Hi everyone. I'm a smoker and I always want to stop but can never manage. I've been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and have started a course of 100mg sertraline just last week. My GP thinks my hatred of me smoking balanced with a really strong desire to do it is an obsession, not so much a symptom of addiction.
I was on citalopram last year and managed to cut down to 5 a day (to cope with stress at work - I'm doing a PhD) and none at weekends. I felt great. But then a few months ago I started to get these niggling feelings that I wanted to smoke more. I didn't know if it was me getting more hooked on nicotine or if it was my anxiety and obsession coming back. I'm inclined to think the latter because I went YEARS without smoking at weekends without any trouble. Now I'm horribly anxious, smoking every day (more than ever), throwing up with nerves every day.
I read Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking on the recommendation of many friends who used it successfully, but it didn't work for me. I tried, but my anxiety got ENORMOUS and I had to go back to smoking. I HATE myself for it. I miss the old me who didn't feel this compulsion to smoke constantly. I agreed with EVERYTHING Allen Carr said about how wonderful it would be to be free from the slavery of nicotine, but I just couldn't do it. I feel bereft - I don't know what my next step is.
Has anyone else read Allen Carr with/without success, or been to the clinics?