Unbelievable Cravings !!

[nsd_user663_44903]

Day 1 - quit at 20:15 last night. Knew today would be difficult as I have stopped before but cravings are coming about every 10 minutes at the moment and I am 'cold turkey' ...... I know I can beat this but for anyone who has never smoked they couldn't know the angst of nicotine withdrawal !!!! <gritting teeth>. Trying to be positive and think of all the reasons that I know this is the right thing to do but keep seeing that advert with the guy in the 'big cigarette' in my head. Tips anyone? :eek:

[nsd_user663_44835]

day 1 shakes

I've gone cold turkey too today and I've dumped a few habits that would make me think of a smoke, eg tea break (worked through it). Signed up for a 10k too but that might be a tad drastic on the first day for most people lol

stick with it pal

stuart

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

Distraction: Anything to keep your mind off it. Exercise helped me. Getting stuck into the forum and reading, answering and supporting is aslo a great distraction.

Snacking: I had a sour sweet and Chilli Peanut thing going on in the 1st week or few. Others eat grapes some suck on frozen grapes. Menthol gum was also a firm favourite of mine. Healthy people will suggest regular sips of water

Embracing the experience Some people try to revel in the cravings treating them as signs that the body is healing.

Venting: Screaming, shouting, hitting pillows etc has helped some people cope.

Congrats on your quit and you just need to do whatever is needed to get you through the 1st couple of weeks, they are the endurance part of the quit, but once they are out of the way there is never a need to repeat them!

The right mental attitude is IMO the key, rather than looking on quitting as making a sacrifice and denying yourself as great pleasure, try to see quitting as a positive thing regaining health, wealth and control.

Have a browse through the links in my signature there is a load information there to help get your mind in the right place.

All the best

Nic

[Hidden]

The way I look at it, it will take X number of cravings until they disappear. Everyone's X is different.

Each craving is X-1. If it takes 500 cravings (for example) to stop having cravings, then when that first one on day one comes on, if I handle it, I only have 499 to go. And then 498, 497, etc.

It's almost like reframing a craving as a good thing, because it's a visible sign that you're that much closer to being done with all this forever.

[nsd_user663_44908]

Day 1 - quit at 20:15 last night. Knew today would be difficult as I have stopped before but cravings are coming about every 10 minutes at the moment and I am 'cold turkey' ...... I know I can beat this but for anyone who has never smoked they couldn't know the angst of nicotine withdrawal !!!! <gritting teeth>. Trying to be positive and think of all the reasons that I know this is the right thing to do but keep seeing that advert with the guy in the 'big cigarette' in my head. Tips anyone? :eek:

I know how you feel! I am a real fidgiter and the mere act of smoking is cathartic. not sure how to remedy this.

[nsd_user663_40910]

Welcome

Hi AddictiveNature & Welcome,

The thing I found that really helped me was knowing that I was the one making a CHOICE to not smoke.. No one else, no one is forcing you to stop and you can go ahead and smoke any time you want to... Do you really want to smoke???? The answer is NO... No one wants to smoke ! We are drug addicts :eek:, no 2 ways about it and right now you are detoxing, give it a few days and you will feel alot better.

Brush your teeth and think about how nice your fresh breath is and how nice your teeth feel without fur all over them at the end of each day.. It sounds gross, I know but something I did notice in the first few days of my quit was the lack of fur at the end of the day.

Well done and I hope to see more posts from you.. chin up, this quit is for YOU.. Whatever your reasons.

FF

[nsd_user663_44903]

Thanks for the support!!

Thanks for the tips guys! They are appreciated. The irony is, it's not like I haven't been here before! I've previously stopped for 9 years and then again for 6 yrs so I know I can do it. I agree with the comments that putting a spin on it being a positive thing rather than a negative one is the way to go. Sadly, I'm a bit more of a pessimist than an optimist but hey ho! I'm still struggling on but have found a rather cool app on my smart phone called Cessation Nation which is tracking every minute I go without a cigarette and is very informative and gives lots of health tips ....

I wouldn't mind if I was a 40 a day gal! I only smoked about 6 a day! Clearly same issues regardless of no smoked!

One struggles on ................. <breathes deeply> can't give up now gone more than 16 hrs !!!

[nsd_user663_24115]

@ Nic what does IMO mean?

I say embrace your cravings full on , its your addiction saying what about meeee. well what about you. your an addiction to setting fire to acigarette and inhaling the fumes. do i really want that .in all honesty if you do then smoke if not just put up with a bit of discomfort for a short time. and they will get less frequent and less intense.Eventually your wish to quit smoking will come true.

mash x

[nsd_user663_10532]

Ha ha Mash, it means in my opinion, showing your age now only joking:eek:

[nsd_user663_44937]

Day 1

Quit this morning at 9am...38years of smoking with several failed attempts behind me. this is it though.....!!!!

[nsd_user663_44124]

Well done day ones

Well done everyone, it seems like yesterday that I started my quit and all of a sudden I'm one month in, people on here are great just for listening to in my case lots of daft questions . The thing is its a dreadful addiction it's horrible at times some days you want to pull your head off, but when it clicks and you see it as a fight with yourself then your healing, get the apps look at the pictures frighten yourself if that what it takes but don't give up giving up its the best feeling when you win the little battles, then you know you'll win the war. Good luck and best wishes to you all above all stick with it.

[nsd_user663_43815]

I have that Cessation Nation app on my phone too, I like seeing the health benefits percentages going up.

I also quit cold turkey and things that helped me through the first two weeks were ice-pops, I couldn't get enough of them. Knitting the odd time to keep the hands occupied. Looking up on the internet about smoking and the damage it does (and on the flip side how much my body was already starting to heal in just a few short hours). Turning the music up and singing along. I also slept A LOT. Stopping smoking left me feeling totally shattered so I slept when I could get the opportunity. Figured if I was sleeping I wasn't craving also.

As other have said though it's the change of mindset that has had the most positive effect. For me it's now or never. I'm an addict that was reliant on a dirty, nasty drug. The only way to break that addiction is to face it head on and to never take a smoke again. It is uncomfortable at times but you gain so much self-respect from stopping. I never thought nearly three weeks ago I would still be here but I am by just taking it minute by minute. A day at a time.

Good luck to you all. You can do it!!