Matthew Backhouse smokes his last cigarette before starting Stoptober. Photo / Nick Reed
I've gone two days without nicotine, and it feels great.
It wasn't intentional. I just forgot to put on a patch on Saturday and, by the time I realised, I decided I'd see how long I could go without it. I lasted the whole day.
The same thing happened the next day. No withdrawal symptoms, no bad cravings - nothing.
I've been expecting to suffer physical withdrawal symptoms. But maybe the physical symptoms are nothing compared with the psychological cravings - and once you're over that hurdle, it doesn't seem so bad.
Maybe the withdrawal symptoms will come. Or maybe - and this is what I'm worried about - I'm doing it wrong. Maybe I'm not ready to quit the patches. After all, the research shows it takes eight weeks of nicotine therapy to double your chances of quitting. I've quit for only two and a half weeks.
Perhaps, on the other hand, I don't need the patches. They were a useful crutch at first - but now I know I have the resolve to stay quit. Staying on patches is just dragging it out.
I don't know what the answer is. I could be making a huge mistake, or I could be making a great decision. Either way, I'll take each day as it comes.
But one thing's for sure - I'll keep a patch in my bag and take it everywhere I go, just in case. If the cravings come back, I want to be ready.
To take part in Stoptober, visit www.stoptober.nz
For help quitting, visit Quitline at www.quit.org.nz or phone 0800 778 778
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