I stopped smoking 12 yrs ago. I read a book called 'The easy way to stop smoking' by Allen Carr. I owe him a big thank you for improving my life.
I stopped cold turkey. I felt listless and spaced out for about 48 hrs after stopping, thereafter I felt normal again. In fact I quite enjoyed the feeling as I knew it was the poison leaving my system. A common phrase one hears is 'giving up smoking'. This carries the implication that it is something pleasurable, which it is not. This is the main mistake people make when trying to stop. As long as they think they are denying themselves their little pleasure,in the interest of a longer life or whatever, they are doomed to failure, and will eventually give in. After that they will smoke more than before because it has now become so valuable, like getting food after being starved.
The main thing to realise is you are vastly improving everything about your life by stopping the madness. You can breathe again, taste food , respect yourself, have money in your pocket, have the opposite sex enjoying your company and more.
I am sceptical of 'the patch' because it is trying to cure yourself of a drug addiction by giving yourself the same drug. It misses the point entirely.
BTW my mum is a life long heavy smoker who will only stop when her heart beats its last beat, and she is 75 yrs old. The point is those 75 yrs would have been much more enjoyable without being a slave to the stink sticks.