1. You must want to quit.
That is the
most important part!
Just knowing that you should quit is not enough. Smoking is a two part problem. It is both a chemical addiction
and a psychological addiction. One complication of kicking the habit is that for some, the psychological part is stronger than the chemical one.
You'll have to work out some sort of "program" or "method" to deal with the psychological component yourself. What may help is to start noticing your "automatic" triggers. By that, I mean those times when you
always light up, such as finishing a meal, sitting down to watch TV, even when driving, you may notice that when you pass certain points, you always light one.
At these "trigger points," you will find you light a cigarette, even though you just finished one and don't really feel the need. Identify those points, realize you are lighting up just because you always do at that point, and decide NOT to. You'd be amazed at how much you can cut back, by asking yourself if you really feel the need, or if you are just reacting to a trigger. If you like something like those sugar-free, mint hard candies, start carrying some around with you. When you hit one of those trigger points, pop one of those in your mouth instead of a cigarette.
Now, the problem with many of the "chemical" helpers that are supposed to help with the chemical addiction is that they provide the same "pulse" to the system that a cigarette does.
Your body will have a certain amount of nicotine in it, all the time when you are a smoker. When this serum level drops below a certain point, you feel the "craving." All of the products that tell you to use them when you feel that craving are likely to fail to quit.
The transdermal patch that you wear should be a very good method of dealing with the chemical addiction, but
following the package instructions is one reason it often fails.
According to a doctor I worked with in the ER, the step-down process using the transdermal patch
can work, but not by using it as the package directs.
First off, realize that it can take about 4 hours for the nicotine to move from the patch and through the skin, to get into your system. So, you should NOT change locations every time you change the patch. Doing this defeats the purpose of keeping a constant serum level of nicotine in your system, in order to avoid the physical craving. Changing the location of the patch allows the serum level to drop, which causes the craving, and then provides the "pulse" of nicotine that your body is used to, when the new patch finally delivers the nicotine.
The
only reason to change the location of the patch is if the skin shows marked signs of irritation. Otherwise, use the same spot, every time.
Also, most transdermal products advise taking the patch off when you sleep. Again, this works
against the gradual, step-down method. That nicotine craving is often strongest when you wake up after a night's sleep. This is because your body has not been getting it's periodic "doses" all night long. That first cigg in the morning has a powerful effect as it provides the first "nicotine bolus" of the day, bringing your serum level back up to it's "normal level." ("Normal" for an addict, a "zero" level should be considered "normal.")
So, once again the package instructions work against the process! Leave the patch on, 24 hours a day. You may notice your dreams getting a little weird, well, weirder than normal. This won't last, just lay back and enjoy the show. You will adapt to the nicotine level not dropping over night and you'll avoid that "wake-up" craving that very often leads to failure to kick the habit.
The chemical addiction is
relatively easy to beat using the step-down process. What needs to be done is to establish a constant serum level, maintain it at that level for 2 weeks, then drop it by one third, and hold it there for two weeks. Your body will easily adjust to that one third reduction and accept it as the "new normal." At the end of that two week period, you will have adjusted to this new level and you can then cut it again.
This is why most transdermal products are packaged in three different dose levels of 21 milligrams, 14 milligrams, and 7 milligrams. When you have used the largest dose for two weeks, followed by the 14 milligram patch for two more weeks, your on the last leg of the journey. When you are on the 7 milligram patch, you may find yourself forgetting to change the patch. That is because the new "normal" serum level of nicotine is
very low.
So low in fact, that it will hardly be missed. But don't jump the gun. give that low-dose patch it's full, two weeks. After that, you will notice very little, if any, of the old physical cravings. Living without the daily infusions of nicotine will be very easy to do. In fact, you will have beaten the chemical addiction of smoking. If you can find a way to deal with the psychological addiction, such as noting and avoiding those "triggers," you'll be a non-smoker.
Two final notes, if you should "fall off the wagon" and light one up, do NOT interpret this a "failure." Recognize it for what it is! You just slipped off, jump right back up on that wagon and
keep going. Do NOT fall into the trap of thinking, "I blew it." and give up. That's just the physical addiction at work.
The other thing is that yes, I am saying that the directions that come with the transdermal patch will work
against you. I was lucky enough to be talking with a doctor who knew me well enough to risk advising to use the product contrary to the manufacturer's instructions. His method was based on a good, medical understanding of chemical addiction, and not powered by the usual fear of a lawyer's interference with things well outside their training.
The above method did work for
me. I went through the process for 6 weeks, carrying around a pocket full of Starlight peppermints. At the end of that time, I was no longer addicted. I was a non-smoker, with none of the residual cravings for two full years.
Sadly, after that period, other things in life, namely a deep, dark depression, made it all too easy for me to revert back to my "old habits." I suppose it had something to do with the notion that "smoking is the only socially acceptable form of suicide left." And that is flawed thinking at it's best! Even that method of killing one's self is no longer "socially acceptable."
The described process
does work! I was "clean & sober" for more than two years. The fact that I am once again smoking has nothing to do with the method. I simply came down with a sever case of the "stupids" and went back to my old habit as a matter of CHOICE. A bad one, but a personal choice, none the less.
Doctor Elvis has
left the building!
Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL