Life has improved in the last month; I am starting to get in the habit of being asleep by midnight or 11pm. This has made a big difference. More energy and improved mood.
I've also improved my diet; no more meal replacement shakes, only real food. This has helped my energy levels as well.
As a result I am starting to tackle the housework bit by bit, which also lifts my mood; both a sense of achievement and pride. I've got a long way to go but at least I've started. My psychologist suggested I attempt it a room at a time, even if it's only a few minutes when I can muster it. So, for instance, I wiped 3 cupboards in the kitchen the other day. There's about 12 to go, and it might seem slack not doing it all at once, but that's all my energy can manage some days.
The other significant thing is that I'm quitting smoking again, only this time I'm doing it with the guidance of a health psychologist using Nicotine Replacement Therapy. I've been wearing a patch for almost 4 weeks now, and have reduced from about 30-35 cigs a day to about 20 and now down to 15 since last Friday. I have the Nicorette mouth spray as backup for cravings but haven't used it yet.
Some people believe it is unsafe to wear a patch and smoke at the same time; that's not true; you can't overdose from nicotine. You're more likely to have a heart attack from chain smoking than using a patch and smoking simultaneously.
I've noticed my mood dip a bit since Thursday; my psychiatrist has warned me that cigarettes act as a mild type of antidepressant and that people with mood disorders can be susceptible to feeling down as they reduce or quit. He's given me some samples of Brintellix 10's in case I need to use them but of course I have to ring him first to get the green light to take them. There's always the chance of me going manic if I take the Brintellix 10's along with Brintellix 20's and Lexapro 10's.
So overall things are better than last time I wrote but a few hurdles have to be leapt before I'm in the home straight.
I've set myself mid-May as my quit smoking date; I smoke roll-your-own tobacco as it is cheaper (the average packet of 25 cigarettes in Australia costs $25; the government tax the shit out of it to try to get people to quit; it's been pretty effective; I would no longer dream of smoking at an outdoor cafe due to the grief you get from other diners). Anyhoo, I am reducing each fortnight by one pouch of tobacco (50 cigarettes). So I've gone down from 25 to 21 and will go down to 17 then 14 then 10 then 7 then 4 then quit. I'm managing under 20 ok the past few days so hopefully it's all good.
I've also improved my diet; no more meal replacement shakes, only real food. This has helped my energy levels as well.
As a result I am starting to tackle the housework bit by bit, which also lifts my mood; both a sense of achievement and pride. I've got a long way to go but at least I've started. My psychologist suggested I attempt it a room at a time, even if it's only a few minutes when I can muster it. So, for instance, I wiped 3 cupboards in the kitchen the other day. There's about 12 to go, and it might seem slack not doing it all at once, but that's all my energy can manage some days.
The other significant thing is that I'm quitting smoking again, only this time I'm doing it with the guidance of a health psychologist using Nicotine Replacement Therapy. I've been wearing a patch for almost 4 weeks now, and have reduced from about 30-35 cigs a day to about 20 and now down to 15 since last Friday. I have the Nicorette mouth spray as backup for cravings but haven't used it yet.
Some people believe it is unsafe to wear a patch and smoke at the same time; that's not true; you can't overdose from nicotine. You're more likely to have a heart attack from chain smoking than using a patch and smoking simultaneously.
I've noticed my mood dip a bit since Thursday; my psychiatrist has warned me that cigarettes act as a mild type of antidepressant and that people with mood disorders can be susceptible to feeling down as they reduce or quit. He's given me some samples of Brintellix 10's in case I need to use them but of course I have to ring him first to get the green light to take them. There's always the chance of me going manic if I take the Brintellix 10's along with Brintellix 20's and Lexapro 10's.
So overall things are better than last time I wrote but a few hurdles have to be leapt before I'm in the home straight.
I've set myself mid-May as my quit smoking date; I smoke roll-your-own tobacco as it is cheaper (the average packet of 25 cigarettes in Australia costs $25; the government tax the shit out of it to try to get people to quit; it's been pretty effective; I would no longer dream of smoking at an outdoor cafe due to the grief you get from other diners). Anyhoo, I am reducing each fortnight by one pouch of tobacco (50 cigarettes). So I've gone down from 25 to 21 and will go down to 17 then 14 then 10 then 7 then 4 then quit. I'm managing under 20 ok the past few days so hopefully it's all good.
