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It Doesn't Necessarily Get Easier
It Doesn't Necessarily Get Easier...
From Christian99 on 10/16/2012 8:59:16 PM
in 30, 50, or 125 days.
I'm crafting this post because I've seen a fair number of (very well-intentioned) posts over the past few months, in which the authors offer promises to "newbies" that things get progressively and predictably better in these very early stages of a quit. While that's certainly the case for some quitters and I wish it were the case for all, it just doesn't apply to everyone. Many people continue to struggle in significant ways with their quits well beyond Day 100 or whatever. And why shouldn't they? This is an addiction that most smokers have wrestled with for more than their entire adult lives: given the strength and duration of it, it would be surprising if most people experienced the kind of promised and steady mprovement in such a short period of time. Progress happens, of course, but it is uneven, messy, and often confusing for quitters when they're in the midst of it.
I raise these points to give a shout out to those of you who were like me, around ten and a half years ago. At 30, 60, 150, 250 days, I had only the most fleeting of glimpses of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Most of the time I was miserable. And frankly, it bothered me that it seemed like everyone else was "past" the difficulties by day 21 or 40. I wondered, in fact, if there was anything wrong with my approach and if my quit was somehow deficient--a relapse simply waiting to happen. Thankfully, I had enough trust in my approach and I was able to discern that the "After 25 Days, then things get better and better and better" crowd represented only one constituency of quitters. For many others like me, the process is a lot longer and lot more complicated. Patience is the key.
Of course, ULTIMATELY it gets so much easier and one's life can be completely transformed by quitting. But it helps to go into the process with realistic expectations. And, if you're at Day 119 or 199 and feeling dreadful today, know that that light is still there waiting for you. I know because I'm basking in it, as I've done every single (completely craving free) day for the past nine and a half years or so.
Peace--
Christian99
Nearing eleven years quit