How do you deal with the craves?: I'm now... - No Smoking Day

No Smoking Day

5,213 members32,485 posts

How do you deal with the craves?

nsd_user663_4964 profile image
23 Replies

I'm now going cold turkey because i had been on the patch on and off for over a year- so i decided to just do it.

Only day one though so far, doing it this way destroys the meaning of my mantra " I find it easy to stop, and can stop any time.....Yes, while ingesting regular pharmaceutical nicotine.Hardest day one in living history.

I know if it got unbearable i could have a puff on ihhalator but i want all the nicotine out of my system, while theres nicotine there its just extending the withdrawal (Yes, I have been reading lots on WhyQuit today)

I would go for walk but would walk to asda fag counter, I can't physically eat anymore sweets, or drink anymore coffee., or water.

I am deep breathing, chewing pens,jogging on the spot, thinking of a pleasant island.. i know its not going to last and i'm trying to think ahead, i know all the good stuff is around the corner.

What else could i try?

Written by
nsd_user663_4964 profile image
nsd_user663_4964
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
23 Replies
nsd_user663_4694 profile image
nsd_user663_4694

food wise try eating some seeds. i quite like sunflower seeds....

activity wise try cleaning or tackling a job you have been putting off like cleaning out the shed.

keep active as much as possible body brain wise and body wise

these cravings will go soon you just have to fight through them to start but it will become so easy after a while that you will look back and not quite understand why you found it so hard...:D

Zolat profile image
Zolat

I've been chewing gum. Not necessarily NRT gum, just gum! I'm not overly worried about having a small amount of nicotine in my system at this stage of quitting. However, I now alternate NRT gum with normal chewing gum and am now down to taking a maximum of 2 bits of the NRT stuff a day.

nsd_user663_4964 profile image
nsd_user663_4964

I like the idea of gum because then i don't actually have to swallow it and its not sugary and yuk .

How long do you reckon this goes on? Apparently the nicotine is supposed to be gone in 72hrs???? Whilst I'm not expecting the cravings to completely stop, I am expecting something to get better right?

NicFirth profile image
NicFirth10 Years Smoke Free

I read that oats can help reduce cravings, that was all the excuse I needed to pick up a flapjack habit :D

Distraction is good, reading and posting was a lifeline. Take that walk but only take a snack, a drink and your keys leave your money and bank cards at home that way even if you get to Adsa you can't buy anything.

Talk to yourself and tell yourself you don't really want to smoke, it may be odd but its better than smoking.

Remember that a craving will pass whether you smoke or not, and cravings are not life threatening, but smoking is.

All the best

Nic

nsd_user663_3633 profile image
nsd_user663_3633

I walked and chewed them off. Sugar free gum and a 15 minute walk would always help me focus my mind :D

nsd_user663_4847 profile image
nsd_user663_4847

Again chewing gum and focus on anything, first 72 are the worst.

nsd_user663_4197 profile image
nsd_user663_4197

Twiddle Sticks

What about some kind of twiddle stick or puzzle. I have a twiddle thingy in my bag and you have to try and get it in a certain shape. I cant actually do it and pull it apart, by the time it goes back together my mind has wandered onto something else. I got mine from a Lloyds pharmacy ages ago for a couple of quid but Im sure you could get something similar from a toy shop.:D

nsd_user663_1733 profile image
nsd_user663_1733

Hi Jude

Lemon juice is good for a crave also a good puzzle book can take your mind of it. The first 72 hours are by far the worse things start to get much better from after that. Just take baby steps do what ever it takes bath, walk, Just dont smoke. xxxxxxxx

nsd_user663_4149 profile image
nsd_user663_4149

Making love is a good distraction as long as you don't want to smoke afterwards.

nsd_user663_4990 profile image
nsd_user663_4990

Well i only did the 3 days CT recently as a test, but heres some ideas and things that i've tried myself during that time.

A stress ball and lots of deep breaths when things get a bit :eek:

and my secret weapon at work? a mini stapler with no staples in it. Sounds daft? Well i use it like a clicker kinda thing, just carried it around and squeezed on that now n again to relieve the boredom. Worked for me that.. dunno why. Nurse!!?!

A confident who knows your CT'ing, who you can get to help de-stress you if you get a bit flakey.

The rest i would say is largely down to a sensible diet, plenty of non-sugary fluids (ideally low cal), and keep your mind focused on things.. vary what you are doing often too.

nsd_user663_5048 profile image
nsd_user663_5048

I have a few stress balls that i am allowed to throw at the family as they are softish (always aim for the pain) havn't played that game for a bit :D:D

brilliant lol, i'd love to do that but if i threw 1 (if i had 1) at my mum for fun she wouldnt take it nicely:eek:

nsd_user663_4964 profile image
nsd_user663_4964

I am getting there- thanks everyone.

Gonna print this out as there are only so many mints one can eat, and pens that can be chewed.

Like the stress ball idea- Wonder if my evil boss would mind me practising on him, he would make fab target...

nsd_user663_5058 profile image
nsd_user663_5058

chewing gums is sometimes very common when you deal with the craves.

nsd_user663_4990 profile image
nsd_user663_4990

Blue-Tac Scultures...

I have sooooooooo just found a new one....

Take a big lump of general office blue-tac, mould it into a nice big ball in your hands...

Now you can do one of two things with that.. you can either keep squeezing the bejeezuz out of it for de-stress...

or you can do as i've just been doing today...

make sculptures at random of various things.. can be anything.. cat, horse, person, bird.. cup, car, plane.... anything.. you'd be surprised the endless choices you can come up with. :)

having to decide what to make and then making it seems to help tons as a great distraction, and if the blue-tac sculpture is really good, you can show it off to your work collegues. Then you can always roll it back to a ball and de-stress some more.

nsd_user663_4964 profile image
nsd_user663_4964

Do not throw :D Repeat Do not throw:D

How about a blu tack sculpture of my boss carefully filled with drawing pins? I would enjoy making -and indeed throwing that -at him...:D

nsd_user663_4847 profile image
nsd_user663_4847

How about a blu tack sculpture of my boss carefully filled with drawing pins? I would enjoy making -and indeed throwing that -at him...:D

I would say very therapeutic - don't make it too recognisable tho, boss might take offence!

nsd_user663_4990 profile image
nsd_user663_4990

you could make a model of your 'monster' tho, that might work :)

nsd_user663_6057 profile image
nsd_user663_6057

How I quit Smoking?

I was a heavy smoker before.I started smoking when I was 13. I really hate myself because I don't have the guts to quit. I worked in oil & gas industries. My profession required me to check my health condition every 2 years.The last time I went to medical check up last year the doctor told me I better quit or I'll have to go to that hospital every months to check my heart condition.I WAS SCARED TO DEATH..I have a wife, a 1 year old baby..I'm not ready to leave them & I just 30 years old..

It's a WAKE UP call for me..I tried and bought everything that can help me to STOP this habit..one of them is by buying this ebook. It's really good. It was written by someone who had already leaving this habit behind.

I'm just want to share my experience. I am good know, I feel much better an really hate this thing called cigarettes.

Trust me, QUIT NOW before it's too late. Check the informations here: <Link Removed>

nsd_user663_5881 profile image
nsd_user663_5881

My magic quit thingy!

Hi all

I've invested in a 'Neals Yard' aromatherapy roll on. I chose the 'Energy' one as is smells gorgeous. Every time I get a bad craving, I roll it onto my wrists and take deep breaths. The smell is lush and reminds me that i can smell again now I don't smoke and the deep breathing also helps. As its an aromatherapy thingy it does also seem to energise me!

Might help? Nothing to lose, its about the same price as a packet of fags yet lasts a LOT longer!

nsd_user663_6095 profile image
nsd_user663_6095

Distraction works well for me. I've just bought a nintendo DS so that's helping!

nsd_user663_6440 profile image
nsd_user663_6440

Heh iv gone a little crazy from my cold turkey.... I just tell my cravings "you are annoying, leave me alone" then if im at home i play guitar if not i just relax. But whatever i do, i do not think. Iv tried thinking... It leads to me thinking of reasons to smoke. Normaly silly reasons bt stil

nsd_user663_5666 profile image
nsd_user663_5666

Werther's Originals. By the forklift load.

nsd_user663_6496 profile image
nsd_user663_6496

I found a hot shower, a bath, a swim, even doing the dishes (by hand) makes a crave disappear. U would normally not smoke with wet hands. Your smoking brain accepts this and doesn't argue back.:)

You may also like...

How do you deal with the cravings/urges?

and urges? I know we all know the usual tips (drink water, chew something, go for a walk etc) - is...

How do you tackle the psychological cravings?

How to deal with constant cravings?

giving in, another craving just as strong pops up. I know many people say exercise helps but trying...

How do you all beat cravings?

still getting a lot of cravings though, want to stop entirely but that one a day keeps me sane. does

How long did you find the cravings lasted?

been noticing just how bad my breathing is when walking uphill or doing hard exercise, its actually...