Day 17, no smoking.

[crazydick]

While I've not smoked any cigarettes in over 3 years(not even a puff!)I thought the little 95 cent cigars wouldn't hurt right?Wrong! now I'm on day 17 of being clean.I guit because my wife is trying to make sure I see retirement and I'm still sneaking around like teenager smoking!Seriosly it's like cheating on her and feels like crap.I guess what I'm trying to say is that the cravings will never realy leave you,they just get less severe and less important but they'll still be there even after 3 years and if we're not careful we'll get caught again.Thanks for reading" Crazydick."

[Setbackpatch 1 Year Smoke Free]

I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one still having regular cravings after almost a year. When I leave work, it the worst. I don’t realy feel I want to smoke but my mind and body respond like it did when I smoked - excited and looking forward to ....something but what. Does that make sense? Often I have the feelings that I’m missing something - incomplete feeling. And of course, chocolate, food, gum or a drink is an attempt to fill the void but doesn’t really work. I was actually thinking about going to the dr to see of something else was going on in my body. Any comments are welcome.

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Setbackpatch]

Hey Setbackpatch - good to hear from you. Yeah that feeling of wanting something / missing something does linger on for some time especially when seeing others smoking - are you surrounded by smokers regularly? I am almost 3 years smoke free now and can't exactly pin point when I stopped missing smoking but would have been well over the year mark - would come now and again but grew stronger every time to just shrug it off.

Did you change your routine after work to that of you non smoking or did you keep the routine that you associated with smoking - I know I stopped going to the shop in the evenings as always bought my supply every evening after work, if anything needed would get hubby to get instead and just do 2 big weekly shops for groceries etc.....

[Setbackpatch 1 Year Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

I’m pretty lucky in that none of my friends or business associates smoke. The feeling I have pops up every day, multiple times for really no reason that I can associate. It seems that my mind should be over it by now. I really don’t have an urge telling me to smoke, rather its a feeling of wanting or missing something. No way am I going back to the nico demon! I would sure like to figure out when these feeling will end or if it’s associated with something else medical.

My after work routine use to be go home play a few computer games and smoke cigs. Now I go home have a drink and do what ever work needs done. I will try patience for a bit longer and allow time to heal. Thanks for listening! Hugs.

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Setbackpatch]

Yeah, patience is another trait needed in this journey - its a slow gradual process this healing and recovery but will be so worth it in the end Setbackpatch

[mmaya 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to Setbackpatch]

I quit at the same time as Roisin, can't remember a day before or after her...its been almost 3 years.

I reached a stage where I wasn't even thinking about smoking at all, just as I thought I was done, I had to deal with an emergency situation with a close family member having a very long operation. After abt 2 hours waiting, I bought a pack...still managed to behave and didn't open it...an hour later I started and by the end if the operation I was already gone through half the pack.

One goes to two and two become 20 before you notice.

...never ever take one puff unless you want yo be a smoker.

Stay strong.

[ccurn in reply to mmaya]

Thank you for sharing this. It seems so crazy but stress is the biggest trigger. It's like Mr.Nic was just WAITING for you to feel stressed out, preoccupied, weak, worried, etc. and reared his ugly head!!! Ugh... I have done similar in the past with long quits stopped short by stress-smoking that turns into the next 5 years. Congrats on your quit and we must always remember NOT ONE PUFF EVER. Cheers

[mmaya 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to ccurn]

I don't think its the necessarily stress but situations that we haven't yet had to face or that we are outside our comfort zone. Quit smoking is aboutvlearning how to live again.

I remember years ago, I was already 9 months into a quit and relapsed on the day of my graduation - there was no stress and no alcohol - I don't drink.

I remember I was so excited, happy and proud of myself... I decided I was entitled to have just one, a treat!

I learned that smokers are like a wife on an abusive relationship. As the time passes, you convince yourself that you cannot survive without him, that he loves you ...truth to be said, we're just afraid of moving on and too weak to do it. Now often, after moving on, we still convince ourselves that he wasn't that bad and maybe he changed. Then we let him in for a dinner or a talk...if you let him in, he will never leave again.

I did not make this up, I heard this in a seminary I went a few years ago...can't remember the guys name. He finished saying, if you finally manage to get rid of the abusive partner, celebrate and never look back, don't go ringing him for a coffee 6 months down the line!

[ccurn in reply to mmaya]

I think you are right- it’s the learning to live again that’s tricky. Stress is often a trigger but not always- that’s for sure. And it’s that one cigarette as a treat or distraction that gets us hooked again. Your comparison to an abusive partner is spot on.

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free]

Welcome to our community crazydick - congratulations on over 2 weeks smoke free, well done.

I am approaching my 3 year anniversary smoke free in September and completely understand how easy it could happen to fall back into Mr Nico trap again - was on holidays in Rome there last week and EVERYONE smokes, the heat was serious and was tempted to buy a packet just for something to do as I lay awake under the air condition at night but luckily and thankfully what stopped me was the smell of smoke that I have grown to detest and makes me feel sick.....

Wishing you all the best and strength in your new journey, look forward to reading your progress when you can

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

How are you getting on now crazydick ?

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

6 months smoke free now crazydick - how are you getting on?

[CocoaXChange Valued Contributor]

I also quit around 3 years and still periodically think about smoking. It's the usual when drinking or other times when I would smoke in the past. I remember a thread on when do you consider yourself an ex-smoker. I think never for those of us who smoked so long. Still carry my e-cig though not used much.

Many of us have smoked for most of our years on earth, and it is such a pervasive habit. Wake up, leave home, get off train, enter office. Anything was an excuse to smoke.

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I don’t have any more urges to smoke . I drink lots of herbal tea and quit caffeine . Maybe if I have urges I don’t recognize them as urges to smoke I just see it as regular stress .You never know .

I still carry my zero nicotine vape in my purse ,and I don’t know why I don’t even use it .only the first 6 months I did .I think is that I’m so afraid to smoke again I keep it just in case .Maybe is just for peace of mind

[KathieO 100 Days Smoke Free]

I"m glad to hear that the cravings are still there after that long of a time because I thought they would go away by now, but I have only been clean for 10 months. It seems like every days is a challenge. I have only went a few weeks a certain times without the thoughts or cravings. Sometimes I don't feel like doing the challenge anymore, but I went and got some smokes for a friend and it's 3 packs for $20.00 now. Oh my goodness, I could not see myself paying that. So far that's been my motivation staying nicotine free.

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free in reply to KathieO]

Stay strong KathieO - I promise the challenge will get easier soon, you have come such a long way and smoking is just not an option anymore

[KathieO 100 Days Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

I agree. Smoking is not an option. Thanks for your feedback

[ccurn in reply to KathieO]

Where I am it's almost $15 for one 25 cig pack. Can you believe it?

[KathieO 100 Days Smoke Free in reply to ccurn]

That is crazy. I know prices are high to make us not want to smoke but you can’t force someone to quit and that is what that is.