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What is the best use of an NRT?

JonesCarpeDiem
0 4 9

The nrt should be used to begin unlearning the hand to mouth and inhale motion (the "habit" part of Smoking) by helping you come to grips with and reminding you of how often you thought of smoking or reaching for one. You see, anyone can give up the nicotine in a matter of a few days and get through the symptoms of withdrawal in 2-3 weeks. It's unlearning the mindless repetition that smoking is that is the real crux and the more difficult part of quitting. that part takes considerably more time.

So, the NRT will give you some physical relief from the addiction part of smoking while you tackle this habit part.

That's all it can possibly do. It can't quit smoking for you. That is your decision.

If you choose to use an NRT to help you get started, let it be just that, "a start".

The quicker you unlearn the habit and realize how much smoking controlled you, the sooner you can be free, and that means free of the NRT too. I feel the real danger of using the NRT's for an extended time is you can become not only physically but psychologically addicted as well which only makes it harder to let them go.

Your dopamine release system long ago hjacked by nicotine and thereby limiting normal pleasure cannot get back to normal until you stop using nicotine.

Be free. Be totally free.

PS You can't unlearn the habit by reaching for something and inhaling from it. You are reenforcing the habit by doing that not unlearning it.

4 Comments
About the Author
Hello, My name is Dale. I was quit 18 months before joining this site and had participated on another site during that time. I learned a lot there and brought it with me. I joined this site the first week of August 2008. I didn't pressure myself to quit. HOW I QUIT I didn't count, I didn't deny myself to get started. When I considered quitting (at a friends request to influence his brother to quit), I simply told myself to wait a little longer. No denial, nothing painful. After 4 weeks I was down to 5 cigarettes from a pack a day. The strength came from proving to myself, I didn't need to smoke because I normally would have smoked. Simple yes? I bought the patch. I forgot to put one on on the 4th day. I needed it the next day but the following week I forgot two days in a row I put one in my wallet with a promise to myself that I would slap it on and wait an hour rather than smoke. It rode in my wallet my first year.There's nothing keeping any of you from doing this. It doesn't cost a dime. This is about unlearning something you've done for a long time. The nicotine isn't the hard part. Disconnecting from the psychological pull, the memories and connected emotions is. :-) Time is the healer.