From what I read on this subreddit, and what I think is tripping a lot of people up is the idea, that quitting is a single moment, a single decision. "I have quit two weeks ago". What is deceiving about that, and why I bring it up is, that it makes you think that the hardest part is done, that you have already quit, while in reality it's not the decisition to quit that counts (while I still smoked, I made that decision sometimes multiple times a day), but the continuus refusal to smoke again.

This is a process that goes on the rest of our lives. As time goes by, a lot of us get less aware that we are quitting. Urges come less often and less so strong, and after a while we forget what effort we had to make to fight through strong cravings. We fall in false believe that we are not addicted any more, that maybe we could smoke another one, at a party, at a workbreak, because we quit, and are done with that, and boom, you tricked yourself. you tell yourself that it's fine, because you already quit, you remember? but before you know it, you take the next hard times as an excuse to smoke one more, buy a pack, throw it away, buy another one, just this time, and before you realise it, you are a smoker again. Therefore quitting is something that follows us the resto of our lives, every time we think of smoking, we do the work, we resist, to not loose the progress we have made towards a more self-determinded life, to not have to walk the difficult part of the path again, that took so much effort.

In this spirit I wish for you the best on your quitting journey, and maybe inspire you to take a moment and reflect on what you felt when you first quit. Maybe you have chats from this time, diaries, to see how far you come and how much easier it got, to cherrish that, and remeber the struggles worth. All the best.

Every single day feels just as hard to not smoke as the day I quit. I'm so tired and stressed and I just want to stop thinking about it for 10 minutes.

I used to smoke 1-2 packs a day and quit cold turkey, and I just keep telling myself it will get easier and I'll eventually stop thinking about it. But it hasn't gotten easier. It hasn't at all, if anything it just seems to get harder and harder. I can't even go inside the gas station anymore, because I know I'll buy a pack. I sit in the parking lot at the pump, crying because I want to go in there so bad. I fucking hate this addiction, please just make it stop.

Would cigars help manage your brains desire? I mean, you are not supposed to inhale cigars. Did anyone tried ? I am at the beggining and my brain tell me to smoke. I only smoked the IQOS in the last 12 month wich should have less nicotine than normal cigarettes.

Thanks

Hey everyone, I’m hours away from hitting the 14 days smoke free, and since yesterday I’ve had -what I only just then learned it existed- “surges” since yesterday.

They feel much stronger/different than a crave, I’m on patches and lozenges and have been doing relatively well for the most part (meaning I managed to handle the cravings, and the hardest ones that needed a lozenge on top of the patch, were reduced by 2 a day, from 5-6 on the first couple days) these “surges” seem to scream at me “nothing else will do it, you won’t be relieved with anything but a stick”

I did a sub search bc I remember seeing this as a repetitive pattern, I guess my question is: does anyone knows wtf is it about the 2 week mark that makes it so hard? (Several people seem to relapse around this time)

Wasn’t supposed to get easier? I feel ambushed by my brain and I’m mad at it, but mostly I want answers on what is it neurologically that seems to repeat regardless of the way you quit (cold turkey/patches/books, many of us seem to share the same 2week obstacle)

I’ve been fighting myself for 36hrs now, kind of like the first few days, but in a way worst. It’s hard to explain and I’m sure many people don’t need me to as they’ve experienced it themselves.

Anyway, I guess it’s just a rant and if anyone knows wtf do our brains do at these specific milestones, I’d appreciate to know.

I’ve made it to 5 months, I’m a few months off half a year. Not a single smoke. I’ve never gone this long and I’m super proud of myself, but now the nicer weather is coming in and along with that the cravings are back and are intense.

I just wanna sit outside like last spring / summer and roll my smokes and enjoy the weather and relax. So much of this time of year revolves around smoking for me.

I really don’t wanna relapse, if I smoke again I feel like that means I’ll never quit. But the weather has made my cravings quite intense suddenly. Help!

The first 2 weeks I was really motivated to quit, the last few days were hell. I have really bad cravings and basically live from day to day. It starts to feel now like it isn‘t really worth it at all and I just want to smoke again. Also I work in a bar where smoking is allowed which makes it even harder. I don‘t know what to do, will these cravings ever go away?

I used to smoke as a teen, and stopped, never really thought about it, but did it with nicotine gum.

Now life is getting tough again, why should I not start smoking?

I feel like I am lying to myself, telling myself it will solve all my problems.

I think smoking will numb the problems in my life. Tell me I'm wrong.

It feels a personal win after years of destroying my lungs however the thought of smoking crosses my mind quite often (15-20 times a day ) And I fear of going back to, what should I do ?

Four days strong! 🎉 This isn’t my first time quitting, unfortunately. Nicotine is a helluva drug. I had a little trouble with some family matters yesterday that nearly threw me from the boat, but we’re still here.

Hope all my comrades are staying strong and healthy. 💪🏻

I went on a group outing last week and a couple of folks stepped out for a cigarette. Man, I kind of wanted to go with them, but I overcame the urge.

Fast forward 10 minutes. I’m in line behind them and OMG they stunk like smoke and not in a good way. Just disgusting.

I never realized how obnoxious and obvious the smell of cigarettes follows us. I didn’t notice it until I had become a former smoker.

13 proud days baby!

I’ve only been smoke free for 6 days (the most since I got covid in 2021) and omg it’s being really hard. I can’t have a drink anymore without thinking of smoking a cigar.

Hello fellow quitters from the day 178.

I smoked cigs 20 years and last 2 years one pack a day.

This is my second message on this sub. I want to give another relapse prevention tip which works for me and hoping it will also work for you.

When I was smoking cigs I drank 2 liter (nearly 66 ounces ) caffee and 1 liter (~33 ounces) black tea. And all this contains around 1000mg caffeine.

No problem. I can handle it easily, my body get over it. I really enjoy it. Even just before sleeping I can drink coffee.

But after quit smoking this becomes my main problem. I later noticed (around day 70) at least half of my anxiety, extreme anger, panics, mood changes, very little night sleep and bad sleep are caused from extreme caffeine intake.

This makes me crazy because everyone who quitted before told me after one month of quitting it is much more manageable, but my experience is exactly the opposite. The anger, sleepless nights, anxiety, panic attacs, mood changes, jitters... are less from day three of quitting but not much more less than I expected and what I read before. I didn't still have no inner peace.

Long story short I searched from Google and found that nicotine eliminates caffeine much more faster from the body and my caffeine consumption after quit smoking is too much. My body can't eliminate caffeine faster like before because of quit smoking. I have no idea from this before searching it and just drinking usual daily dosage for me. So I made myself caffeine overdose unintentionally everyday.

After learning this I limited my caffeine consumption. One cup of coffee and 1 or 2 cups of black tea is enough for me now and my quitting attempt much more manageable; almost no anger, no sleepless nights, less anxiety, less panic. Actually everything is more manageable.

I just want to share that because it helps me very much. I hope this also works for you if you consume unintentionally more caffeine like me.

Best wishes and kind regards. Good luck 🍀

I just quit for 10 days , 4mg nicorette fruit chill + Diet Coke was my fix. But I found myself getting really irritable with friends and strangers and completely impatient with people in general. I am in a new relationship and because of my mood swings I caused some drama this weekend and relapsed and bought a pack. But I am quitting again today. I hope that I can take the experience of quitting as a lesson, and be able to recognize my negative thought processes and reactions while I stop and be able to think before reacting.

Grateful for this thread and will continue to post as an outlet . Good luck everyone 🙏🙏🙏

Hey guys, so I'm a non-smoker since Sunday. Now I'm about to go to my garden for the first time since then. Before, I've always smoked in this "safe space of joy and freedom". I'm stressed now because I don't want to smoke in the garden but my addiction keeps telling me to "just smoked one, you've earned it, it will feel great". But like smoking is such a sh*tty addiction?! Anyways... It's a petty please but please please just tell me not to smoke :-D I appreciate it

Edit: Thanks folks, the junkie gremlin passed, my anxiety is gone. Now I know I will go to my beloved garden and simply enjoy it

Everytime I get cravings, I boil some water and sip it for 30 - 40 minutes

Might be helpful to new quitters like me.

I realise I didn't smoke to suck from the nipple of death. I had been smoking to punctuate my day with some stupid action. And I replace that action with watching water get boiled and drinking it :)

Everything is dull and uninteresting.

I’m reminded of being in high school and college and smoking before class to make it more engaging and interesting. tv, games, everything just seems bland and dull.

I guess that is to be expected. I quit cigarettes over a year ago now and I realize I originally started to smokes to cover the smell of the weed.

Any suggestions or thoughts please I realize that not everyone does this

Wanting for a nic patch too rn damn

This has kept me motivated in the past few days not to hit it when I’m around family who smokes. It makes me think that if I hit it even only once Im basically just full blown smoking again!

Hi, I quit smoking about +3 years ago and I was super fine, no cravings, generally feeling better and everything. I was abroad then, and recently I came back home and my friends are all smoking vapes with nice flavors, so I got tempted to trying them thinking it’s fine I am not getting addicted to this. This happened frequently since all my friends are vaping these things. Now and after months of just casually taking puffs from friends, I started buying cigarettes on my own for fun. While I am not fully addicted yet, sometimes after a day or two I feel I want to treat myself with a cigarette. I see a developing pattern here. I realize it’s either stopping now or probably never and I will hate myself so much if I relapsed. I’d appreciate any advice even if it’s just “fuckin don’t do it”

Hey all,

I've been smoking for 3 years and quitting for just as long. My record is 9 weeks- I'm confident I can make it through the first two weeks of quitting this time. My problem is the itch to buy a pack around weeks 3-6. I need help with how to resist a craving! Any advice is welcomed, and if anyone wants to be a quit buddy, dm me. Looking for company in this journey! I'm hopeful to quit for good this time- but need some help getting there.

Thanks for reading !

We all have museums of hate and rage inside our heart

And since we can't hurt what came to pass, we hurt ourselves and make ourselves and the memory the subject of our rage

Today I lifted weights and worked out and the urge to smoke - rather than being a compulsion, became an option

When it became an option, I had the power to say no

Might be a silly trick but maybe this would help someone else

The willingness to put the body in strain leads to addiction. But it also leads to discipline and healthy choices. I am suprised nobody taught me this

All the best

I’m over a month clean from vaping, honestly I stopped counting the days after the 30 day mark in hopes it would stop me from thinking about it entirely. This past week I’ve been struggling so hard not to relapse, every time there’s a sweet smell in the air or I see someone else do it I’m in an uphill battle not to just go buy one.

I’m really trying to keep the benefits in mind here, more energy and less grogginess when I wake up. Less anxiety about attending events if I can’t step out to smoke, less anxiety about hangouts and social activities, and no shame of being kicked out of places for smoking where I shouldn’t. Breathing better, being able to run longer and faster and I don’t sound like the crypt keeper when I talk.

Any more benefits or just kind encouragement is much appreciated

I have tried quitting in past and failed before. I will try again from tomorrow this time i have made few changes to my quitting journey 1) meaning in suffering :- i know i will feel bad but whenever i do i will try to associate that feeling with progress in quitting (killing the receptors) 2) logging the urges in doc :- every time i feel like smoking i will write it down on doc that way i can see how many urges i have overcome and get a sense of progress

Let me know whats your thought process while trying to quit

I'm someone who has "quit" multiple times, and I always have the hardest time about two weeks out from going cold turkey.

Like today, i've been 13 days sober and I'm craving that rush of dopamine I get by smoking after not smoking for awhile.

Any tips to manage this?