I spent a good chunk of the weekend helping a friend deal with quitttting smoking 'cold turkey'. (Imanaged this last August on my own) She didn't think she'd need help, she thought i was trying to get her into bed, but ultimately she did, and she was able to get through the first 72 hrs. which means the real chemical addiction is past.
For those of you who have never bee through this, and believe me I congratulate you, and for those thinking they will try, let me describe it... I'm not doing this to scare you, just prepare you.
Day 1 first 8hrs... gnawing... think long meeting no break, can't leave x 100. if you've never been there... think gotta pee, no place to go. 8-12 hrs. your first fit... willing to drive your head through a wall. Between 12-15hrs... the real withdrawl begins... crying, nausea, fits... screaming yelling... self inflicted injury, finally fitful sleep...
Day 2 is an all day event of withdrawl... time seems to drag on so slowly you count each second in the day, don't expect sleep, you won't want to eat... drinks lots of water...
Day3 begins much the same way. you notice the scent of your fingers... you may find yourself licking them for the lingering nicotene taste... about 1/2 through day three a calming process begins... exhaustion takes over... long night but you'll sleep.
This is not the same for everyone... i smoked 2 packs a day and started with camel studs and lucky strikes and it was this way for me and many friends i've helped...
This morning as I was taking my friend home she was tired and no desire to work today, normal in my book. What struck us both as funny was this...
If she had been addicted to crack cocaine, she could have told her employer. Not only would her job be safe for 30 days but she could use her health insurance to entera drug rehab program and get support and counseling and drugs to help her deal with her addiction. Her cost would be a co-pay of $50-$100. Cigarette adddiction is not supported!!! there's no employment safety, no insurance support, and no drug support. Go to your Dr. with almost any other malady and there is almost certain to be a plethera of free samples that you can get. Chantix free samples were a rarity when the drug was first prescribed, and ther are no coupons. I would hazard a guess that Insurance, Pharmacutical, and Big Daddy Tobaccoe are fincially comingled... and i'll end this here before the MIBs come to my door!