So I've made it through day 5 cold turkey! This is the first time I've ever tried to quit without some kind of nicotine replacement. I've tried patches, lozenges, gum, and inhalers but had no success. I think that as long as I was putting nicotine into my body, I never got over wanting more.
The withdrawal was terrible the first few days, but I finally figured out that every day of my life that I smoked, I was just managing my withdrawal, not preventing it. From that first cigarette of the day, when it felt like I was satisifying a craving, what I was really doing was setting myself up for the next craving.
Every time I put out a cigarette, I was resetting the withdrawal clock. It would count down for an hour or two and then the craving would be back. So I'd have another cigarette to reset the clock again. Over and over, without end. Living a life of managing never ending withdrawal symptoms.
So I finally stopped resetting that clock. I've endured the withdrawal symptoms for the last time. When they are gone, they will be gone forever because I'm never resetting that clock again!!!
