I fight cravings in certain ways that suit me, one of those ways is to come on here or look for hints and tips or go on other sites.
one said site is obviously a firm believer that CT is the only true way to beat our Nicotine addiction and any NRT is not a real quit and still having a negative effect on our mind and bodies.
So - 40 days in and I ask myself have I quit or have I found a new way
( patches in the day, E-cig in the evenings ) to feed my addiction, am I still damaging my lungs, arteries, brain etc,
Or is this my evil addiction trying to coax me back to my 30 a day habit
Answers on a postcard :)))
Written by
runmeg
3 Years Smoke Free
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hi i was smoking 40 a day. i gave up six months ago its hard work but well rewarding no smokey smell in my home more money in my pocket.think positive we all would love a cig but just say no.yout health is your wealth.
i also chewed nicotine gum it realy helped me after 2 wks i stopped the gum and all craving was gone except the odd time the cig calls out to u just tell it go away
Oooooh I like that post runmeg! Food for thought. My thought process is a little compromised at the minute though (it is Saturday night) so I'll think about that one and join the debate tomorrow.
The nicotine in cigarettes is much stronger than patches or the ecig.
Think about it. When you drop down to lower doses in a patch or ecig you don't get all the anxiety of withdrawal that you get going CT. it's a gradual reduction where you are in control.
It's the nicotine in cigarettes that keeps you wanting more and more but it's the 4000+ chemicals that do the damage, and that's the ones they recognise. There are 3000 more that they haven't recognised.
So don't beat yourself up or listen to anyone else judging you. This is your quit and you need to do whatever it takes to stop the disgusting habit.
I'm doing the patch and the ecig gradually reducing both. It's working for me.
Research shows that those that use a form of NRT to help their quit are more likely to stay stopped.
Be proud of yourself, you are doing really well at 40 days 😀😀😀😀😀
I think its up to me how i quit smoking and my breathing has improved no end!using patchs is not as harmful as breathing in say 40 cigs a day also my plan is to reduce the strenghth of patchs over time so i wean my self of nicotine.everyone is differant so some ways work for one might not work for another person.im not worried about nicotine at the minute im more worried about the smoke and the effects that does to my body.cold turkey is good but so is any method that stops us smoking.
Runmeg....Yes the nicotine is still in your system and damaging the arteries in a certain way but you do not take in all that other chemicals found in a cigarette...I am sure you do not smell like a tobacco barn.....And do not need to stand in a cold corner to have a quick cigarette....Surely in time the patch will go away and the E cig battery flat...
From my personal view, swapping one addiction for another wasn't an option. I've tried with patches, gum, champix etc, the only quit that stuck was CT.
If you can use NRT or ecig and then come off that too then that's brill but, if you just swap one for the other, what was the point?.
This is my view for me, it doesn't work for everyone and whatever you do to stay quit is right for you.
Even though you're still feeding your addiction in a way, in my opinion, you're doing far less damage now on the health front.
You'll just gradually wean off nicotine when you're ready. Is it better to quit cold turkey, especially for your physical health? Of course it is. But for some, it's easier to get there gradually by using some sort of NRT first. Whatever gets you to stop smoking cigarretes is good, imo.
If I was to quit again, I'd probably go with e-cig first few months. For reference, I quit cold turkey almost 22 months ago. Stay strong!
Hey Runmeg, this is an ongoing debate that I have listened to, read and participated in. Everyone's quit is unique to themselves and do whatever way they can not to smoke that cigarette.
I quit cold turkey as I was desperate to fully get rid of the nicodemon immediately as was so scared what it is was doing to my health. In my opinion NRT really delays the inevitable of the withdrawals from nicotine and just continues the habit.
I would suggest starting to reduce down to zero in the nicotine as soon as you can, it is a great sign Runmeg that you are asking the question and think you are ready sooner than you think for this
(Above is only my opinion, don't think there is any right or wrong answer I'm afraid!)
I am going to reduce the intake gradually, I'm over the moon to have achieved over 40 days even with patches and the e.cig
hats off to the CT quitters you are amazing, I know I couldn't do it and need to wean off nicotine gradually
I can breathe easier and feel blinking fantastic with my quit, doing it my way
RoisinO1Administrator3 Years Smoke Free in reply to runmeg
Thanks Runmeg, I really can't believe I done it cold turkey, 11 years ago, I read Allen Carr's book over a period of a month or two, quit for around a year (back then, didn't really keep count), went back on them when out and then boredom and when my now hubby was on night shift work....
My success this time, I think, was not surrounded by any smokers for the first month, hubby had gave them up a year and a half prior to me quitting, so had his full support and that seriously scary feeling not getting my breath in the middle of the night from coughing...
You will get there Runmeg and well on the road to it....
I have the utmost respect for people who quit by cold turkey but I couldn't do it. I think the people on the other site should realise that they're potentially turning people back on to cigarettes by belittling their quitting method.
I've noticed that smokers tend to despise e-cigs as well. I was getting abuse from a woman last week who was telling me I was still an addict while she was puffing away on her tab. I was standing there minding my own business! I think complete strangers just like to give me abuse!!
Anyway, the question is - would you have made it to 40 days without your NRT? If it gets you off cigarettes it's good enough in my opinion. Everybody has a method that suits them best.
Well done on reaching 40 days, it's a great achievement. I'm on 70...something...days now and I'm down to half the nicotine level I used when I started (as of yesterday). The plan is to get it down to zero over the next few months.
I think it's your duty to hang around that other site and irritate them by never smoking again.
The nictotine addiction itself is actually quite easy to get past. 3 days and the cravings are gone. The mental addiction on the other hand is the hard bit. If you use NRT to get you through the mental withdrawal, however long that maybe, then that has to be a good thing. Getting off the nictotine is the easy bit and can be done later.
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