Nicabate

Jemma, 33.

Quitting with Nicabate® Patches

Like last week, I’ve found this week to be pretty hard. Actually, these 2 weeks have probably been the hardest. Maybe it’s reality hitting home. Maybe it’s me grappling with that part of my brain that says oh, you really do want to be a smoker. But I know I really want to quit for good so I just keep on moving forward.

Every day has been a different challenge. I’ve been out for dinner twice this week and it was really good being with people that don’t smoke and talking and laughing and filling up my time with good things. I went to a concert and it was outside and a really lovely venue and there were smokers everywhere but, you know, I didn’t even really notice it. I actually did really well. However, some days were pretty tough. I’ve continued and stepped-down with my patches – without trying to think about it too much. I just opened up a patch and stuck it on and tried not let it worry me too much. I think my body’s getting used to the lower amount of nicotine and hopefully the difficulties were just a combination of life’s other little stresses.

I got a text message from Nicabate the other day saying every cigarette you haven’t had is an achievement so I still see it like that. If you could put yourself in a bubble for the first three months of quitting it would probably be so much easier! I was talking to a friend who doesn’t smoke (and who’s never smoked) and is trying to understand how difficult it is to give up. I was saying the nicotine replacement is a huge help, but the lifestyle and environment stuff can be really tough. Because smoking is an addiction that’s legal and accessible there’s really nowhere you can just go for help when you’re giving up. So it’s just something you have to keep doing – putting things in perspective and setting some short term goals.

I’d actually been sticking the step 2 patch on my back for the first couple of days because I didn’t want to notice that it was smaller and I didn’t want that to play on my mind. I tried not to think about it and, although there’s obviously a difference between 21mg and 14mg, and just keep going. But when my neighbour came and knocked on my door last night wanting to have a cigarette, it was a good feeling to say I’m a non-smoker. We’d shared cigarettes before so he was a bit baffled! Sometimes you try to tell yourself that smoking wasn’t that bad but I just remember all those benefits I felt in the first two weeks and it keeps you going. It’s been a tough fortnight but I’m still really determined to get through – and some days I don’t even think about smoking. So I’ve just got to remain positive, avoid crappy situations and just do my thing! So, anyway, we’ll talk again soon. Bye!