NO MORE PATCH

[Gus]

I inadvertently quit the nicotine patches before schedule y’all. In the middle of the night Monday I had some 24 hour stomach bug hit me. I absolutely thought of nothing but sleep and how miserable I was. Late Tuesday it dawned on me that I hadn’t put on a new patch, so I figured that if I had gone 10 hours without one—I was done. I have a touch of anxiety knowing it’s not there. My body and mind knows it’s not there. I’ve purposely reached for cigarettes that are not there once already today. I’m going to need to stay busy, busy today and the next few days, but I’m anxious because my energy levels are non-existent after having been so ill. But I will survive. I have to. 

[Robbie]

That sounds really tough Gus. Not sure if getting physically sick makes quitting easier or harder, when I had a bad head cold recently I wanted to smoke because I felt so depressed and miserable. Hope you get through alright; it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some other form of nicotine replacement in case it gets too hard, maybe? As I posted earlier, I find the nicotine spray very helpful, but then that is addictive too damn it! Been watching the eclipse of the moon, amazing! Hope you get some support here, for me it's sleep time. All the best...hang in there.

[Gus]

Thank you @Robbie!

I have a few of the patches left, in case that happens. But I’m going to have to go through it now or later, so I may as well get it out of the way.

Edited May 26, 2021 by Gus
Added info

[Dianne]

I honestly would of done it that way too. Might as well take advantage of the bonus hours. Hope you feel better from the stomach bug and any anxiety that may come. You have said it yourself. Stay busy and stay close to here. I believe you got this and can do this! Fighting for our freedom feels good! 

[Ascension3030]

Woah, thats very brave of you Gus!  I found that patches help you unlearn the habits that we normally associate with smoking ie having morning coffee with a cig, smoking after eating etc.  I think it may be a little uncomfortable for you for the next 2 or 3 days, if you respond the same way i did in the past.  Youre right, knowing that you have patches set aside, definitely gives one comfort that in case it gets a bit too dificult, you can always slap one on etc.  Best of luck bud, Ill be cheering for you.  I know that feeling of being nicotine free and not relying on patches, is incredibly freeing.

[Gus]

Thanks @Dianne! I believe that I can do this! I know that y’all have my back, I need only ask! STAY BUSY. STAY CLOSE. 

Thanks @Ascension3030! I absolutely know that it’s going to be a rough few days. I’ve already gone through it on my initial quit and when I stepped down from the 14mg patch to the 7mg. But yeah, this is with NO nicotine in my system at all.  It’s frightening. Anxiety and depression sucks. But I think that one of my end goals of having quit smoking is to deal with my bouts of anxiety and depression head on. I was still hiding behind the nicotine before, so the issues were never fully dealt with and the grip they have on my mind never lessened. I hope to change that. I have not allowed myself to replace smoking with another addiction because I eventually want to deal with and get rid of the mental baggage I’ve been dragging around my whole life. Oh and I don’t know if you realize that I’m a ‘girl Gus’. HaHa My dad had some fascination with Caesars in general and decided to give me the middle name Augustus. The feminine Gussie never stuck, so I’m Gus.

[Ascension3030]

46 minutes ago, Gus said:

Thanks @Dianne! I believe that I can do this! I know that y’all have my back, I need only ask! STAY BUSY. STAY CLOSE. 

Thanks @Ascension3030! I absolutely know that it’s going to be a rough few days. I’ve already gone through it on my initial quit and when I stepped down from the 14mg patch to the 7mg. But yeah, this is with NO nicotine in my system at all.  It’s frightening. Anxiety and depression sucks. But I think that one of my end goals of having quit smoking is to deal with my bouts of anxiety and depression head on. I was still hiding behind the nicotine before, so the issues were never fully dealt with and the grip they have on my mind never lessened. I hope to change that. I have not allowed myself to replace smoking with another addiction because I eventually want to deal with and get rid of the mental baggage I’ve been dragging around my whole life. Oh and I don’t know if you realize that I’m a ‘girl Gus’. HaHa My dad had some fascination with Caesars in general and decided to give me the middle name Augustus. The feminine Gussie never stuck, so I’m Gus.

Yes, anxiety and depression are definitely a drag. Not sure if true, but they say smokers tend to deal with them more often than the rest of the population. Cause and effect isnt clear, and i sometimes wonder about it - certainly no expert on the subject... my old doctor told me that CBT therapy can be very helpful dealing with those.

 

I do remember after my last quit, the feeling of pride and freedom, for the fieat time in decades.  To be completely free of any substance.  

 

Didnt realise you were a woman, one of my best firends goes by nickname of Gus, obviously a guy.  Can i still call you bud?

 

 

[Gus]

Sure you can call me bud, Gene!  Also, I am counting on a lot of my anxiety lifting once I get the rest of this nicotine out of my system. Next Tuesday, I think that I will call myself nicotine free and celebrate HUGELY!!! I’m really excited about it too! I don’t know much about CBT. I’m not really that big into the psych stuff. I know quite a few that got help from it, but most of those are on some type of treatment medication now. And I do not want that. I smoked like a freight train and yet I’ve always been leery about what kind of medications I take!!! BaHaHaHa I just realized how much of a hypocrite I am.

[AceWhite]

Great time to kick the nic completely!!

You have support here as you know.

[jillar]

That's great news @Gus, most of the others who've used the patches quit using them for the same reason. They forgot to put one on 

You so got this!

[Doreensfree]

Thanks @Dianne! I believe that I can do this! I know that y’all have my back, I need only ask! STAY BUSY. STAY CLOSE. 

 

The Quit Train Peeps KNOW you can do this ....keep your eye on the prize ....

Chew Gum if you need a helping hand now and again ....

Next stop...Freedom

[Mee]

5 hours ago, Gus said:

But I’m going to have to go through it now or later,

You are right Gus.  Eventually you will have to go without the patch, so now you are completely taking the reins and steering this journey to the end.   You are in control the whole way and you definitely have the strength to do it.  You go girl. 

[Gus]

Thank you @Mee! I can do this. I’m a little anxious, but nothing too bad yet. Staying busy and staying close. 

[Boo]

Congratulations on being nicotine free Gus.

 

Hope you're feeling better now.

[johnny5]

You are doing great, Gus!

[Gus]

Feeling anxious and down today. I will be glad when the withdrawals from the 7mg patch are done. Pretty intense, but not as bad as the initial quit nor stepping down from the 14mg to 7mg patches. I forgot to weaken my coffee, so I am definitely feeling anxious. I am going to get out of the house for awhile and just hope I don’t end up walking around in public with tears streaming down my face. But this too shall pass. I will persevere. I will not go through this ever again. 

[Dianne]

Never again hold onto that Gus! You got this. 

[jillar]

@Gus Hopefully you're feeling better by now but if not here's a hug for you....

 

 

[Linda]

Hope your feeling better Gus, you've got this you are doing great!!!

[Gus]

Thanks everyone! I feel somewhat better. I’m assuming  I have at least another day of this being short tempered and sad. I’m tired. 

[Robbie]

Gosh your experience really highlights just what a horrible drug nicotine is Gus. I found that each time I stopped I struggled badly with withdrawal symptoms for about three days while the nicotine was leaving the body, but then I wept a lot for two or three weeks as well. Don't forget the old trick of drinking lots of water to help flush it out of the system. I think this probably helps. It is enough to make you never want to go through this again, and I don't want to either! Hopefully these posts will be something to look back on when we think we are 'safe' and may be tempted to have 'just have one cigarette'. We are in quite extreme lockdown here which is making me weep a bit, it's harder to keep busy and lonely especially in the evenings. Also too much time to think and not enough distractions! We will have to encourage each other to keep on the quit trip through these tough times.

[Gus]

Thank you @Robbie! I am so sick and tired of crying about nothing and over everything. I don’t know which is worse the 3 days of withdrawal I have or all the stupid crying afterwards. I have enough of a problem trying to convince people I’m not mental on a good day. HaHa It’s crazy that are quits are so similar in that way. Anyhow, I can promise you that I will not go through this again. NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. I do hope that you are surviving the new lockdown or at least doing it in style. Party lights in the windows, a slammin’ Covid playlist, and I could come up with all kinds of crazy for you to do all week long. LOL Seriously though my thoughts are with you. So...if I were to be put in lockdown for a week I think that it would be because when I was 16 I egged an old lady’s house. I couldn’t stand her. But I’ve already done penance for that because when I was a nurses assistant at the age of 19...guess who was placed in the assisted living facility I was employed at. Guess whose behind I now had to wash. Never think that God doesn’t see. Because He sees. He sees it all. I know. And now I will try to remember other I’ll deeds I’ve done that maybe would get me locked up or down for a week at the time. Oh and please feel free to jump in with your own confession at anytime. But you don’t have to. 

[jillar]

34 minutes ago, Gus said:

. Oh and please feel free to jump in with your own confession at anytime. But you don’t have to. 

 

We have a confessions topic lol

 

https://www.quittrain.com/topic/9863-confessions/

 

[Gus]

I know @jillar  I was just trying to cheer Robbie up a bit is all. I didn’t want to bury that attempt on a separate thread that she may never see. LOL

[jillar]

I get it @Gus I was trying to too, that confession topic is hilarious.