11th day quitter- On patch questions.

[Sal]

Anyone out there also on the patch? I'm on step 1 and doing great but worried some when I go to step 2 and especially step 3. Is anyone been through this?

[Gus]

I have @Sal. Although I skipped step 1, I I did suffer when the amount of nicotine I was putting into my system was reduced. Also, when you finally end step 3 you are going to hit that same brick wall everyone that quits cold turkey hits and it’s going to be rough. The ONLY reason I used the patch was because I suffer from severe anxiety and knew that was the only way I would survive my quit. I do not take any medications for my anxiety, so I had nothing to tamper it down with during my quit. I would have quit cold turkey otherwise. I would not recommend the prolonging of nicotine withdrawal to anyone unless their circumstances were the same as mine. I hope this helped. Did you have a specific issue you are dealing with?

[KEL]

@SalI would go with @Gus on this. I did gum on a quit four years ago and it helped. Until it didn't. 

I guess the idea about it is to wean yourself off the nicotine. However, the more research I did on the effects of nicotine (versus other drugs like alcohol, cocaine, meth, etc), its pretty much out of your body in fairly short order. So using replacement therapy just keeps it there and, eventually, you will have to go through the withdrawal.

The challenge for most nicotine addicts is the emotional/psychological dependence on the ritual/chemical to soothe our souls. 

Most of us like @Gus suffer from severe anxiety/depression or other mental "illness." Its sorta seems to go hand-in-hand with the nicotine addiction. Like with recovery from any drug, lifestyle changes are essential and logical. We have more time and energy to get involved in healthy activities, especially exercise. 

If you feel good now and plan on stepping down, I would encourage getting some things in place in anticipation that it will become physically challenging in the withdrawal. 

Glad you are with us!

 

[Gus]

2 hours ago, KEL said:

You are 100%correct on this @KEL

[Sal]

Thank guys!! The last time I quit last year was with the patch and was quit free for 97 days. Hopefully now that my wife has quit too, I will do it for good this time around.

[Doreensfree]

4 hours ago, KEL said:

@SalI would go with @Gus on this. I did gum on a quit four years ago and it helped. Until it didn't. 

I guess the idea about it is to wean yourself off the nicotine. However, the more research I did on the effects of nicotine (versus other drugs like alcohol, cocaine, meth, etc), its pretty much out of your body in fairly short order. So using replacement therapy just keeps it there and, eventually, you will have to go through the withdrawal.

The challenge for most nicotine addicts is the emotional/psychological dependence on the ritual/chemical to soothe our souls. 

Most of us like @Gus suffer from severe anxiety/depression or other mental "illness." Its sorta seems to go hand-in-hand with the nicotine addiction. Like with recovery from any drug, lifestyle changes are essential and logical. We have more time and energy to get involved in healthy activities, especially exercise. 

If you feel good now and plan on stepping down, I would encourage getting some things in place in anticipation that it will become physically challenging in the withdrawal. 

Glad you are with us!

 

Great post Kel...

Your right ...there still will come that day when you stop the nicotine ...

The patches have worked for some ...in saying that ...you still have to fight that Nico Monster ....