Cravings

[Ashley00]

Does the cravings for a smoke ever really go away?

[Giulia]

Yes.  But you have to hang in long enough to get there.  In the beginning of this journey it's really rough.  But with each smoke-free day, with each accomplishment (and each day IS a huge accomplishment in the beginning), the cravings begin to lessen in intensity and become less frequent.  Truly they do.  If they didn't, there would be no long-term quitters for none of us are that strong to withstand that kind of constant emotional/physical  punishment day in and day out forever.  So please trust us who have "been there, done that" when we say YES, the cravings WILL go away for the most part.  Doesn't mean that every once in a blue moon you're not gonna want to smoke.  You will find that there are those occasions that just come up that create that urge.  But they become few and far between.  And quite manageable.  A couple of links that may help you understand the journey better:  When Does It Get Easy   and  Point of No Return.  

Welcome a'board.  This is a transforming journey.  And we're all walking it together.  Glad you've joined us.

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Here is a blog I wrote that may help with your question.https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/newbie-quitters/blog/2018/09/21/in-time.  In the meantime, hang tough,   Stay close.  The urge will pass each time.  Breathe through it. Know that you can make it if never give in never give up., no matter what NOPE. 

  Welcome to EX.Ashley  .  It is not easy but doable.  You have come to the right place for support in quitting smoking. The best way to quit is to prepare and plan how you are going to go about your quit. Have you set a date?   My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and review the videos and tracking also learn what your triggers are so you can better prepare for the urge to smoke when it happens.  I am a firm believer that I was advised to read Allen Carr's Easyway to Quit Smoking which can be found on pdf on the web.  Another good site to get info which was very helpful to me is  www.whyquit.com.  There are several articles to read.  Nicotine 101 and Freedom From Nicotine My Journey Home.  To get help on navigating the site go to. Community Help‌.  Make quitting smoking your number one priority. Start by getting rid of anything associated with smoking such as ashtrays, lighter, etc.  You can do this if you make up your mind that you can.  Relearning your thinking that you do not have to smoke is a good beginning. For a while, you will think about smoking but that does not mean you have to act on it.  You can talk yourself out of smoking.  No matter what never ever take another puff.  NOPE.  Take smoking off the table as an option and do something different. 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke SINAO smoking is not an option.  That is NOPE concept Not one puff ever. Be willing to do the work.  Quitting is the easy part.  Staying quit is work.  Learning to protect your quit will keep on your journey forever freedom. One day at a time.

 

[Barbscloud]

Hi Ashley.   Welcome to the Ex.   Why are you asking?  Have you quit or are you thinking about it?   I know at 464 days, I still have them on occasion and from posts written by elders with many years quit, they still happen at times.   They are not as strong or frequent, but I believe we have to accept the fact that it's likely to happen and therefore always be vigilant.  The psychological component of nicotine addiction is very strong.

Barb

[JonesCarpeDiem]

What are you calling a craving?

Is it for nicotine?

Or

Is it a memory calling you?

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

To first answer your question - yes, cravings DO go away.  If they didn't, I wouldn't have almost seven years quit.  You have to  be patient, though, and give your quit the time it takes to get to that place.  Read on to understand what happens when you quit.

The 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 it online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.

 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, quitsmoking.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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  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.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. 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!  Use the list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

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

[maryfreecig]

Yes. Yup. Without question yes. Absolutely. The dependency on cigarettes gets broken one day at a time. Stick with Ex, rather than letting your old smoking thinking overwhelm you!!!  Yes you can.

[Barbscloud]

I guess this is another debate about semantics.   If a crave is defined as a desire, I've heard many elders on this sight say that out the blue the thought crossed their mind that they wanted a cigarette.   As this point it is psychological, but it still sounds like the desire to smoke crossed their minds usually in a stressful situation.  Agreed, that overtime the dependency gets broken, but I've learned from the honesty of some that it can happen anytime.  When I first heard this from many of you, I found it scary that I would start smoking again even after many years.   Now that I know it's a fact of quitting, I am more prepared for that "desire"  if and when it happens.

[elvan]

The craves do go away and they become memories...there are time you will associate with smoking that may take a little longer but I can tell you that if you stay close to this site and do the reading and pay attention to what works for others...you can do this.  I cannot tell you how many times I quit but went back to smoking...UNTIL I found EX after I had gotten so sick that I thought I was not going to make it.  I have COPD so I am always reminded of what smoking did to my body and believe me, it is not anything I would wish on anyone.  You can do this, commit to your quit and remember NOPE, Not One Puff Ever.  Have faith that it will get easier.

Welcome to EX,

Ellen

[minihorses]

Mostly.  They end up becoming mere thoughts or 'I used to' as you progress but that is when you have to be vigilant because the triggers pop up.  All the things that would lead us down the path toward relapse don't go away, it's how we handle them without smoking that makes the difference.  My mother-in-law quit for 10 years until my father-in-law told her they were getting divorced after 25 years of marriage. Then she started right back to lighting up.  She died of COPD in hospice while I read to her and held her hand.  It took me several years to even face the thought of trying to quit again.  A thousand failed attempts, some more than a year, and I'm much, much more confident that I can be a non-smoker for the rest of my life but I will have to be mindful and put my bag of tricks close by when I'm challenged to smoke.  You got this and we've got you!