Posted by Racer on October 27, 2000, at 16:20:01
In reply to Re: WELLBUTRIN and my husbands now a JERK!! HELP!!, posted by Greg on October 27, 2000, at 12:07:55
Being a smoker, too, I can attest to the problems of quitting. I've tried many times, using almost everything there is to help me, and you didn't notice me using the past tense in that first declaration...
One of the Surgeon Generals once said that nicotine was more addictive than heroin, and I believe that. I know people who have quit, or tried to quit, both. Almost all of them managed to quit the heroin in the end, though most still had some cravings for it. Only one of them managed to quit smoking, and she said it was much worse than withdrawal from heroin.
For myself, I know that I get antsy, mostly, from nicotine withdrawal. That doesn't sound so bad, but it's giving up the 'good' effects of smoking that make it a real problem for me. For example, I get kinda intense about work, and smoke breaks are the only time I can wind down during the day. Yeah, that's my own fault, eating lunch at my desk, working too many hours, etc. But it's also a function of the business world I've found myself in. Any time I'm not out of my office, I'm going to be hit up to work and some times there just isn't anywhere to go for lunch. (I take my lunch for financial reasons, and some work places don't have any place nearby to sit and eat) Anyway, the smoking gets me out of a tense environment for ten minutes. Or it gives me time away from someone I can't bear to see, like a wretched boss, etc. And don't underestimate the sedative power of nicotine! The drug not only makes us remove ourselves from a tense environment, it also sedates us and makes it easier to go back in. Let's see, that's positive reinforcement, in my book.
Quitting smoking is incredibly hard. Your husband sounds as though he's going through something awful, and not having a good time of it. I agree with Greg, find a time when he's calmer, and ask him what's going on. If, after five weeks, he's not quitting and he's still this irritable, something's obviously wrong. But don't give up on him. It may be that he's feeling like a failure for not quitting. Maybe he wanted to quit for your anniversary, maybe he only wants to quit for you, and is hostile because he feels that it's your 'fault' that he feels this bad. You'll only know if you talk to him about it. But try to be understanding, too.
poster:Racer
thread:47500
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001022/msgs/47538.html