Quitting Smoking
Okay so the Effexor “withdrawal” has subsided. I get the occasional “brain zap” but that has subsided. So I’ve started my
latest attempt to quit smoking. I’m into day three now. However, yesterday I did some six of them. Right now I’m having a heck of a time not smoking one.
I got myself a leg massage though, that helped and gives me a little relief to the never ending pain I have in my lower leg muscles.
I had smelled the smoke of someone else smoking. I took a shower to make sure it wasn’t from the last one I had last night around 9pm. It wasn’t, it was strong after my shower and it was calling my on my nicotine starved nerves. :)
I’ve learned to hold on when this happens, it will pass. Try to find something to fill my mind with. For me, stopping addiction is a moment to moment thing. I tell myself, I will smoke again but I just wont do it right now. As long as I tell myself that every time, then I never smoke again.
Dependence Vs Addiction
I have a new understanding of the difference between the two. I had some seriously hard days when I had to stop taking Effexor. I was tense, I couldn’t concentrate, I was emotional. I really didn’t feel well, I really struggled as my body had become use to those extra chemicals. Not having a cigarette makes me a little tense at times. It doesn’t make it so I can’t think, as long as I can hold my obsessing on not smoking at bay. Hard to think when your obsessing and being tense makes it a little hard. Its not like Effexor though, where I just can’t hold a thought which made me even more tense with frustration.
The Big Difference is that I never craved Effexor. I do crave a cigarette though. I’d love to have one. I want one. They are good! haha. I have no feelings like that toward Effexor. So for me, that’s the difference in dependence and addiction. However, if I had to choose which one of these I’d rather endure, that’s easy. Its not contest. The pain from stopping Effexor, the emotional upheaval that stopping that causes is not something I would ever go through if I felt I had a choice. I was terrified when I found I would be without it. I was terrified of how I’d feel, I was terrified how I might react to people. I think the smoking helped but boy do I crave a smoke. I do not crave Effexor.
There is another difference. I probably need to take Effexor but since my itching has been nearly eliminated, I’m not going to go back on it. For now, I’m fine but let the first crisis present itself and I may struggle. I’ll talk to the doctor about something else instead. Cigarettes though, I don’t need them, I’m better off without them yet I want one. Effexor I don’t ever want to take. There’s no joy in that, no rush, heck it has some side effects I really don’t like. Smoking has some too, it makes my lungs burn. It even makes me feel bad when I do it, yet I still want to do it! Odd. :) I will quit, I don’t really have a reasonable choice.
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Tagged with: Health • Medication • Mental Health • Quitting Smoking
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Heya Rusty!
Glad to hear, you sound much better. You know buddy as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your tackleing major lifestyle changes in a manner that reminds me of the way we did things in the Corps. Suggestion, Keep focussed on one issue at a time and ensure you have that completed, arrested or whatever you want to call it, before challenging another issue. Sounds like the Effexor withdrawl is well under raps now. Now try decreasing a cig a day until you reach that goal. Same with exercising. I admire your tenacity and motivation and always wish the best for you, but addressing all of these at once can be overwhelming, even for a crusty jarhead as myself. Be patient, don’t get down on yourself and understand there will be setbacks, were not 30 years old anymore even though we may think that way from time to time. If not, perhaps we could find a way to get your feet on the “yellow footprints” in San Diego! :=) Marine Corps boot camp, hell it’s only three months! Hang in there Rusty, your doing great! Getting my passport pic’s today (ponytail-up) since fees here are going up Tuesday significantly. Just for extra pages they’ll want an additional 82 bucks, (it’s free now) so I’ll turn my papperwork in on Monday.
Btw how’s the trip plan going for visa run? Please pass a friendly hello to Jess, I’m sure she’s going though hell as well! :=)
Semper fi, gunny
I’ve seen those price increases. The new adding pages fee is absurd.
Last time Jessie when to get Cebu City to get my extension they told her that I can extend to 24 months now. I am not yet ready to believe that as the day before, I got an email from Manila saying I had to go to Manila in order to get that longer extension. That may, end up not saving me any money as I made need to go to manila to get pages added to my passport now. :) So I have no idea. I will have to get those pages added eventually, its a matter of timing.
I think I am tackling one thing at a time? Effexor MOSTLY under wraps. Well, that could rear its head again at any time. I probably need to be on it just because of my make up but the intense withdrawal is mostly over.
Cutting back one at day sounds like fun. LOL I’ve tried that before. Doesn’t work for me. Two methods work. I quit smoking 20 years ago using nicorette. I smoked four packs a day back then! Moderation? me? LOL The only other thing that has worked is cold turkey. Or something very close to it. Yeah, there was some cheating. Hopefully there wont be a lot more of that. Today has been better.
I think I’m about to go for a short walk.. I want to go but I also need to work on my websites. I nearly blew this one up today. Its still broken but mostly back together. I’m gonna have to get some help to fix the rest. Unable to grasp it just yet..
In my youth, I was too independent to be Marine. That may still be true but, not sure, couldn’t probably handle someone yelling at me now. Now that I have the mental part of it down, the physical would kill me. I couldn’t do it. If I could be that strong, I’d do it. I really would.
And it doesn’t matter if I’m not 30, I just need to get the Filipina to think so. So far, I just can’t convince them, I’m skinny and hot. :) I keep hacking them off. I’m thinking that would change if I was still hot myself. :) Time to walk…. I’m still looking for my harem. Man where is it? :)
PS thanks for the encouragement.
can u give me the link on how to create my own website?or blog?just like this one
Hi Carlo!
There is not link to create a website just like this one.
You’ll need to pay for a hosting account, pay the theme developer, install word press and hurt your brain much. Well it hurts mine often.
Now if you want to get something for free, I would go to Blogger.com but You can also get something free at WordPress.com At wordpress you will get something more like my site. You can get the theme for free but I don’t know if you can use it on the free WordPress sites. And if you don’t pay the developer, you don’t get any instructions on installing it. LOL You can click the word WordPress to get to WordPress and Hybird to get to the theme developer’s site. Both are at the bottom of the page.
Its now day five. I smoked on day two, six of them and day three two cigarettes but nothing yesterday and so far nothing today and its 8pm.
GO RUSTY GO! GO RUSTY GO! GO RUSTY GO! Keep it up buddy!
Got my passport in yesterday :) With extra pages for free! Total was $100.00. Portland charged me $25.00 can you believe this system? Those longhorns on the ski are closer everyday. Lots of water and walking brother! Friendly hello to Jess as well.
gunny
Portland charged you for you passport?/ The city?
I’m feeling like revolting today. I want a big fat cigar, a huge steak, three Filipina in my lap…. goes to read pages on gluttony…. LOL After I do, I think i’ll put some cheese on my steak.
Go ahead Rusty, rub it in brother! :)
Yeah, well you have a much better chance of the huge steak.
Did meet a very pretty Filipina yesterday. You know though, they have all these rules they tend to live by. They just do not understand me at all. :)
It’s either you know lots of really thin Filipinas or you’re really fat. Funny post though.
~Flip in the US
Asia, you’re in the US? Have you been there long? You don’t seem to have a grasp on culture of Americans. :)
gunny,hey Hollywood you know the real marines come form p.i.
Ken, haven’t seen Gunny in a bit. Hope he comes back.
Hollywood?
lol just a private joke between marine recruits,some took basic in California other like me in paris island s.c. hence hollywood or swamp rat