I am on day 73 and I still have random cravings that hit me like a sledgehammer and then disappear like it never happened. I’m just cruising along, suddenly feel like I would rip the face off a sweet elderly woman to steal her cigarette and then it’s over as fast as it started. What the heck man?! When will I be able to go an entire day without a craving?
Congratulations on 73 days for me roughly it was about 117 days in my quit. For some it can be sooner or later. it really depends on the individual. Just know that it will not last forever. What to Expect When Stopping Smoking
Congratulations on 73 days, that's awesome. This journey takes time and No Man's Land is an interesting place...craves come out of nowhere and so do little old ladies with cigarettes in their mouths...seriously, no one can tell you when it will happen but it will as long as you keep working on this as recovery. Stay close to the site, talk to people about how they are handling their quits...there will come a day when you don't think of smoking at all...even if it is a stressful day. Once that happens, it will begin to happen more frequently, I get the feeling that it has already happened but you are giving the times when the craves come more power than the times when they are not there. This is NOT a fight, seriously, it is a one day at a time journey. There will be good days and bad days and there were when we were smoking too. Remember that no crave ever killed anyone...no one can say that about smoking cigarettes.
Hang in there, it DOES get better, you have to recognize it and not dwell on the tougher times.
Ellen
At exactly 86 days. I'm just kidding. Although, that was the first day that I went to bed and realized I hadn't craved all day. Dale did a post about this a while back: The First Day You Didn't Think Of Smoking.
I can really empathize with you. You get way past Hell Week, and you're nearly out of No Man's Land, and you still get craves that come out of nowhere. Maybe not as often as the early days, but they sure knock you for a loop. It just doesn't seem fair. Hang in there. I know we all sound like a broken record repeating this all the time, but it really, really does get better.
Maybe ask yourself how long you smoked? Most of us smoked for years and years....so 73 days is not really that long in contrast. You are doing great and it will keep getting better (with small moments when it will SEEM to get worse!!!! HA HA!!!) But seriously-----each day you are moving closer and closer to being free of this burden. AND IT'S SO GREAT!!! I PROMISE!!! So------just hang in day by day and remember how far you've come. We are all here for you so reach out as needed!
Stay Strong
trust me when I tell you that whenever that sudden urge comes upon you, then you take a second to close your eyes, breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly a few times, shake your head, roll your eyes, and say nice try, I don't do that anymore, distract yourself and go about your day. As you get collect more and more days quit, you'll notice that those pop up over ritual things we do in life, birthday celebrations, season changes, etc. It's just a memory being sparked or emotion being rustled up to the surface.
My goodness, but you're only 73 days into this journey. And although that's INCREDIBLE!, (ONE day smoke free is incredible), you're still early down the path of the journey. Your question has been asked by ALL of us who have quit. WHEN WILL THIS END????!!!!
First, be assured that it WILL get better. Not sure I can say cravings will end. Because even after an 11 year quit, I'll still get a hankering for a cigarette now and then. Truth. But it's a momentary slap of a remembrance that has no power. It's niggling of gnat, not a bombardment by a big bee.
But some reading that might help: WHEN DOES IT GET EASY?????? Expectations, Timelines and the Reality YOU Create And when you read the blogs or discussions here, also read the responses. Because there can be a wealth of differing opinions and additions to thinking by very wise people that will open new thoughts and present new questions to be asked. And questions are the means by which we learn. And keeping an open mind allows for out-of-the-box thinking.
I can't tell you when the day will be that you will go entirely without a craving. I will tell you, however, that when that day happens (and it will if you hang in long enough), it is transition that will blow your socks off. And you won't know it until the day after. It's one of those incredible "aha!" moments when you've moved onto the next part of this quitting journey. It's a glimpse into the freedom that awaits. Please hang in and trust us that this is true.
Have a look at NML & In-betweener Weekly Check In - 04/16/2018 Life After NML where you can find others in the same place! No Mans Land Days 30 to 130 (approximate) describes a lot of what can happen during this time. The day you go without a craving CAN and WILL happen!
Roller
I don't think it even matters when you will go an entire day without craving, the point is you are not smoking cigarettes now and the benefits of that outweigh any inconvenience you can experience from the occasional craving. keep up the good work.
Welcome to what we call No Mans Land (2-4 months quit). It's a time when you might have become complacent in your quit, when family and friends think you should be over it already, and an intense, random crave can hit, out of the blue! Most of us have experienced these. As long as you distract yourself and use the tools you found helpful early in your quit, they will have no power over you. Get through them the best you can.
Good that you came here. I promise these WILL end - and you will be SO happy you stuck with it. Freedom from addiction is worth all you are going through!!!
Hang in there!
Nancy