The first cigarette I smoked was at age 10. I remember it like yesterday. The neighbor kid stole a pack of Belair menthols from his parents and we hid out in the woods and took our first puff. I got the spins really bad and got sick to my stomach but had heard that if you kept smoking those feelings would disappear. They were right,a pack later I was smoking without any adverse affects. I'm not really sure what made me want to try it because both my parents smoked and I hated the smell. quite a few of the kids I knew smoked so I just kept on going. About three years into smoking I decided I was going to quit. This was before patches and gum etc. Well guess what, I was hooked I just couldn't seem to make it through the day without a cigarette.
I've tried patches, gum, lozenges, Wellbutrin, Chantix and cold turkey. Heck I even tried cold showers. I've tried at least 10 times or more in my life to quit. I always made it past the supposed three day feelings start to diminish stage. Guess what the feelings were still there. Even after three months I felt like I just quit yesterday. It didn't matter that I knew how many cigarettes I didn't smoke or how much money I saved all I knew is that I had been brainwashed by nicotine. I bought "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking " book, which by the way is a very good book. But it hasn't worked. I'm at wits end. I have early stages of COPD now. I get a bad case of bronchitis that can last for months every time I catch a cold. and I'm not getting any younger.
IT'S TIME TO QUIT!!!! I'm wide open to suggestions, but know that this isn't the first time I've had to deal with this so the standard replies for how to make it through this addiction are things I'm already familiar with. My hopes are that there are some creative minded ex smokers that have a new or fresh idea to try. I still haven't tried hypnosis. Does this work for some? Is it worth spending the money on? I'm currently trying the Nicoderm patches again. I'm two days a non smoker and of course not feeling at all satisfied by the patch. No, I'm not closing myself off to any type of suggestions that are the standard just looking for new ones. Thanks for being here to talk and vent to.