If only I could be that one person who can stop at one cigarette and never want another;
If only I could put that pack down and never look back;
If only I could never think that smoking cures all woes;
If only I could make quitting a one-week affair;
If only I could never have a crave again;
If only I could invent a pill that could make all my memories of smoking disappear.........
Let's face it, quitting smoking is hard. Why does it even seem harder once we get past the physical withdrawals? An excellent article, https://addiction.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_Long_Does_Nicotine_Withdrawal_Last states that it's not only a week and poof all physical symptoms will be gone. It depends on how long you've smoked and how long your body has functioned with nicotine. Everyone has different physical symptoms. No one is the same and that's what makes this so hard for some people.
If you've ever visited my profile or even read some of the blogs I put out there under the different groups, I have always stated I'm the gal that loves timelines and preciseness. This will be over with then and this will be completed on such and such a date. There is no such thing when it comes to quitting. We can tell you when the physical affects will be lessened, but quitting is lifelong. It is to some a very familiar behavior or coping mechanism one has used many, many times over the years. Let's face it, nicotine dependence wasn't added as a medical diagnosis until the 2000's.
If you're new here, use this site for what it's intended to do. Obtain as much knowledge as you can here and also on the internet as a whole. Identify your triggers and come up with other ways to deal with them. Track your cigarettes if you're having trouble identifying specific triggers. I've seen people make comments about that in the past. We all lit up at certain times of the day or certain routines that we do day in and day out.
Smoking is a personal companion that walks with us every day. It lives in our daily lives and is present for everything we do. We tie in so much of our emotional self to it as well. We celebrate important events and yearly occurrences with it. We create memories that are sparked with smoking because it was always around us. Don't ever be afraid of those sparks that fly. They are only memories of our lives past. They will never take us back to smoking again, only if you choose to go that path. Only then will you be saying.... If only I could …......
