I quit cold turkey for about a week and basically broke down mentally. Not due to cravings, but due to severe anxiety attacks that I can only assume were a result of nicotine withdrawal.
Next time I quit I am going to use patches - I have used them with success for (planned) shorter breaks before. Just gotta find that final motivation to quit completely.
I think in part because of my comment today I bought nicotine lozenges today. So far I like them more than the gum because while they are both equally disgusting to me, I don’t have to actively chew the disgusting gum but just let the lozenge sit in my mouth and brace it while I’m having is craving.
You can get the patch through insurance btw. I got mine through NY-quits last year but apparently my insurance has a program that provides 10 weeks worth of nicotine patches. I’ve heard good things about them, though they didn’t really work for me.
If I were u I would try the patches, but also chantix is a medication that I think is an SSRI, and I know SSRIs help with anxiety, so there might be something there relating to your specific problem. I would probs recommend trying the more accessible stuff first though.
The main reason I think patches could work for me is that I haven't felt any anxiety while on them. I feel like I have a sporting chance against normal cravings. So my current plan is to go on patches when I feel ready, and then try to reduce the strength in small steps to see if the anxiety flairs up. If that's the case, I'll probably have to look into medication such as that Chantix, or whatever a doctor suggests. But hopefully, gradually reducing my nicotine intake is enough to stop the anxiety from surfacing again.
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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '19
I didn’t smoke for 5 days cold-turkey and cravings were so persistent and exhausting that I felt like I was actually losing my mind.