Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Punishments of non-smoking

For those who so kindly ask how the non-smoking is going, I will now share.
It is not good.
What is with these nicotine patches which are supposed to help?
Is there any nicotine in them? At no stage have they released me from the clutches of the cravings. All they have done is give me ugly red rashes surrounded by glue frames which are the devil to wash off. Perhaps the itching of the patch spots is supposed to distract one from the urge to smoke? One is so busy scratching one does not have a hand for a fag?
I have gone without cigarettes for five weeks now.
It is strictly one-day-at-a-time - still!
It seems to get harder rather than easier.
I am at the stage of thinking that the whole thing is just plain stupid and I should really just relax and have a cigarette. Oh, what a relief that would be.
My husband was tender and supportive for the first week or two. But I suspect that he thinks that five weeks without cigarettes means that his wife is now a non-smoker and out of the woods. To be requiring special considerations over a month later reeks of exploitation. Surely it is not logical that she is in deeper water now that she was in the first few weeks?
Well, she is. She is tired of trying. She is tired of this clawing, wrenching, draining need endlessly welling up through her body. She is tired of being gung ho about it. She is frightened of compensatory eating - which does not work, anyway. It just keeps one distracted. It does not take away the cravings. It triggers another one - for a post-snack cigarette.

Stress levels could not be greater. We are moving. Upheaval - not just now, but for a very long time. Now is the time of sorting and counting the accumulations of nine years living in the USA, writing an inventory for the insurance and shippers and getting our world ready to be packed up and freighted off to Australia. We have to defend ourselves against the prospect of Australian duty people who will want us to prove that we have owned our stuff for more than six months. Why did I not keep receipts for everything? Does anyone actually do that? What of the family stuff which my husband inherited? What of gifts? Should friends give receipts with their wedding, Christmas and birthday gifts just in case the recipient moves country?
Of course, I would be one of those people who has difficulty throwing things out. If I have a pair of jeans which proved a bit coarse on the skin, a bit tight or a bit loose, I put them away "in case". It is a guilt and remorse thing for having managed to leave a shop with something less than perfection, to have been fooled by the retailer, to have failed as a shopper....The items may grow to be years old, but they sit there pristine and loathed but relentlessly kept as an act of embarrassment offset by the eternal hope of "you never know, they may come in handy".

The recognition of this syndrome, the unraveling of the cupboards and wardrobes, is simply making me grouchy. The prospect of travel is doing much the same. There is no looking forward to anything - since there are no cigarettes in the plans.
Did I mention that this is the pits?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sa ...stay strong!how is Mr T? Bronte is estatic we are back home. send ourlove to the land of opportunity!

Anonymous said...

Try QuitX patches (once you're in Australia)...they are cheaper, don't itch and don't leave any glue on your skin. I find them good, though I do go up and down with the levels according to my cravings. I'm pretty weak and often go backwards, but they did get me off smokes for a year. I even managed to get off the patches at one stage!!

If all else fails, just stick them over your mouth. :P

Good luck.

Samela said...

Thanks Justin! I am giving your love to this "land of opportunities". *Waving* across the sea.

And, Angie, thanks for the tip. QuitX can't be worse than Nicobate. I am furious about them. Hit and miss is their style. Two simply fell off yesterday! Meanwhile, I am a patchwork of ugly rashes where earlier ones actually have stuck on.

Of course, sticking over the mouth would at least shut up my grizzling.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I quit 5 weeks ago yesterday. How can I forget "Friday the 13'th of June" part 6 times attempting with patches, gum, ziban etc. I tried "Accupuncture" suggested by a now 1.5 year Non-Smoker. I am also taking Welbutrin a similar to ziban but less strong. Life is and has been total Hell but every next day brings new hope that this can be permanent seeing I smoked 60 a day for close to 40 years. Hang in & good luck. I have a very supportive parter.

Mike (Ottawa Canada)