smoking problem?

Question

I am wearing a nicotine patch and normal smoke 12 cigaretes a day but with patch still have a few puffs 1 smoke a day.

they say only use patch for 6 to 8 weeks.

why can,t I continue to have a few drags a day and always wear a patch for years.
as I am sure this method is better for your health than smoking.
I f some one cannot quit after 30 years what is your advise.

Answer 1

Its not just the nicotine. Its also the other 50+ chemicals they out in cigarettes. Also the main problem is habit.
We have been used to having body sensations which we translate as 'my body needs something, which we have attempted to satisfy by having a cigarette.
When we try to stop smoking, we still get these 'my body needs something' sensations, and we still feel that we want a cigarette. We have to train our body to be more selective. When we feel we need something, we have to work out what it is that we actually need.
A glass of water is an excellent substitute if nothing else comes to mind, as it helps with the clearance of the toxic substances in our body. Another good substitute is a bag of salted peanuts, used in combination with the water.
Another thing to do is to find an activity which occupies the mind or body. Go swimming - nobody wants to smoke while they are swimming. Slowly, as our body adjusts and translates the 'want something' feelings into something other than cigarettes, then the feelings begin to go away. We know its not a cigarette that the body really needs, because as soon as we've had one we still have the feeling, and want another!

Answer 2

I too am in the same boat though without the patch - it's been 30+ years since I initially started and I didn't seriously think about quitting until 15 years ago.

I've greatly reduced the amount -some days it's just a couple of puffs here & there and others maybe 1-4 cigarettes in total-usually the only time I have a full one is when I'm in the midst of a crisis / stressful time. I've been so in the closet with it that it's always amazing to some people who have known me for years to discover that I smoke.

I have tried all the suggestions that I've heard, read etc. over the years except for the patch - knowing that I'd probably forget I was wearing it & light up stopped me - thought I'd just get more nicotine in my body.

The last time I quit was for about 4 weeks however for my personal 'peace of mind' I started again - it was driving me crazy - all I ever ended up thinking about was cigarettes-all the time! I never thought about them when I was smoking - now my whole life was being centred around avoiding them - it was taking over everything - devouring my ability to think about anything else - I was getting less work done - more irritable - losing weight (quitting always had the reverse effect on me) etc. This was no way to live. Sure we all want to be healthy and we try our best but if we go mad in the process is it worth it?

I know some will say I don't have enough 'whatever' it takes and I'm rationalizing it all away however they don't have to pay my bills, deal with my crisis, etc. We all have something in our lives that help us through whether it be a quick martini, a run in the park, a chocolate cake, yoga, mediatation or a cigarette.

By this time in my life I'm well aware of the risks and I'm not in people's faces with it - just the opposite - it has become a very private thing. I also remember an honest doctor telling me 15 years ago just after my mom died that there is obviously something in cigarettes that has a soothing effect otherwise we wouldn't be hooked and I wouldn't be nagged about it - I wasn't and on my own have adjusted to my livable level which in the scheme of things really isn't much - probably breathing in more pollution from being stuck in traffic with car fumes, etc.

I'm sure 90%+ will think this is the worst answer however it's the most truthful.

Respectfully - if you've never smoked you really don't know what this is about which is great - something less to worry about in your life.

Answer 3

6 to 8 weeks on your skin or years on your skin. I would think they limit the time because of all the other chemicals on that patch besides the nicotine. Glue, thickeners, time releasers, petrochemicals, emoliants, all sorts of nasty things would continue to soak into your body for extended periods of time, probably causing other problems worse than the original 12-a-day habit. Think about your prostate (if you're a guy).

Answer 4

why dont you quit wearing the patch and still only smoke 1 or 2 a day...its more of a habbit than an addiction if you learn to control it

Answer 5

Quit Smoking Cigarette With QuitSmokingMagic - http://Go.QuitSmokingMagics.com

Answer 6

hire a really big guy to follow you around and just "kick the living S.H.I.T" out of you everytime you smoke.

i bet you could quit then.