So I had good ideas and useful background and waded into this like I had it wired. Many kind people let me be myself and gave me encouragement. Something that I really needed and still do. I was on week two and making good progress. I checked on some of the kind people who offer support and there was a tag for a book about the easy quit. I read and skimmed my way through most of the book and agreed with the guy almost 100% which I never do. He is right, the physical withdrawal from nicotine is benign and essentially NOT THE PROBLEM. The problem is the brainwashing and mental and emotional garbage rolling around in my head and the resultant stupid decisions. Anyhow, two days ago at about 10:30PM I had my last smoke. I gave away the rest of my squares, lighters and threw away all the ashtrays. He was also right about needing the resolve and being in the frame of mind to take charge. When I finished the book I was sufficiently pissed off at the tobacco companies, doctors who want to transfer the addiction elsewhere, inhaler shops who don't know how dangerous that crap is yet and couldn't care less, and a bunch of other people too. Not sure who they were but I was fired up. Anyhow, the waiting for a smoke. changing my fun time and limiting what and when I could do things I liked were just too much punishment and none of us deserve to put ourselves through all these hoops. As addictive as nicotine is, its not an uncomfortable withdrawal. The extra oxygen is a fun high for real and legal so that is actually pretty fun. I use the extra energy to review how P.O.ed I am about the whole smoking thing. Its a joke and if we weren't brainwashed into believing that quitting is SO Hard, There would be more success. Read Allen Carr's Easy Way to stop smoking. If it doesn't fire you up, then you are just a much nicer person than me. Actually, you probably are a nicer person than me.
I read the book twice. The first time, I was about 3 weeks into me quit too, and it fired me up. I filled off my patch and went cold turkey from there. That quit lasted a year, then I landed in the mental hospital for suicidal ideation. They let patients smoke there and it was something to do. I've been smoking for a year, until this quit.
I reread the book hoping for the same fire, but i never got it.
So I'm using the patch again. I keep relapsing ( not anymore this is it).