Share over post is good.(I don't come back here often anymore,but I do come back.)
I do know most of the ways to combat it. Spots in my house that haven't been clean for years got clean at one attempt. I literally cried to God that last time I tried. (Although, ya know. I don't cry. Does anyone at all buy that still?) And I did the dishes to hold out just that much longer, but the one thought swirled in a dust storm of oh-God-help-just-one-smell-of-ash-or-my-hand-after-a-smoke-oh-God-no-yes-yes-no-yes hit the entire time I was washing dishes.
He's given me the strength to get away from drugs. He's given me the strength to lose 50 pounds. He's given me the strength to go through the last 11 months. He's even helping me work towards not taking pain pills anymore for real pain. I know his strength. I still can't quit something as stupid as smoking. FRUSTRATING!!!
If it doesn't help me, it might help someone else.
Well first off we have to identify the trigger (we know what the bullet is). Anxiety, boredom, craving. Or could it be the hand to mouth habit? Smell, flavor, all relevant. That chantix you talked about causes bad dreams and anxiety so watch out. I would recommend nicotrol. That's what I use. It's helpful as a pacifier, because basically that's what a cigarette is. Once we identified the trigger we can proceed to altering the trigger. Tricking the mind . One way of doing this is to grab something else other than a cigarette when the craving demands. Something odd that you probably never had.
Ever had frozen grapes? Yup frozen grapes keeps the mind occupied by saying "what the heck is this" . Let them melt in your mouth as your mind is trying to distinguish taste and texture.
7to 10 minutes are all you need to fight off craving. Try to occupy your mind with something else while doing this.
Change where you smoke. Pick a place less appealing, less comfortable, and leave your cigarettes there. Be surprised at the reasons you don't want to have a smoke in that place. To cold, smells, to far, it starts to get stupid.
Your body needs to adjust to the withdrawal of nicotine. By smoking the ingestion is immediate, direct to the lungs and off in the blood stream. Nicotrol is absorbed through the gums and then the blood stream. Slower but same results without the bad stuff that causes copd, cancer, etc. Less of a panic attack thing. Ya know.
Cold turkey is good for some but in most cases cause anxiety, super stress which may increase the habit.
Keep praying sis as will I . It took us years to develop this stupid habit and it won't go away over nite for some.
Remember 1 less cigarette is a start to your goal. Keep it up don't give up. We can do it.
By the way chocolate and Apple's also help with cravings.
Potter