Quit Smoking Timetable

[John-C.]

Hello,

This discussion is about the psychological effects of quitting. I hope to obtain some answers from the experts (you!) regarding how long it takes to "be over" certain sensations.

I've heard that after 4-6 days the cravings are noticeably reduced in intensity, 3 weeks spells the end of the old habit (associations with certain events is drastically reduced).

Now, what then? I hope to appeal to ex-smokers who have considerable time not smoking as well as the newest ex-smokers who are still exploring this site.

I am one of the newest, as of yesterday. It has been 20 hours since my last smoke and this site has been very helpful.

Please help with this discussion be adding your own personal anecdotes and experience, but try to keep it related to the timetable for us new ex-smokers, so that it can remain relevant to the subject.

[SaraSmile]

Hi John,
Once I stopped looking at quitting as a punishment it started to be easier for me. Stop thinking you're missing something because what you're doing for yourself is the best thing you could ever do! Hell no, it's not easy! If you're anything like me, there'll be days you feel like killing everyone you look at, don't, it's illegal, lol! Just stay busy, read, clean, walk, run, exercise ANYTHING, just DON'T SMOKE! Keep on posting, reading, asking questions. Drink lots of water and juice. Snack healthy. This is a wonderful place, I have 118 days to prove it!
Sara

[jeff28]

I'm on Day 85 and I'm pretty confident that the "theory of firsts" is the best I can explain. Basically, the first time you do or experience anything after you quit you'll experience cravings. For instance, last Friday afternoon I had huge cravings and it took me a minute to figure out why. I was at work, leaving our quarterly sales meeting when I realized that it was my first quarterly sales meeting since I quit. The end of the meeting was always a relief as there's a lot of work that goes into it, and I always reached for a cigarette first thing when it was over. I had to remind myself that I was feeling that way because of the mental trigger that says "end of meeting = cigarette", not because I actually wanted to ruin my quit and have a smoke. Overall, the psychological triggers stop coming after you overcome each new "first" without smoking. You'll continue to have firsts for a while, but just try to remember that as you encounter each craving. It's just habit, not desire.

Best of luck,

[hwc]

3 to 5 days for the hand to hand combat with cravings to subside.

Two weeks, you'll start to feel the edginess and anxiety subside.

One month, you start to feel like quitting isn't dominating your life.

Two months is the start of the transition from "quitting" to ex-smoker. I felt pretty comfortable with only rare triggers and urges from the 2 month mark.

Four months on. I just don't think about smoking very much. The only triggers are the rare "first time triggers" which are acutally kind of entertaining.

Honestly, the first two weeks are the hard part. Use those to get to the one month mark and you can keep it going indefinitely if you just stay focused.