Day 16, fell onto a crutch last night

[nsd_user663_4835]

Hi All:

Just checking in...made it to day 16 with the help of you all. Yesterday was another tough one for me.

I can tell I am much more irritable than I was as a smoker, I feel tired a lot more often or when I'm not tired I'm anxious. Is this part of the process?

I chewed two pieces of nicorette last night....something I was really trying not to do, but gave in anyway. Still have not had a cigarette which I am thrilled about. I'm going to try to hold off on any further gum as I could tell right after the second piece I started getting hot and antcy for more nicotine.........what a horrible drug it is.

I had mentioned that I was waiting on some non-tobacco, non-nicotine cigarettes to come in the mail. They arrived about a week ago and I must say are helpful at times. They are made from the outer shell of the cocoa bean. They taste awful but did help during that second week. I'm trying to hold off on these now too as they make my throat feel terrible.

Keeping my nose to the grindstone...Johnny.

Thank you all for your experiences, it reminds me daily I AM NOT ALONE!!

[nsd_user663_3849]

Well done on getting to Day 16!

Although I think that any method to stop you smoking nicotine is a good way, I would question the use of non-nicotine ciggies.

A lot of the addiction to smoking is the habit our brain has formed. If you think how our brain works - eg you probably know what you had for lunch today but you wouldn't be able to tell me what you had 10 days ago. That's because your brain hasn't learnt that. If you reminded yourself every day what you had for lunch 10 days ago, you would be able to remember because your brain has learnt it and it would actually take some time for you to forget it.

The smoking habit is very similar - your brain expects a ciggie at certain times. The only way to stop that is to get out of the habit and allow your brain to forget you are a smoker.

This takes longer than your nicotine addiction but it CAN unlearn a habit - you have to give yourself time.

Good luck and keep off the ciggies