jeanigirl,
If you go more than 3 days without putting any nicotine in your body, then yes, I would consider that torturing yourself!!! :p The nicotine is supposedly gone in 3 days, so if you were to put nicotine in your body every 3 days, you would be in constant withdrawals and that would be HELL!!!!! However, if you feel like you need the assistance of the gum, then use it... that's what it's for! You're still in your first day and the nicotine isn't out of your system yet, so it's still OK to make that decision. I wouldn't wait too long, however, to decide whether or not you will use NRT. Decide now and stick with it. NRT is designed to be used for up to 12 weeks, I think. NRT helps you learn how to be a non-smoker, while still giving you nicotine so you don't go through all of the withdrawals all at once. There will still be withdrawals, of course, but they are weakened because of the nicotine in your system. Whichever method you choose is the right one, but it's important to pick a method early and stick with it. Best wishes on your quit!
Crave the Quit!
Pam
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 224
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,621
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $925.12
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 16 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 39 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3