I QUIT

[Ivan_EU]

Yesterday I stopped smoking. Day 1. It is tough. But I am glad to be free. I truly hope it will carry on!

[Ivan_EU]

Yes. Still as for cravings, I've noticed it lasts much longer. I would even say couple of hours.

[elvan]

Ivan, craves are only perceived as lasting that long if you are fighting them and therefore FEEDING them.  You need to recognize when you feel a crave and try to figure out what triggered it.  You do not need to fight it or allow it to take over your life...acknowledge that it is there and you might tell it to go away...either silently or out loud.  No crave ever killed anyone...no one is ever going to be able to say that about smoking.  This is a journey, it is not easy, there will be good days and bad days and there will be challenges...there are ALWAYS challenges to any course we take.  It is part of living.  I think you need to go back and make a plan My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  and set a quit date and then commit to it and stay committed no matter what.  That is the only way this works.  I wish you well...it certainly took me several tries to get to a solid quit.

Ellen

[MichelleDiane]

Ivan, I noticed for me that after a long time, I was almost at three months, the cravings were far and few lasting only a little while.  Whereas when I relapsed and kept smoking I had cravings all the time.  I have learned here as well as in other places that smoking keeps the craving to smoke on a cycle of 20 minutes, so if you are still smoking even if it is 2-3 a day the craving you may be having is the anger at not having one every 20 minutes.  Like Ellen said many people, including myself, need to try several times, but the part that must be there is that N.O.P.E. is ones thinking.  

Regards,

Michelle

[Ivan_EU]

Thanks. I will read recommended posts.

[YoungAtHeart]

If you cut down to around 5 -10 a day, it's time to just quit.  Not doing so just keeps you in a constant state of withdrawal, and makes you more uncomfortable than need be.  In the beginning when you first quit, it IS difficult - but you are doing it over and over again by cutting far back.  When you totally stop giving those brain sensors their fix, they slowly die out.  Not so if you keep feeding them. 

I recommend you do the reading, then just DO it!

It's not easy, but it is doable......quitting never killed anybody - the same cannot be said about smoking!

Nany

[Ivan_EU]

Of course. Did you ever had cravings after several years of quitting, in some circumstances or does it goes away, eventually?

[JonesCarpeDiem]

After several years you realize cravings are only memories or emotions you associated with smoking.

[Chuck-2-20-2011]

I agree with Dale. Sure, you remember those smoking days, but there's no power to those thoughts. In fact, after a while, even the memories of smoking fade. I make a point to remember thoser days, simply to remain compassionate to those who are going through a new quit. 

ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!

CHUCK

[elvan]

Sometimes, I will have a memory or a fleeting thought of smoking that is directly associated to something I am doing...something that I associated with smoking for years.  The thing to remember is that smoking never helps anything, it never fixes anything...it does not relieve stress or pain or sadness, it does not resolve anger, it does not HELP anything.  As soon as you really accept that, it will be MUCH easier and then if you get really angry or really stressed you can honestly tell yourself that smoking would not help anything...it does irreversible physical damage and stunts emotional growth.  NOTHING is worth smoking over...NOTHING.

Ellen

[Barb102]

Nope. Not anything ever.

Sent from my iPhone