This is my first post so help me out if I screw it up - I've been dipping cope on and off for thirty years. I was somehow able to quit in past years (for two or three stretches at times) but haven't been able to shake it for the last decade. Until 5 days ago when I decided to do it cold turkey for the first time.
My question is . . . when do I get some energy back? I find myself spending most of my time stretched out on the couch watching t.v. I get a workout in the morning but by noon I am totally wiped out.
What the hell? I'm either raging or reclining!
Good question. You are going through the symptoms and phases of quitting.
For me, I read the article on what to expect in my quit and it has been dead on.
The answer to your question is my personal experience....I am not sure. My moods, my sleep, my craps everything has been turned upside down and then back to normal to only feel upside down again.
I will tell you that I have felt bi-polar. I have been depressed, I have been amped up, I have been happy, Agitated, and sad...all at the same time.
I laid on the couch and did nothing all night. Except stuff my face. I gained 20lbs in 30 days! During the day, my work would take twice as long because I couldn't think and had zero motivation.
Sometime in my early 20 days of quit, I came out of my fog, had some energy and was really excited about my quit. Here is the bi polar. Day 28, I thought, "who am I fooling? I talk about how great it is to be quit and I hurt, I am fat and I feel 10 times worse without nicotine!" I survived and day 30 was fresh. I had quit strength and nothing could hold me back. I was angry with tobacco and was happily engaged in my quit.
Days 40 to 50 I went back to foggy. Then I was fine in my 60's. Days 70 -84 was an all out funk. I didn't like KTC, I was agitated with everything, I was depressed etc. Then at the 84 mark till now. It honestly has been a piece of cake for me.
I really feel good, resolved and so glad that I battled through all the funks, fogs and depressions. I really lived the advice of embrace the suck.
I really am glad that I experienced all the agony, pain, hardship and unexpected in my quit. I only want to experience it once though.
So more writing than you probably wanted.
Cliff notes: Stay quit, it is just a phase and there will be plenty more to come. Stay the course and your life will be more balance in your quit.
PS The 20lbs I gained. I have lost 13lbs of it. About 3 more weeks and I will be back at the weight I started when I quit. Just focus on staying quit, all things will fall in line in due time.
