How hard is it to quit smoking?

[Shalu]

I have just recently to take that step forward towards quitting smoking, but I miss it already and I'm finding it really hard? I have the patches, gum and spray. How long will it be before my cravings stop and I finally begin to feel normal again? 

[crazymama_Lori]

first off, you need to pick one of the three and stick with it.  Don't see the NRT (gum, spray, patch) as keeping you quit or taking the cravings away because they won't.  They will take the edge off, but the first month is the toughest.  After that you're relearning life different as you've lived it.  See https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/expert-advice/blog/2017/12/07/behavioral-substitutes 

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Your question is a difficult one to answer definitively.  Quitting smoking is a process, different for everybody.  In general, though, the first two weeks are the most difficult  The better you understand this addiction and prepare for your quit, the sooner the cravings will lessen   This is not a switch on/switch off situation, but a  journey with good and bad days

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for a free pdf of it on the net (copyright enforcement won't allow me to post the link here).

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort.  I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

[desiree465]

I used the patch. It did really help but the thing that sucks about it is that each time you go down a step you go through a little bit of withdraw. With that said I do not think I would have gotten very far without it. I'm on day 50 and the cravings are less but when they happen they are still pretty strong. I still have to distract myself when they come along. But every time a craving passes and I haven't smoked the feeling of pride I get outweighs the yucky feeling of the craving. Also starting to see the benefits of my quit has helped. You can do this, yeah it's scary, but I can promise that everyone on here will support you no matter what. Use the site, read, and post it really really helps.

[Barbara145]

Congrats on quitting smoking.  It takes work and commitment to quit smoking. If it was easy we would not need this site and almost all smokers would quit. I can tell you this, it is even more wonderful than you ever imagined.  You just have to do whatever it takes to never take another puff.  One day at a time you will get there.

[elvan]

Shalu‌ Welcome to EX, you need to do as much reading as possible on the addiction to nicotine...it IS an addiction and the recovery from the addiction is a journey and not an event.  It takes time and energy and the willingness to deal with the triggers.  I planned what I would do when a trigger occurred and they DID occur...I also paid very close attention to what smoking was really doing FOR me as opposed TO me...it was NOT easing my chronic pain, it was NOT making me feel less stressed, it was NOT taking away anger or sadness or any emotion I was feeling.  So what WAS it doing?  It was making it increasingly more difficult to breathe, it was stealing my energy and my time...it was stealing my life and the worst part of that was that I was ALLOWING it, I was ENCOURAGING it to keep doing so.  It took a very serious bout with pneumonia to convince me that I could never smoke again and I used the mantra NOPE, Not One Puff Ever over and over and over again, whenever I felt a crave.  I will not tell you that it was easy, it was not easy for me, I had to work at it.  I stayed very close to this site, came here every morning and every evening and I read blogs, I commented, I asked people what to do and I LISTENED to their advice.  I gratefully accepted all of the love and support that came from here and continues to come from here.  It is one day at a time and when that is too long, it can be one hour at a time or one minute at a time...every moment and every experience that you remain smoke free is a victory for YOU.  Take it slowly and do not expect it to be easy, do not expect that anything you take is going to remove all of your craves, this is a process and you are going to have some growing pains but you will come out stronger and will feel more confident than you can imagine.  We smoked to deal with uncomfortable feelings and when we start to feel those feelings without smoking, it can seem intense but it IS POSSIBLE and it DOES get easier.  I suggest reading JonesCarpeDiem‌'s blog /blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months as well as YoungAtHeart‌'s For Our New Years' Quitters (and community members, too) and roller831‌'s https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/thread/17127-new-quitters-check-in   That, at least gives you a starting point and you are going to need to keep busy so that your craves don't seem overwhelming...you CAN do this.

Again, welcome.

Ellen

[Chuck-2-20-2011]

Lots of good advice above. Just wanted to say WELCOME!!

 Learn, learn, learn! The more you can take the mystery out of your addiction the better off you'll be! There's a wonderful world waiting for you at the end of the journey, but first you must get through the rough part. I used the patches when I quit and I know it doesn't completely take away the craves, but it does take the edge off.

 I call it quitting on training wheels. No matter what method we use to quit, we have to understand our craves and how to deal with them. We have to understand that the crave actually only lasts a minute or two, but when our mind latches onto that crave, it makes it seem endless. 

 With each passing day, things get a little easier until one day you realize that you're free!!

 I wish you great success!!

ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!

Chuck

[anaussiemom]

Nicotine Addiction 101   Shalu  Hugs.
All the INFO you want to STOP!

GOOD THINGS USUALLY DON'T COME EASY.  MHHO

[DonnaMarie]

Urges are like a reminder to me of why I don't want to smoke. I grumble about them and hate them, but each one of them is the addiction talking. I'm stronger than that. I'm done with it. I will show my strength and you can show yours. Please don't let them win. By virtue of the fact that you came here instead of lighting up, it tells me  you want to be smoke-free through those urges. 

There is no answer to the how long. I quit for 8 years once and had urges, one was strong enough that I threw caution to the wind and gave in. Here I am many, many years later quitting again for the last time. I hate cigarettes. 

Give yourself a pat on the back for having not smoked. Tell the urge to go have relations with itself. Scream. Come here. Drink water. Go for a walk. Do anything other than smoke. (I have four different flavors of sugar-free mints on my desk!)

Be human and do a human kindness for yourself  We're all here for you. I'm 3 days in and I need the people here, including you.

[Shalu]

Thank you so much to everyone for your kind and supportive words. I am really struggling, I won't lie to you guys. With all your support I know I can get through this. Many thanks, hugs and kisses to you all. Xxxx