Post One Year Cravings

[farmgirl]

Do tell about the post-one-year cravings... 

 

I have definitely had cravings over the past year, but they've really died down.  I even had a month with none at all (I swear - it was month 10 or 11, I can't remember).  A few crept up during the last month, but now... I have cravings on a daily basis, and they are NOT the little passing nostalgic ones - they feel more physical.  Is this a thing?  I know it's all in my head, but why now?  It's not cool.  Is it because I came into this year with full-on confidence?  Am I losing my edge?

 

 

[jillar]

I had/have those too farmgirl, I think that just because we have a year, or almost three in my case, quit it still is nothing to the amount of years we smoked. So for a lot of us it's totally normal. 

The beauty is that these craves are nothing like the bad craves we had in the beginning of our quits right? On New Year's eve I told my husband that I kinda felt like having a cigarette. Of course I didn't but it was a thought that popped in my head.

I figure that I smoked for 35 years so it may take years to get over all the craves

[Sazerac]

Hey @farmgirl,

These craves are the last live embers of addiction as you put it to sleep.

Remember, Addiction doesn't magically go away, it is something we must live with forever.

The quicker we silence our smokey thoughts, the quieter the addiction becomes.

 

At a certain point after the first year,  I could no longer call my smokey thoughts craves, they were just wisps of a phantom.

 

You may find this post helpful

Lifetime of Addiction

 

[Cbdave]

G’day

A crave in week 1 of quiting is like stuffing a rat in a coffee can. You hold the lid down. As the oxygen level runs down that little rat/crave is in the fight for its life. 

Youve got hold of the lid. Are you letting go....No away are you letting that little sh1t out...... all in all it’s pretty draining. Your fighting for you life too.

A craving at year one is like a wasp flying into you drink bottle.

“ where the hell did that come from?”

You’re not that stupid to think you can just release it. You know how dangerous that would be. Without another thought you screw the lid down and chuck it in the bin.

Problem? What problem! it’s solved

C

 

 

 

 

[Fab]

On 1/9/2019 at 12:40 PM, farmgirl said:

Do tell about the post-one-year cravings... 

 

I have definitely had cravings over the past year, but they've really died down.  I even had a month with none at all (I swear - it was month 10 or 11, I can't remember).  A few crept up during the last month, but now... I have cravings on a daily basis, and they are NOT the little passing nostalgic ones - they feel more physical.  Is this a thing?  I know it's all in my head, but why now?  It's not cool.  Is it because I came into this year with full-on confidence?  Am I losing my edge?

 

 

Have been feeling the same. 

We have worked so hard to get to this point and once we hit the milestone our old addiction tells us how we rewarded ourselves in the past. 

Proves that we need to still guard ourselves from relap at all times. 

As you know it will pass - set your next milestone - 2 years. 

Ps. I was talking to a fella just recently who relapsed after 24 years - can you believe that - 9 years later he is still smoking and is fighting the battle to try and quit again. 

[JOD]

It's not unusual.  I still remember cravings hitting me periodically, but in waves, after a year.  At airports of all places.  The big picture is that the cravings will continue to grow weaker and less frequent. 

 

However this might be a good time to review the reasons you quit to begin with.  Write the reasons down on a piece of paper and keep the list with you at all times. Revisit the Newbie Package and Joel's pages, and read and remember.  Revisit any practices that helped you early on. Your resolve will become even stronger and the cravings will continue to weaken and become less frequent.

 

Hang in there!! You've beat this thing and all you need to do is remain vigilant!

Edited January 12, 2019 by JOD

[Sazerac]

Here are some resources from our friend, Joel,

Craves or thoughts that occur over time.