How long til I'm over the horrible cravings?

[nsd_user663_57418]

Hi guys,

I've set my day for tomorrow to quit.

How long in your experiences does it take to overcome those horrible cravings? In my experience from trying to quit in the past I can not get cigarettes out of my head. It's like I obsess about them.

Anyone else do this? And how long til those thoughts go away??

Thanks!!

[nsd_user663_20558]

It's a hard question to answer because every person has different experiences!

You're quitting CT so you can expect the physical side of nicotene withdrawal - which can feel a bit like mild flu - to be over in four or five days. Some people find that other physical symptoms - sleep disturbance, constipation for example - can go on a bit longer than that. But they all iron themselves out eventually.

However - get used to it, I say this A LOT on this site - 99% of a successful quit is about reprogramming your brain. You've spent years building up associations with smoking. So for some time after the nicotene is gone, you will still experience the desire for a cigarette, which can *feel* pretty physical sometimes. You will encounter situations/emotions where you would previously have smoked and your brain will prompt you to light up, and when you don't do it, the resulting feelings can be quite stressful. To begin with it feels like it's constant - because it is! You're facing every situation for the first time without smoking, so your brain is sending out these prompts constantly. You just have to keep hold of your reasons, keep distracting yourself, keep in control.

The good news is, once you've gone through these 'would have smoked' situations a couple of times and come out the other side, your brain learns to stop prompting. Those craves get fewer and further between the longer you go on. The gaps where you don't obsess about smoking get bigger. It gets easier and easier.

So in answer to your question I don't know how long before it stops, but you must always keep in mind that it will stop. And as time goes on you become more and more aware of all the advantages, which really sweetens the pill!

Again I say. YOU. CAN. DO. THIS!

Helen

[AngryBear]

In my experience my cravings, anxiety and fury (!) disappeared after two weeks, reappeared briefly after 21 days then disappeared on day 30. To date (ten months), apart from the odd minor situation trigger, they've not come back.

As Hels says, everyone's different, I know people that have had no problems after a very few days so maybe I was just unlucky :rolleyes:

I also found it true that each trigger you go through lengthens the gaps between anxieties as there are fewer of them. I felt a bit weird last night because it was the first warm evening out in the garden. It lasted seconds and took no disposing of, the feeling, but it was just another I'd sorted out. Christmas was another, travelling to my mum & dad's last month was another, on it's gone...

Good luck with it, and post on here loads, it's the best tool you'll have.

[austinlegro 11 Years Smoke Free]

He pops in, waves, :p, links, and pops out again...