Introduction Quit date 08/28/02
Hi,
I have been lurking here for four or five days, also have been
reading at www.cognitivequitting.com, I studied RET briefly about
fourteen years ago.
A little about me..I am 47 years old, live in the midwest, have a
husband (ex-smoker, quit 4 years ago) and a soon to be twenty one
year old son (smoker).
I have smoked for 31 years. I was diagnosed with COPD 2/00, I didnt
believe that I had it, was in denial. Afterall, I was still able to
mow the yard, walk aerobically, do pretty much what ever I wanted to
do. I would have at least two bouts of bronchitis or sinus
infections that would lead to bronchitis each year. I am currently
recovering from a sinus infection and bronchitis. During this time I
was sick, I have decided to quit smoking again. I have tried three
times, each time making it to the seventh or eighth week and then I
would succumb to a cigarette. I always felt as if I was being
punished, I was angry (took it out on my husband and son), I had lost
my best friend, gained weight and was depressed, to name a few
symptoms. Now that I am starting to feel better, I am starting to
question my quit date.
I have used the patch each time I have quit. They literally leave my
skin raw, welts and intense itching. I have also used a combination
of nasal spray and patch. I have taken Zyban before, and am
currently taking it. I have seriously considered cold turkey. I
know that which ever way I quit, the withdrawal symptoms are going to
be there. If you use NRT arent you just prolonging the nicotine
addiction?
What else do I need to do to prepare for quitting?
This is a wonderful site, I am impressed with the compassion and
support that is shown here.
Look forward to being a regular,
Julie
October 28th, 2004 at 8:52 pm
Hi Julie,
I’m glad you’ve joined us. If you’ve some experience with RET then
you’ve got a head start in quitting using some rational methods. Have you
begun the lists? Reasons to smoke etc? They can seem a daunting task at
first, but once you start they become fairly simple and straightforward.
Also, those lists make preparing ABCs a much easier task.
As for your questions regarding NRT, my view is that it can help ease
the withdrawal symptoms in one key way. It can help reduce the degree of
brain fog, an important consideration if you don’t have the luxury of being
brain dead for a couple of weeks. Work obligations might be a reason to
avoid intense brain fog. Past that, it’s pretty much a matter of an
individual’s discomfort threashold and desire to be past the initial
nicotine detox. Regardless of whether or not we use NRT, there is a
recovery period that is a longer term affair. This is the sleep disruption,
abdominal/lower intestinal, return of concentration, sore mouth, lung
clearing, emotional, etc etc pat of the quit. To be honest, it usually
takes a few months to get through most of it. The up side is that the worst
is right in the beginning and quickly starts to get better.
Hope to hear more from you,
Steve