the urge to smoke. let's break it down without the intended sales pitch.
The ad for the patch claims the patch helps prevent the urge to smoke.
[I used the patch. I used it before I learned one thing about quitting smoking. I used it because of the advertising and the claims made. The second week I forgot to wear it two days in a row. and realized I didn't need it any longer.
I didn't join a quit smoking website or learn anything about quitting smoking until after I had stopp ed using the patch.]
So what exactly is an urge?
urge: A strong desire or impulse
desire:
a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. impulse: a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act.. compulsion: an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, especially against one's conscious wishes. So I have to ask, do you believe the urge to smoke driven more by nicotine or simply the repetitiveness of smoking? I believe nicotine drives us to smoke while we are using it due to the physical addiction.
I believe the thought of smoking after someone has quit for a period of time comes from memories and emotions connected to the repetitiveness of our daily routine for the many years we smoked. If an urge is a thought. A nicotine patch will not stop anyone from thinking of smoking.
So in actuality, the patch only helps with the physical addiction. The thinking of smoking must be unlearned.
The repetition of smoking is unlearned by making new memories that don't include smoking or the motions of smoking.
Time is what puts distance between you and smoking, but, you have to allow it.
Common sense beats a manufacturers intent to sell their product if you simply take the time to analyze it.
Once you break it down, there is no overthinking of some mystery that doesn't exist.
There is no more "I used the patch, the lozenges, the gum, an ecig AND NOTHING WORKED FOR ME."
Stop telling yourself you need to smoke. That is the real problem and solution of quitting successfully.
