Nicotine Free

I have been off nicotine for 83 hours, and am now nicotine-free. The residual drug stored in my body has been passed through sweat or urine. I’m now dealing with the very last stages of physical addiction. In another 24-48 hours it will all be psychological addiction that I’m overcoming.

It hasn’t been easy, but then, it hasn’t been too tough. I wasn’t trying to quit, I was quitting. Failure was not only not an option, it was impossible. I will not smoke again. I have had my last puff of smoke. Period. I can sit and think, “Man, I would sure love a smoke right now,” but the only possible answer is, “Too bad I quit.”

Have made some interesting discoveries during all this:

  • Cold turkey is the only method that works long-term. Here’s why. And more.
  • Drink lots of lemonade. Lots of it. The sugar helps to minimize the blood-sugar loss caused by nicotine withdrawal, and the acidic juice helps purge the residual nicotine stores faster,
  • When you quit, be ready to quit and do it. No “trying.” No half-assed attempts. Either be ready to do it and do it, or don’t waste your time.
  • Get rid of all tobacco. I threw any left-over tobacco away on Thursday night. If I wanted a cigarette, I was going to have to go buy more. Not “just one smoke.”
  • No gum. No patches. No lozenges. No Zyban. None of it. If you’re a nicotine addict, stop using nicotine.
  • Tell a lot of people you’re quitting. If you fail, you look like an ass. This helped me a lot. I announced it here. There was no way I’m coming back here and saying, “Well, I failed.”
  • One day at a time.
  • Smoking isn’t a habit. It’s a drug addiction. People that smoke or used to smoke (like me) are drug addicts. Killing themselves for drugs. Think of it this way, it gets a whole lot easier to quit.

There’s a lot more to it, and I have a ways to go. But I’ve been off smokes for 3.5 days and am now drug-free. It feels great. I’m happy.

If you’re thinking of quitting, make sure you really, really are going to do it. If you know for sure that you will, and aren’t going to “just try,” and are willing to go cold turkey, I’m happy to provide you with support.

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