smoked1,
I am using patches, and yes, they help me, quite a bit. They help me with my cravings and with some of the withdrawal symptoms. Some people feel like NRT's are cheating...
I say, whatever works - USE IT. The important thing is to break the cigarette habit. Breaking the "patch" habit is way, way easier, in fact, it's nothing in comparison. I know this because I've done it.
I quit smoking before, four years ago, for six months. After about six weeks, I had weaned myself completely off the patch. At the six-month mark I did something incredibly stupid - thought maybe I could "social-smoke" - and started up again.
This time I'm not gonna start up again, ever.
So yeah, if it's turning out to be harder than you expected, buy a patch, take a walk, drink lots of water, take a nap... do whatever you need to do to banish the junkie thoughts and stay quit.
You can do it!
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 14
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 439
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $42
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 8 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17