I'm quitting too and it is hard. One thing about nicotine is that although it gets out of your body pretty fast, you have built up receptors in your brain and those take longer. That's why it is so difficult. I'm using the patch. And soon I'm going to start taking Wellbutrin for an unrelated depression, but it has effects on nicotine receptors so I'm hoping that I can go off the patch with that.

It may sound silly but the thing that I wanted was that hand to mouth and sucking action. So I bought some straws. Someone here suggested that. And I just played with them at home so that I didn't feel tempted.

But it is a hard addiction to beat. It's cruel really that the companies manufacture a product that kills and is so addictive. I have a friend who quit a long time ago and now has lung cancer. That got me motivated to make the last push. I had been trying anyway and just occasionally cheating. Her news made me realize that if I didn't do it now I would end up sick and perhaps die. That lit a fire under my butt to make this a priority.

I also packed my frig with healthy foods. Lots of veggies and salads. So I could munch without going to junk. I'm taking lots of vitamins and drinking more. I do rely on my sedatives if I get tied in a knot, I admit. But I figure it is just a temporary thing until I'm finally off the nicotine for good.