NRT can be addictive
This is my second quit. In 2010 I quit smoking cigarette using NRT.I used the patch for about 3 weeks but then I discovered the inhaler and switched to that. I got addicted to the inhaler and now 9 years later I am going through my second quit. After 9 years I started to get cravings for cigarettes and found the inhaler was nt working, so I started the patches. One day I had a cigarette and that of continued for a couple of months on and off. I could not understand what happened and started to read about nicotine addiction and that's when i realised that although i had given up smoking for 9 years i never gave up nicotine! I know its dumb but i never gave the inhaler much thought until my cardiologist made a comment about it. I am now on day 9 of my quit journey and this time its without NRT. Its important rid myself of all nicotine in my body as I have chronic lung and heart issues that are affected by nicotine. I do not understand how the NRT companies claim that these products are not addictive when nicotine is a drug like any other hard drug out there.
Thank you for your kind thoughts. I also am not suggesting any particular method to quit. Everyone has to find whatever works for them. I've learnt that i get addicted or used to things that are not the best for me, very quickly and need to be aware of what it is that i put into my body. I was just saying that NRT is not nicotine replacement. The name indicates that what ever is in NRT replaces the nicotine in cigarettes but of course it does not. NRT is a different way on ingesting nicotine. We understand what we want to believe and at the time of my first quit i wanted to believe NRT was the answer for me.
It is unfortunate that you became addicted as you say to an NRT for 9 years, as many do to drug therapies. Technically however you did not become addicted to a Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) as you were already addicted to the nicotine in the first place, so no it would not be addictive . No one takes an NRT for no reason. In my opinion, the inhaler is too close to mimicking the act of smoking and you might as well just vape. The nicotine addiction is the shortest and easiest part of the journey. The bad habit, and the time we spent smoking needs to be replaced with a positive action. You did not replace that action of smoking except with the same action of still inhaling.
That said, at least your lungs were spared of the tar that would have been inhaled. In vaping, it is too early to know of long term complications like popcorn lung.
I am glad that you are now on the right track and on Day 9. Congratulations! You will be happy to know that 93% of the nicotine is out of your body after just 72 hours. Nicotine reduces by half every 2 hours, and we craved that jolt of dopamine that it caused. Tobacco companies even add arsenic and thousands of other chemicals to give you s even faster and satisfying jolt to our nicotine receptors. These receptors all shut down after 3 weeks, but just one puff can reignite them and induce you to smoke again. That is why we have the mantra NOPE. .....Not One Puff EVER! That would also apply to ANYTHING CONTAINING NICOTINE!
These jolts of dopamine which gave us satisfaction is what we now crave and need to replace. Eating things we love, doing things we enjoy, sensing pleasure of any kind all contribute to becoming a happy non-smoker. I have read that learning gives us great satisfaction, so take up the bad habit by learning a new hobby or skill, or just read and absorb knowledge. I think that is why my quit was so easy and successful.
Learning about the Mindset can make the journey easier and more sustainable. Knowledge is power!
Thank you. I have been watching the videos Joel has in his Why Quit eries and i am gaining a better understanding of nicotine addiction an how to quit and am using the mantra NTAP like Happiness suggests and like Nuts suggests I have tossed all NRT products. So far so good. Thank you all for all for sharing your experiences.
An important positive point here is the fact that you have not given-up trying to quit nicotine! You deserve a great deal of credit for your determination Boomer. It sounds like you are on the right track now.
Thanks everybody. I have no choice but to quit all nicotine. Today was pretty good. I didn't think of the inhaler at all.