Hello folks,
Day 21 here. I have survived some big challenges in the last few days as I have had a great deal of anger surface over stressors big and small.
THANK YOU Julia, for that link the other day for dealing with anger as an ex-smoker. I had looked and looked for that earlier in the week and could not find it again when I really needed it. I read it again right after I saw your post to me.
I do believe some of those dynamics were right on the money - how smokers go and smoke rather than actually confronting and dealing with issues that cause angry emotions to arise. That smokers use nicotine to allow stressors to go underground and simmer until a blow up is more likely. I certainly have had to deal with more unmedicated anger over the last week or so. I had to work hard and use my whole consciousness to ride it out in this new state.
On the BIG plus side is that now I have much greater understanding of the role smoking had in self-medicating difficult emotional states for me. It really does go deep and it really is pervasive and chronic in one's own psychology. At least it appears to have been in mine.
Also on the BIG plus side is that I have completed 3 weeks free from cigarettes.
And although some smoking dreams have been surfacing, including one last night, my quit remains intact and and my resolve remains firm. And I want to affirm, as I have heard others here say, it really is a lovely relief upon waking to recall that your 'relapse' was only in your dream and did not actually occur.
I hope anyone reading this post is doing well and staying strong. Good luck and hope to you all, and especially to those of you who may be expereincing some of that unmedicated anger. Check out that link in Julia's post right before this one. (I don't know how to do the links yet or I'd link it here too)
NTAP is the key and our choice. We can DO this.
pat