Personally, I think my inner nicotine addict will always be there, ready to pounce if I let it.
But it’s how I relate to those impulses that counts.
Abstinence is essential - but not sufficient. I say this as someone who lost a 7 year quit… 7 years of merely not smoking was not enough to protect me.
What I lacked then, but am building now, is a deeper understanding of addiction and a commitment to recovery from it. So yes, I still experience the desire to smoke sometimes. I probably always will. But I can see it more clearly now, I know it for what it is (no good), and I don’t let the thoughts take root or give them any power.
Kind of like a fart cloud. Sometimes unpleasant, sometimes funny, sometimes, “Where did that come from?!” But you wave it off and get on with your day.
