The First 72 Hours

Why Prior Attempts Failed

Contrary to conventional wisdom, a permanent successful recovery is vastly less dependent upon "planning" than "understanding." In fact, findings from two studies indicate that spontaneous attempts are twice as successful as planned ones (see West 2006 and Ferguson 2009).

Although poorly understood, it seems to suggest that delay in getting started breeds needless anticipation anxieties that sap and erode determination, motivation and resolve.

Put another way, none of our prior attempts failed because we selected the wrong recovery commencement date. They failed because we failed to understand and master the principles underlying our addiction.

It doesn't take brute strength or raw courage to navigate the up to 72 hours of healing needed to rid the body of all nicotine and move beyond peak withdrawal. Instead, it takes protected core dreams and desires that stay fueled and available within seconds, as the primary defense against challenge.

Discovering Online Support

When a smoker first discovers online support, with hundreds of quitters encouraging each other on message boards, it can be a pretty exciting time. The support encounter and experience itself has fueled thousands of successful recoveries. But more often than not, the novelty eventually wears off, crisis arrives, and the uneducated quitter is left with little to fall back upon except words of hope on a screen.

Rule #1 - Put Your Recovery Education First

The below education links are intended as a roadmap of the basic knowledge, tools and skills needed to navigate the first 72 hours. The last link is to Joel's Library, home to a collection of nearly 100 short clinic articles, his free ebook (Never Take Another Puff), and almost 500 video lessons.

Joel Spitzer dedicated 49 years to nicotine cessation and prevention. His last community position was as cessation and prevention services advisor to the Evanston and Skokie Health Departments in the Chicago area. Here at WhyQuit, until his retirement in 2020, Joel served as eduation director and then a consultant. WhyQuit remains firmly rooted in Joel's decades of wisdom. One complete cover-to-cover reading of Joel's Library will substantially enhance the likelihood that you'll never again take another puff, dip, chew or vape of nicotine.

It's time now to go to nicotine dependency recovery school, and put education first. There will be plenty of time later to post messages. Keep in mind that the six-month nicotine cessation rate for ignorant uneducated school-of-hard-knocks cold turkey quitters is only about 10-11%. Although horrible, according to a March 2003 study which combined and averaged the results of all seven over-the-counter (OTC) nicotine patch and gum studies, only 7% of NRT users were still not smoking at six months.

While a quality dependency recovery education program should, at a minimum, elevate your odds over OTC NRT by at least 400 percent, take heart as it's IMPOSSIBLE to fail so long as all nicotine remains on the outside!

None of us are stronger than nicotine but then we don't need to be as it's only a chemical with an I.Q. of zero. Our most effective weapon is a mind filled with understanding, truth, confidence, excitement, new skills, and relapse prevention wisdom.

Cessation Advice Warning

Please don't take offense, but serious drug recovery programs do not allow brand new quitters to share their personal quitting tips and wisdom with other new quitters. Frankly, for the most part, it reflects a failed nicotine addict pretending to be credible. Credibility is earned. Make sure the person giving you advice has proven the worth of their words by their recovery having been bronzed (3 months), turned silver (6 months) or gold (a year and beyond). Accept their wonderful words of encouragement but be cautious when it comes to relying upon their wisdom.

Knowledge is a Quitting Method

A cartoon turkey holding a book whose cover reads 'One Equals All - No Nicotine Today

Discover Smart Turkey

WhyQuit Joel's Library Turkeyville The Law