how does anyone quit if stress triggers crave?

[JB 883]

OK so first, my biggest trigger for wanting a smoke is excitement. Well like last night my room mate cooked up an awesome dinner with rice and chicken breast. After eating and feeling stuffed, I thought "Holy crap that was delicious! Time for a cigarette! Eh crap, I don't smoke and ain't got no tobacco anyways".

I do not get excited often but when i do, that is when I feel this weird "nudge" to want a smoke. But not enough to give in.

Maybe I found an awesome deal on ebay. Whatever.

 

But many people say stress is their big one. Well, no matter our age or whatever, stress is always about. Like at my boring job, sometimes I will be working and thinking of things that piss me off. Something that happened 30 years ago, something that I merely imagined, or whatever. So I will be basking in violent thoughts about people I cannot stand. Very stressful but never once during my hateful fantasies or memories do I think, "I want to smoke".

 

As we age, stress is more common in life than excitement. Unless you drive a Pontiac. OK stupid joke.

But yeah since life is mostly drudgery and stress, which trigger many smokers to light up, how does anyone manage to lay off? 

 

Side note - my room mate drives a Pontiac. It has  a gas leak. So even if one of us did smoke we could not do it around the car cause it might explode. THAT would be hilarious.

 

 

[notsmokinjo]

I used to be an equal opportunity smoker...loved me a good old woohoo smoke but chain smoked when stressed... How did I do it... by realising that having a smoke was not going to cure me, get me a new job, pay the bills, put food on the table, erase my past hurts, comfort me, answer any of my questions.....and have the boys and girls here to remind me of all that when I needed it.

 

Actually, learning that instead of helping with stress smoking would increase it and understanding the neurological connection between nicotine addiction and anxiety helped me learn to cope with stressful times without putting something iny mouth and burning it....I will confess when I get super stressed now I will reach for a chewy (non-nrt of course) or I'll suck a mint ... But for the most it is just life and the one thing I know for a fact that will not help any situation is a smoke.

 

It was also having threads like this to read in the early days that made me realise that it wouldn't help and why, so thanks @Jet Black for starting such a good thread.

 

 

[Doreensfree]

I used to smoke for any reason...Happy ,Sad,Stressed ,Not stressed ...I just Smoked ...because I was a lady smoker who deserved a little treat no matter what was going on ...

I woke up and  smelt the coffee.....No you Idiot your a Addict who needs her fix ....

I now deal with life's up and downs much calmer ...I'm not wound up like a spring ..

Stress can be hard enough without nicotine withdrawal to boot ....

The longer the quit ..the more relaxed you become ....

[Sazerac]

One of the main tenets of nicotine addiction is the fact that

smoking causes stress, much more stress and anxiety.

 

Here are some resources

Smoking and Mental Health

Explaining The Stress Inducing Effects of Nicotine To Cigarette Smokers

and

from our friend, Joel

 

 

 

Quitting smoking has taught me how to educate myself about a problem,

change my attitude and change my life.

If I am encountering too much stress, 

I see that as a choice and a challenge to mitigate it.

 

My life has far more excitement than stress and I am Sixty Three. 

It is all about one's frame of mind and the choices one makes.

There is often the promise of a great adventure right around the corner

all of which makes for an interesting life, for sure.

 

Drudgery and stress ?

Not for me, sugar,

I had enough of that as an active nicotine addict !

 

Edited February 13, 2019 by Sazerac

[sgt.barney]

Stress doesn't trigger a crave. 

 

Stress is just an excuse that you will latch onto.

EZPZ

[RoryPlog]

The cravings/triggers are starting to become just a dull roar now for me 'most of the time'. Now and again a 'moment' crave or a 'stress' trigger will still grab my attention a little more. I don't really understand why some of them will stand out or become something I have to 'fight off'. 

 

Either way the tactics and strategies that I have used since I started my quit, get me though all the moments. Take a breath........address what is really going on "I want to smoke because I used to be addicted to smoking - now I don't smoke"..........distract myself from the moment 'grab a guitar and play a few licks'.

 

Peace 

 

Rory