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? 

[Giulia]

Welcome a'board!  You mostly are the dictator of how your quit goes.  It's all based on attitude, once the nicotine is out of your system.  Reading will help a great deal with that attitude adjustment.  There are many good blogs on the subject of "how long..." Here are two I wrote:   Expectations, Timelines and the Reality YOU Create  also  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/thread/1798-when-does-it-get-easy 

We can't tell you when it will get easy, but we can assure you that there will come a day when it IS easy.  Where you won't think about a cigarette.  That is not to say that you still won't have an occasional doozy of a craving.  But the more days you have as a non smoker, the more natural it becomes.  The more experience you have riding the cravings, the easier they are to handle.  Until they become simply little gnats that you flick away with a breath.  

The cure?  Time.  So just hang in and keep aiming for the best of you.

[PRAIRIEROSELADY]

Welcome....... I will say ditto to all the information posted here . 

I am pretty new in this Quit but not in attempts of quitting.  I am using everything I find here. I depend upon the support I have here and never found anywhere else ...... Everyday I pledge to another day. I am making the journey.   A 45 yr Addiction was Enough!!!!! I see rewards to the NOPE.  everyday!!!!!   My Only Regret Is that I ever lit the 1 St . Smoke in my Teens !!!!!!!  

Without a PC right now.   But I am around and respond as quickly as I can to members.   You Can Do This .     Prairie DOF 15.  working towards rest of my life. 

[MichelleDiane]

You've received so much sage advice and direction.  One day at a time was and is my most cherished friend.  Some times I take it to a minute at a time.  Happily I am doing better each day.  If you commit to your quit and protect it you will do fine.  This community has been my lifeline.  Looking forward to seeing you around.

-Michelle

[maryfreecig]

That's a tough question to answer. I don't want to be a smart arse, but I can confirm that it will not take forever. What replaces the cravings is smobriety--if you grow your smobriety one day at a time, it's easier to look away from temptation.

[elvan]

You CAN do this and every person here wants you to succeed, it's a journey and there is no way to speed it up, there really are no short cuts..."The only way out is through" and my absolute favorite saying comes from OldBones-Larry‌ "One step and then another will get you to where you want to be."  That is just SO PERFECT.

Ellen

[Daniela2016]

Yes you can Shalu‌, and you came to the right place for support.  Why don't you take the time to read all the great reading presented to you in some of the comments?  The thing I find the most important is to understand how our brains react to nicotine, and why is it so hard to quit smoking.  For that Allan Carr's book helped me a lot.  We all had several failed attempts to quit, but I believe we all failed because we did not understand our addiction and how to work our way out of it.

Welcome, and I am hopeful you'll be eager to learn how to do it, and I am very happy you are so young and willing to become free!