When did it happen for you?

[MichelleDoesntSmoke]

When did the many-times-a-day cravings ease up? I know we are all different but am curious

[Petra]

I don't remember exactly - maybe around 3 months?? 

 

One day you just realize that you haven't thought about smoking for a while.   

[joe]

Same here.... At some point getting on with life seems to take precedence over thinking about NOT smoking....

[Jenny]

It improves daily really, but it's very subtle.  I can remember suddenly realizing that I had completed a whole task without thinking about it and it just grew from there.  I do remember in the beginning feeling so overwhelmed with thoughts of smoking.  I couldn't stop thinking about it and all I wanted was for everything to feel "normal" again.  It will happen for you too.  Until then, try to be patient and try activities to take your mind off it, like deep breathing or exercise.  Those things helped me a lot.  Along with posting here!!

[Runfree]

Frequency and intensity was gradual but eased up around weeks 2-3.  I do recall posting concern and frustration around week 5 just because they'd come completely out of the blue and hit hard.  I was told to anticipate up to 6 months as my body adjusted.  It was at that point I made the decision to just roll with them knowing they'd pass and eventually be gone.  And it was true.  But the day to day....um, maybe week 2, maybe part of week 3.

 

ETA - what others said about "suddenly realizing" is very true.  It is so FUN when that happens.  It will happen for you too.  Hang in there.  You're doing great!

[MichelleDoesntSmoke]

They are getting better in frequency and intensity but are still often and strong enough to be uncomfortable and unpleasant. I'll go from being obsessed with wanting to smoke even though I'm not planning to smoke. Then suddenly half a  hour later I'm like "Hey....where'd it go?" lol

[babs609]

hard to tell....I remember about a month quit and a few hours went by and not a single thought of smoking...until I had that thought about it not being a single thought of smoking.....and then it was followed by obsessive thoughts of smoking..haha

 

it really was a roller coaster ride for me....no rhyme or reason to the craves....some days better..some days worse.  But always NOPE..and always a happy non smoker..even on days the craves came strong...didn't matter!!

 

remember that just because you still have craves doesn't mean you don't enjoy life and have to spend your days miserable because you have craves...they won't kill you...they won't even **** up your day.

[Evelyn]

Uh, well, today i had barely cravings. thoughts yes being reminded by my smoking housemates but the burn of my lungs last nite was so vivid I'm convinced that junkie-thinking will try but that I wanna protect and guard this quit.

 

Some nerviousness but I rather think that's of quitting one med, being replaced with another. I AM HAPPY.

 

Haven't known this feeling a long time. This sounding scary :)

 

Today my neighbor was outta fags, he's a sad person to watch but watching addiction + messed up mind: AND my friend who nearly has any money and is outta fags often. I AM SO GLAD I CHOOSE TO BE FREE

 

And I AM!!! Right now!

 

Not tomorrow, but when I choose to break the addiction..this time it's

 

EASY PEASY

[beacon]

For me the intense terrible craving faded away day by day . I remember feeling some what better after a month.at least then I could reasonably relax in my living room. But ithen I craved individual cigs, like the morning cig, the after work reward cig, the lunch cigs. One by one they went away over months. The in the car craves lasted for more than a year. Not craves really but the desire. I developed a gum habit while driving. Now there are no craves, just stupid wistful thoughts every now and then. These are followed by the thought of me smoking one and choking to death.

[action]

I seem to remember 6 weeks being a big deal for me... Perhaps that's when I actually started believing I could do this (because in the beginning, I was pretty sure that I was going to fail!). Bottom line - it DOES get better!

[sgt.barney]

> When did the many-times-a-day cravings ease up

 

They don't.

 

Not the way you want 'em too.

 

It just gradually and gradually - imperceptibly day-by-day gets ever so slightly better (on average, with some worse days and backsliding thrown in for fun) until one day you go to bed thinking "huh ... I haven't had a crave all week)

 

 

Easy Peasy

[Aine]

3 months and I still thought about smoking a couple of hours total every day. Real cravings, not so many. 6 months, better. like everyone says, subtle change. . .9 months. Argh. Bad. A year, I realized I wanted to stay a non smoker. Still have thoughts and an occasional crave. But, weighing that against what I felt like and what my life was like as a smoker: no comparison. Not smoking today.

[Dentalfloss]

I don't know exactly when but if you commit then it will get better. Believe us when we tell you.

Yes, you are gonna have many days that suck but they lead to days that don't. I was a lot better before a year but I still had seasonal triggers until after I hit one year and I'm proud to say that I am now a little under 15 months free and don't think about it other than in passing. I even just had a major crisis and it didn't cross my mind.

Be patience. It will come.

[MarylandQuitter]

When I quit in 2012 (relapsed in 2013) I did so using Wellbutrin XL.  While I was on the medication I don't recall many cravings at all, mostly because smoking made me nauseous while on it.  Once I get fed up with feeling sick with each puff, I just quit.  Shortly after quitting I also stopped the Wellbutrin XL (by the advice of my doctor who prescribed it) and I still don't remember any intense cravings.  However, when I "tried" to quit before that, the cravings were pretty bad at times and I couldn't make it past the 4 hour mark.  Most of them were in my head and I made the cravings out to much worse than they were because I was so obsessed with wanting to smoke.

 

When I quit in 2013 (my sticky quit!) I can't say how the cravings lasted (I'm sure I posted it here somewhere) but before I quit, I felt the pull of the addiction like I had never, ever felt it before.  It scared the shit out of me and I had only been smoking for one week.  I remember driving down the road on my way home from work and the addiction felt so strong like I had never felt it previously and knew I had to quit.  I felt that if I didn't quit very soon that I would be trying to quit 20 years down the road.  The next day I quit smoking at 7:03 PM.  Waking up the addiction by relapsing and feeling the firm grip that the addiction had on me is something that I NEVER want to feel again.

 

Will I Ever Stop Thinking Of Cigarettes?

Most people overestimate how much of a battle staying smoke free will be once they quit smoking. This video discusses how people will generally stop thinking about smoking, and much sooner than they usually think.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8310BI-euJw&list=PL8EB359C247D3FE6C&index=13

 

I Want One!

Video discusses how to stop the internal debate that often occurs after quitting.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHvi6dwLanA

[BAT]

After about the first 15 minutes of a month long marathon of watching non smoking cats and dogs  :blink:  :)