are:
1) Don't go Cold Turkey:
2) Distraction:
I've found reading, listening to calming music helps to soothe the anxiety going around my head and focusing on something else. Calming music also helps me focus when i'm writing and takes my mind off those cravings. Make yourself busy and keep your mind focused on something other than wanting a cigarette!
3) Get Worries and Stress out of your head!:
Get anything that is bothering you out of your system, bottling is not a good idea and neither is masking.
If it means that you write complete and utter nonsense then as I said before that is fine, so long as you are allowing yourself to process and get all those negative thoughts out of your head it's better than letting it fester and stew as it just leads to having meltdown after meltdown and that is not good for your health and neither should anyone else experience meltdowns as they are terrifying.
4) Get your Endorphins flowing:
5) Keep Hydrated:
We all love to have a take away now and again, but when you're trying to stop smoking you fall into a trap of wanting to eat your body weight in deep-fried, carbohydrate packed, sweet and naughty goodness that is junk food whilst sitting binge watching shows on Netflix.
Mental Health is important and when you're trying to give something up as you will feel worse for wear.
Literally I was in a supermarket yesterday and walked straight past the counter where I would normally run to in a wild panic and yesterday I didn't even think about it, no temptation, no nothing just instead puffed on my inhalator (that tastes disgusting when warm) and chewed my chewing gum as well as using my trusty patches.
I also did not start my daily routine with a cigarette yesterday, which might seem odd or strange but I think that was a good thing to do for myself to change the routine and use the inhalator instead of having a cigarette.
I strangely felt calm as well yesterday and didn't feel anxious about not having one at all, it was as though I'd made that conscious decision in my head and it was done.
Today however it's been a little different, I woke up in a bad mood.
I was cranky and irritated this morning and really groggy and just didn't want to get out of bed which lead to me just feeling pants.
This might have something to do with hormones and mother nature having her monthly visit which is something I knew I had to deal with but hormones just don't help when you're trying to quit smoking!
I have to remember that what I'm feeling is normal, at the end of the day it's just being amplified because i'm at the back end of my period and my hormones are raging and all over the place and I think my brain needs some endorphins to make me feel better so I will go to the gym tonight and will not binge eat whilst watching Netflix.
The main Top Tips I have for Stopping Smoking are:
1) Don't go Cold Turkey:
You may think you can do it on your own, but having someone there to support you is better than no one!
This is the first thing I thought about when I decided it was time to quit, I didn't want to do this on my own! I didn't want to go cold turkey and be a horrible person to live with.
I need that support and I found it and I got nervous and had a lot of negative emotions swimming around my head at first but as with everything once I went to one appointment I no longer felt anxious. I needed to be able to talk to someone and say I'm struggling and I'm really finding this difficult and I'm really having a rubbish day with it and I don't think I can continue.
It's not about being forced and it's okay if you do have bad days because you're making a massive change and that is frightening enough let alone trying to do this all on your own!
2) Distraction:
Distracting your mind from the cravings is difficult, as it's a constant nag in your head that at first doesn't go away.
3) Get Worries and Stress out of your head!:
Scribble, Draw, Write or anything that helps you relieve stress and tension in a positive way.
If it means that you write complete and utter nonsense then as I said before that is fine, so long as you are allowing yourself to process and get all those negative thoughts out of your head it's better than letting it fester and stew as it just leads to having meltdown after meltdown and that is not good for your health and neither should anyone else experience meltdowns as they are terrifying.
4) Get your Endorphins flowing:
Yes we all don't like going to gym, but getting your happy hormones going can be the best way to combat cravings.
I'm trying to do this, believe me going to gym isn't my idea of fun! But it's better than being stuck in the house craving a cig. It might be just sitting in your garden, reading a book, listening to music, going for a walk to the shops or catching up with a few friends whilst having a coffee.
It's completely up to you what you want to do and more importantly what makes you happy.
5) Keep Hydrated:
Keeping Hydrated is essential to keeping your body healthy, but when you're quitting you'll find that you're thirstier than usual.
This one is strange, as you might expect that you'll not want to drink as much water than when you were smoking.
But actually you will be wanting to drink more water as you're throat will be itchy (it's the worst), you might suffer with coughing fits and you might feel more run down as well as dehydrated.
It'll also help with any headaches you might get when you're quitting as headaches (unless you're like me and suffer from migraines) are caused by your brain and body being dehydrated.
I love to put squash in mine or fresh lemon and sometimes ginger to rehydrate myself and if you're going to exercise always take water with you!!!
It might mean more visits to the loo but it means that all the nasty toxins in your body are being flushed away!
Avoid: Alcohol (you'll want to smoke more, it's a depressant and dehydrates your body) and caffeine because that apparently makes the cravings worse. I keep to one cup of coffee a day and remember Decaffeinated drinks do have a small amount of caffeine in them.
6) Eat Healthier Foods:
It's an obvious one, I'm struggling with craving bad food at the moment but eating healthier food will make you feel better.
We all love to have a take away now and again, but when you're trying to stop smoking you fall into a trap of wanting to eat your body weight in deep-fried, carbohydrate packed, sweet and naughty goodness that is junk food whilst sitting binge watching shows on Netflix.
Eating healthily will aid with the dehydration problem, fruit and vegetables are packed full of water and vitamins to help your body recover and heal itself.
I don't eat meat anymore but instead of having a pizza or a burger with a side order of extra large chips and a sugary drink instead swap them for a leaner option that still satisfies your cravings.
Sweet Potato is also a good alternative to regular white potatoes as there are less carbs in them and cooked and prepared correctly (Don't fry them - Oven bake instead) can be amazing!
No one really wants to eat a salad (thats vegans included) but finding healthier recipes that are good for you and satisfy your cravings without you putting on weight!
You'll also find that you're digestive health might get better and you're skin will glow and clear and you'll be more motivated!
7) Love yourself:
Giving yourself some well deserved TLC is sometimes the best medicine!
Mental Health is important and when you're trying to give something up as you will feel worse for wear.
This is when instead of falling into a rut of self loathing and depression you look in the mirror and tell yourself lovely things about yourself, what you like about yourself and sharing positive messages so that you'll have more confidence.
If you don't want to say them out loud then post it notes on the mirror are brilliant!
You also might want to run a long hot bath, get some nice music on, treat your hair to a well deserved home treatment and throw in a bath bomb or essential oils and have a long soak with a face mask on, relax and let all those nasty thoughts melt away into the water.
Afterwards get in your comfiest PJ's, moisturise your face, drop some Lavender Essential Oil on your pillow (helps you get a good nights sleep), grab a good book and snuggle up in bed.
You don't have to spend a lot to make yourself feel better but taking time out and treating your body to some well deserved TLC after a stressful day of coping with anxiety, cravings, Aspergers in general and everything else life seems to throw at you is better than feeling rubbish.
It's taking time and I'm getting used to the change in routine but actually using the tips above is helping me deal with the whole process as well as having the self confidence to say that I'm doing well.
Even when I've slipped or felt like I can't cope, I'm not beating myself up and recognising that with everything it's just a blip and tomorrow is a new day.
Further Information:
**Sensory Processing Disorder:
Currently in the phase of researching and drafting a post on this as it is an umbrella condition associated with Autism in general as well as running a interactive poll over on the Facebook Page.
Other Useful Posts from The Aspergers Girl Guide:
Useful Links for Stop Smoking:
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