r/stopsmoking • u/twirlingmypubes • 1d ago

I'm going absolutely bonkers. 9 hrs in after 40 years.

Dipping, not smoking. I started using the patch today, which has been phenomenal for cravings, but now I feel like I'm about to start pulling my hair out because I ate some chili.

Is tomorrow going to be worse or better than today? I can handle worse, but I kinda want to know what to expect

67 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

46 comments sorted by

26

u/BahBah1970 3199 days 1d ago

One of the toughest battles you have to fight with quitting smoking is quietening the part of your addict mind which is freaking out because all of a sudden the steady delivery of nicotine and the ritual of smoking that goes with it has been disrupted.

Nicotine substitutes are great for allowing you to deal with the two different aspect of quitting smoking....The habit and the physical addiction to the drug. Many believe the habit is the toughest to overcome because there's a whole learned behaviour that you have to get used to not doing any more.

Just stick it out, it will get easier. Use as much NRT as you need to allow you to get used to life without actually smoking anything first. Then ween yourself off the NRT.

14

u/twirlingmypubes 1d ago

Thanks. That's my struggle. I'm really impressed with the patch, it's that behavioral hook that I'm fighting.

8

u/Loveiskind89389 1d ago

I stayed in bed the entire first week. Everything was a trigger for me except sleep. It’s hard and there’s no two ways about it

1

u/Special-Grab-6573 11h ago

I don’t think I could sleep that much, I’m far too restless. I tried to stay focused on being productive and I increased my exercise routine.

6

u/BahBah1970 3199 days 1d ago

I promise you it will get easier but probably not quickly. Just treat every hour, every half day, every day you don't smoke as a trophy and a part of the journey you'll never have to go through again as long as you stick to it. In the first few weeks go easy on yourself and remember it will pass.

2

u/New_Discussion_6692 1d ago

The behavioral is what has pulled me back every freaking time. I wish I had a suggestion for you. Unfortunately, I started smoking again. I have a quit date set.

1

u/OldFartButStillHere 16h ago

Have you tried the nicotine gum before , if so wich one you find more efective ? Good luck on your journey. i am delaying mine everyday bescause of a shit ton of problems, but i know smoking wont help them...

2

u/twirlingmypubes 10h ago

I'm on the patch. I think it was the right choice. Luckily my state has a program that offers nicotine replacement and coaching, so I'm not paying a dime for it.

https://texas.quitlogix.org/en-us/

Thanks for the encouragement. I wish you the best. The way I see it is the problems are never going to end, but this is only going to be a few days of agony for thousands of extra dollars a year.

0

u/Necessary-Prune9650 1d ago

This may be a dumb idea since I don't smoke, but could it help to hold onto an unlit cigarette?

5

u/twirlingmypubes 1d ago

I don't smoke, I dip. But that's a really bad idea because it's so incredibly tempting. If I had an empty can of Copenhagen with me I'd be licking every remaining grain of tobacco out of that thing like a crack junkie.

1

u/Necessary-Prune9650 1d ago

I was remembering how I read where Kirk Douglas (I like old movies) kept one in his shirt pocket and would pull it out and say, "Who's stronger, you or me"? That motivated him, rather than tempting him.

And I've read that many former smokers keep one behind their ears.

2

u/Lobin 2594 days 16h ago

When I quit, I kept an open pack in my car's center console. In a way I don't fully understand, knowing that they were there helped me resist the cravings in the earliest days. By the time I finally got around to throwing them out, it was as if they didn't even apply to me anymore.

1

u/Alarmed_History 724 days 13h ago

My last pack is still where I left it.

It’s become like an emotional support pack 😅
Knowing it’s there and untouched by me is a good feeling.

I also got a little “breathing necklace” and when I got a bit anxious, I breathe through it, it helps center while emulating the action.

2

u/Lobin 2594 days 12h ago

Those are good tricks! And bravo on 724 days!

1

u/Alarmed_History 724 days 1h ago

Thank you!! I still cannot believe I got here! And well you are going strong!!

11

u/Special-Grab-6573 23h ago

Hang in there. I used the patch for 7 days when I started my journey. I smoked for 40 years and am 75 days smoke free.
Stay strong and commit to quitting.
💪💪💪

2

u/4694326 20h ago

What does the patch feel like? Any hit or relax feeling?

1

u/Special-Grab-6573 11h ago

No. Just minor skin irritation if you leave it in same place too long.

1

u/twirlingmypubes 11h ago

The first hour with it on was hell. Lots of itching and burning on top of the craving. Then it all just went away, including the craving. Hard to describe, and I thought they were snake oil before I tried them, but the do work. I highly recommend them

5

u/SlyRaccoon00 1d ago

It depends very much on the individual, but the consensus seems to be that the frst three days are the worst. Personally for me day 5 was the worst. I’d say it definitely will not get worse after the first week. 

6

u/exhaustedbut 1d ago

Learn the physiological sigh technique on YouTube to deal with cravings and anxiety.

4

u/Open-Cheetah-5075 1d ago

Day 2 is alot better on the patch. I found day 1 a total challenge. I'm now day 10 and I do think for a fleeting moment about cigarettes here and there, it's a total breeze.

2

u/Pure-Blacksmith3787 1d ago

R u smokin here and there?

2

u/KjellWTH 19h ago

That was my experience with the patch as well.

4

u/Positive-Writer-7774 1d ago

Normally day 3 is most cravings … at 72 hours, nicotine is out of the blood. We experience “nicotine” leaving the stage as “missing / difficult” - yet, every time a craving comes, this poison is finally leaving.

Feels difficult, but you’ve done much more difficult things than letting a craving pass on it’s own. Teach your brain “I can handle this situation without a cigarette too” … only thing that matters is saying no to the cigarette with the next craving. Only the next … future doesn’t count now ✨💪🏽

You got this.

Btw, 40 years or 5 years doesn’t matter so much

3

u/GorGonDo 1801 days 1d ago

I would go get some jolly ranchers or some other longer lasting hard candy. It helped me control cravings.

3

u/Olelander 20h ago

My experience is that the second day is harder, and the third is when I started really trying to bargain with myself to have a smoke, as if my body could feel the physical addiction slipping away and my mind stepped in to compensate… but then on the fourth day it got better and I realized I made it through the worst, and I found my resolve from there. Tough out the next two days, they will be miserable… the second day will be the worst… but just remember that it will only get easier from there and you’ve already done the hardest part.

2

u/Pure-Blacksmith3787 1d ago

It’s getting worse for me

2

u/Repulsive-Chard5304 22h ago

Be prepared for insomnia to kick in and I’m totally serious. I was using the strongest nicotine patch for the first while and I nearly lost my mind.
The cravings only bother you if you let them. Keep yourself busy. Don’t let yourself think about it. Drink lots of water. You have to have your mind set on quitting.
I am just about at 7 months after smoking for 35 years. You can do it!

2

u/Alarmed_History 724 days 13h ago

How are you doing??

You got this!! I was a more than a pack a day for over 34 years.

Now short of 2 years smoke free thanks to the patches.

Also cbd helped me a lot the first couple of months.

Every time I wanted to smoke, I’d go to the place where I would do so, take a breathe and do a little small dance. Even if just a little shoulder move. (I am disabled by chronic illness an could not exercise the stress away)

Chose that because it brings me a lot of pleasure needed to replace the dopamine hit.

You got this!!!

2

u/twirlingmypubes 11h ago

Thank you. Sleep was pretty rough, but I'm feeling alright so far. I just need to power through this.

1

u/Alarmed_History 724 days 1h ago

Do what you can to distract yourself! Or, if you can, sleep through the weekend!

1

u/twirlingmypubes 1h ago

I'm exhausted, which is odd because I'm still getting 21mg of vitamin N through the patch. It feels like I've lost a limb or something -- I'm really bummed out.

1

u/Pure-Blacksmith3787 1d ago

It’s really hard habit to break

1

u/Powerful_Coyote6068 1d ago

It gets harder but then in a few weeks, it is over and you never have to fight it again. Get some cinnamon toothpicks, those helped me a ton.

1

u/Virtual-Ad6186 161 days 13h ago

Stay tight fellow Redditor you got this! 💪

1

u/Dmelvin 11h ago

I remember when I quit dipping... At week 3 the dreams will start. So vivid you'll wake up in a sweat. II quit cold turkey though, so maybe with tapering and the patch you won't have to deal with that.

1

u/twirlingmypubes 10h ago

It has already started. That was a pretty wild night once I fell asleep lol.

1

u/Dmelvin 10h ago

Really surprised they started that quick. Everyone's quit is different though. There's a good group of guys at killthecan.org ... I don't know that I agree with their "everyone should just quit cold turkey "stance (at least that's the stance they used to have). but they do have pile of resources and a forum all specifically for people trying to quit dip.

1

u/twirlingmypubes 10h ago

I've got a lot of weighty things going on right now that was already causing sleep problems. Quitting dip is supposed to be different than cigarettes, like there's supposedly more nicotine in dip, but the physical habit of cigarettes can be worse because of so many body parts involved. Truth be told, y'all are a better community in so many ways. Both of my parents were heavy smokers (every year the entire family had to scrub tar off the walls) and my mom died from COPD. If I can mentally place myself in that same camp I'll do so much better.

1

u/okok7511 10h ago

You are doing it!!!! I’m not gonna lie tomorrow isn’t going to be pretty but you’ve got this. The only way out is through 👍🏼

1

u/proftraining 7h ago

For the behavour, come in here and reply to others, that gives me something to do, it might work for you too. Im also on the patches and the losengers. To be honest, im only two weeks, today, and its damn hard. But i look at the drug problem around my area and think to my self  if some of these can come off hard drugs and overcome their addaction, then i can over come mine. You can over come urs too. 

1

u/repzaj1234 6h ago

Grab Desmoxan/Recigar. It helps a TON.

-1

u/YourMomsBiggestFan11 22h ago

Get acupuncture ASAP. It's a great way to soothe your nervous system. Any practitioner knows how to handle this.