How to Quit Smoking, Why People Smoke, and Problems with using the NicoDerm CQ Patch
Posted: Saturday, October 29, 2011
by Steven Rogers
I started smoking sometime between the ages of 12 and 13 I started because I was not supposed to and I wanted to rebel against what I was "supposed" to do. I thought rebels were cool. I had yet to figure out that there are a lot of ways to be rebellious without being stupid. Not that smokers are stupid but as a kid I was. I used cigarettes for many things that I did not realize until I quit. The biggest one was as a reward. I would take a smoke break at work after a busy part of the day and think '"enjoy your break( cigarette). You deserve it" Eventually, I realized it was not to reward myself, it was to prepare myself for the next rush or the next time period when I was not allowed to smoke. The other main reason I smoked was to take a break. A break from work, from people, from problems, from life. I could use a smoke break to excuse myself from whatever I was doing without feeling like I was running away.
Day one- Group and receive two weeks of 21 mg patches (This supplies about a packs worth of nicotine a day to allow you time to break the mental addiction)
Day 14- Group and receive two weeks of 14 mg patches ( This starts the process of weaning you off the physical addition)
Day 28- Group and receive two weeks of seven mg patches ( This is the weakest patch and your last step to victory over cigarettes)
The first part, I feel is the hardest. This is where you have to really show what you are made of. You have spent years or even decades forming your smoking habits. You have developed not just a habit but a relationship with your cigarettes. It's true! think about it. When you were having a bad day, who did you turn to, even before your friends or family? Cigarettes! When you were excited let's say... after sex, who did you brag to? Cigarettes! When you were upset and wanted no one else around, who did you take with you? Cigarettes. These are the habits you have to kick first. This first patch allows you to do this. It gives you the chance to say, 'I don't need to light up' because you know in your mind that everything you want out of that cigarette is now stuck to your arm. When you come across some of the situations like a listed above, you are going to want a cigarette. Sometimes so bad you will not be able to think of anything else. You may even slip up and succumb to the temptation. I did. One night at Wal-mart, I got into the slowest line ever. Then to make matters worse, the lady in front of us wanted to use a coupon for all 200 items in her cart. ERRRR! Finally we payed and got out of the store and when we arrived at the car, I had left the lights on and killed the battery!!!! I was as angry as I've been in a long time. Not because the situation was that bad, but because I had not had a cigarette all day. Quitting will get to you like that. You just have to battle through it. Your best bet is to not have them around. I do not even carry a lighter in the car now so that when the situation arises I wont be able to give in at a whim. You must find a way to reward yourself and calm yourself to take away these times that you want to smoke. I carry candy everywhere now. When the craving comes I pop in a piece. At work, when I would normally go outside, I have a special candy to reward myself for making it. These little tricks are what will get you through. As the days progress, I notice it becomes easier. After having talked to one former smoker that has been quit for the last 15 years, I must share his final words to me. He said, " Remember you are addicted to cigarettes just like an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. And just like an alcoholic can never drink again because that first drink will erase all of the effort to quit you can never smoke again because as soon as you do you will be just as addicted as you ever were." After 15 years, he still longs for a cigarette and although he says it has gotten easier and less painful not to smoke he knows he is only a cigarette away from smoking again.
The final thing before I close is to tell you about some of the side affects I have noticed on the patch. The most prominent being the muscle on with it is placed gets sore and feels as if I have been to the gym. It is uncomfortable but by no means painful. Also, you can expect weird dreams and restless nights. I have had several nightmares and more often dreams about smoking. The dreams are weird because the seem more "real" then before. I have no explanation for that. I just know that many I have spoken with have experienced this phenomenon.I have heard several others such as funny tastes and rashes but have no personal symptoms like this, so do some research before starting yourself. It is a difficult journey but, as with all difficult tasks it comes with a great reward. Good luck and wish me the same as I continue in my new smoke free life.
Steven is a self proclaimed right wing Christian extremist. He is a former Marine and currently work in the laboratory of a cancer research and treatment facility. He is the father of three and is referred to as genius by his wife (mostly as a sarcastic term of endearment!)
This Article has been viewed 516 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Good use of your time. Boy, do people need this kind of instruction. Excellent writing and thoughtful concern.
I smoked for about 30 years, starting at about the age you did for pretty much the same reasons. At about 20, I became a stone cold smoking addict. I tried numerous times to quit and I could not even last one day. About 10 years ago, I made my mind up to quit. I went and got hypnotized (group thing) and I have been smoke free ever since and will never smoke again. People tell me it wasn't really the hypnotism that did it for me that it was that I finally just made my mind up--I don't know, or care--just feel fortunate not to be smoking anymore. Great article!
These are things I never even thought about. I have smoker friends and try to encourage them to stop smoking. When my parents were in and out of hospitals, I was always appalled that nurses and health care professionals were puffing away just outside the doors. Still, I understand the smoking addiction -- cigarette companies lied to consumers. Your style of writing is excellent, compelling, made me keep reading. And your subject is VERY interesting. Keep writing!
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.