Over A Week Without A Smoke, Does It Get Any Easier?

[Dennis69]

I used the patch for the first 2 days and have been doing it on my own ever since, the longest I've gone was 3 weeks a few years back

When you quit were you always craving smokes or does it get easier as the days go by?

[Spunky]

You'll always have cravings but it will eventually get easier..stay strong

[Spunky]

damn double posts

[sexyclicks]

no it doesn't but hang on there! I'm on the patch (again) as we speak

[Dennis69]

no it doesn't but hang on there! I'm on the patch (again) as we speak

The patch makes the cravings a bit easier but for whatever reason this time I'm getting pains where ever I put the patch so I just gave up using them

[tgpmakers]

The gravings fuck off after 6 months i don't need a fucking cig anymore filthy habit

[ssp]

Took me over 1.5 year to get rid of the need for cigarettes. Good luck.

[Gungadin]

It's been a year and a half since I quit, and at least once a week I'll get a strong craving... generally after a meal when I smell someone elses cigarette.

It does get easier, but it's something that you have to fight for.

[MickeyG]

thats why you're supposed to wear the patch for 2 weeks to help with the cravings. After 2 weeks the physical habit starts to die and then you can just focus on the nicotine part

When i quit i wore the patch for a full week.. it worked.

[mOrrI]

Hi...
I quited smoking about a month ago...
no patchs just my strength...

the hardest part for me is when i go out to have a drink
hehehehe

So stay strong... Just Say No...
and remember u are the one who can say the "No, i don't want it"...

Cheers :D

[dwalliz]

At least you guys have willpower able to quit smoking or even stop smoking even for two weeks. It is very hard to do it. Especially when you been doing it for many years or so.

Even though I dont smoke, shit I can't get my smoking friends to use a patch or even get them on to the first step to quit.
So in hang in there.

[Dennis69]

It's been a year and a half since I quit, and at least once a week I'll get a strong craving... generally after a meal when I smell someone elses cigarette.

It does get easier, but it's something that you have to fight for.

Yeah after a meal and first when I get up in the mornings are the hardest for me

When you think about it though they must put some wicked shit in a smoke that leaves you still craving it a year and half later!

[Dennis69]

My biggest fear is the 3 week period, everytime I've tried to quit before it was easy until 3 weeks and then I just cracked

[ajrocks]

I'm coming up on 3 months man. I feel your pain. It does get better for a while then it gets hard again. But in the past week or so I find myself wanting to kill the people around me less. Stay away from bars and booze. You can make it! I hear around 6 months you don't miss it at all.

[E$_manager]

one week is a great result!

[Grapesoda]

I stopped smoking over 10 years ago . . . and every day has been living hell craving cigs . .. just kidding . .

the thing to remember is the urge to smoke goes away whether you smoke or not . . . and the worst time is at 6 months . . you'll becrazy as hell and not know why . . . so just mark yer calander right now and you'll be fine . .

don't miss the cigs at all . . .

[media]

after two to three weeks it gets alot easier, at about 3 months it gets hard again for a bit, but you can do it...

[E$_manager]

smoking is mostly in your head so you need to entertain yourself with something.

[$5 submissions]

Once you get past 6 months you'll be fine. Gotta watch the weight though. Replace smoking with working out or celery sticks or something healthier/non-fattening.

[Vitasoy]

The early stages will be toughest.. as time goes by your urge to smoke will go away, keep it up

[Choppa]

All the best bro

[Cyndalie]

Short answer: NO
And just when you think you beat it and you drop your guard, it starts all over again.

Seriously, Good luck and hang in there!

[RhiannonAPM]

Good luck man! Quitting smoking is real hard. Just remember that its not the puffing on the cig that you miss, its it being in your mouth, giving you something to do. Try doing something else when you crave a cig. Chew gun or get a toothpick and stick it in your mouth. I havent quit smoking completely but I only smoke 1-2 cigs a day. Right now I know is not a good time to try to quit but in 2-3 weeks I wont even think about it anymore. Sometimes I go 2-3 days without a cig and then just feel like one so I have one. If the patches don't work then just trying doing the cut down method. And when it gets to the point where your cigs are going stale before you go through the whole pack then you know you can do it. Good luck again!

[majorbitch]

I don't know how the hell I did it, but I stopped smoking cold turkey for about 2 years.. it seemed so easy back then. But I started up again and now, i'm trying to quit but I can't.

But yes, it gets worse. Hang in there, good luck

[Gaybucks]

When you start smoking, nicotine is deadly toxic, so the brain creates receptors to bind to the nicotine. Every time you smoke, more receptors are created, and once created, they're permanent... they never go away.

So what happens after a length of time smoking is the nicotine receptors start looking for nicotine, which is what creates the cravings. When you stop smoking the receptors are looking for something to bind to. The *physical* part of the addiction is generally gone after about 3-5 days, but the cravings generally take much longer. The receptors will never go away, but in time (over weeks or months, depending on how much you smoke and for how long), they become inactive. In time, there are no physical cravings at all, but there may still be psychological ones.

And the permanent presence of the receptors is why most people can't *ever* smoke even a single cigarette ever again... for most people, if they do smoke even one cigarette (or cigar, or anything with nicotine in it), it will essentially "wake up" all the nicotine receptors and restart the cravings, and within usually 2 or 3 cigarettes, you're right back where you started.

One thing that helps some people is there are real tobacco cigarettes that are 100% nicotine free. It's genetically engineered tobacco, and the cigarettes, called Quest, are sold only in the northeast and Arizona at the moment, but you can buy online (do a Google search). They are totally non-addictive. Several of my friends have used these and found them to be really helpful in getting over the desire to have something in your mouth, or to smoke with friends.

[Dennis69]

When you start smoking, nicotine is deadly toxic, so the brain creates receptors to bind to the nicotine. Every time you smoke, more receptors are created, and once created, they're permanent... they never go away.

So what happens after a length of time smoking is the nicotine receptors start looking for nicotine, which is what creates the cravings. When you stop smoking the receptors are looking for something to bind to. The *physical* part of the addiction is generally gone after about 3-5 days, but the cravings generally take much longer. The receptors will never go away, but in time (over weeks or months, depending on how much you smoke and for how long), they become inactive. In time, there are no physical cravings at all, but there may still be psychological ones.

And the permanent presence of the receptors is why most people can't *ever* smoke even a single cigarette ever again... for most people, if they do smoke even one cigarette (or cigar, or anything with nicotine in it), it will essentially "wake up" all the nicotine receptors and restart the cravings, and within usually 2 or 3 cigarettes, you're right back where you started.

One thing that helps some people is there are real tobacco cigarettes that are 100% nicotine free. It's genetically engineered tobacco, and the cigarettes, called Quest, are sold only in the northeast and Arizona at the moment, but you can buy online (do a Google search). They are totally non-addictive. Several of my friends have used these and found them to be really helpful in getting over the desire to have something in your mouth, or to smoke with friends.

I feel though if I even take so much as a puff I won't be able to stop and then I have put myself through a week of hell for nothing

Very interesting read, thanks alot

[Abithefiend]

I think it varies from person to person. I quit four years ago for just over two years....took a couple weeks before I stopped craving as such and could handle being around other smokers without needing a cig. I did start again though, so...

[HouseHead]

Im trying to quit aswell..Been a solid month. Try JollyRanchers!

[wtfent]

I hate cigs to death but nothing like a good smoke after you leave the bar, ahhhhhhh so relaxing. See if you never would have got addicted you could still enjoy them like I do from time to time.

[Babagirls]

YES it gets easier. Get off the patch. You're still putting nicotene in your body. Just suck it up for 3 days and detox that shit out of you. After that, its 100% mental. Just simply DONT smart smoking again. Dont take 1 hit, dont buy "just one more pack", just be done with it. You've come this far, why the hell would you want to sabatage yourself?? You can do it, just be strong-minded.

[madawgz]

congratz! i just quit smoking 4 days ago

the cravings have dropped alot!

but its still there

[MaddCaz]

good luck with it

[Dagwolf]

congratz! i just quit smoking 4 days ago

the cravings have dropped alot!

but its still there

You're on the home stretch :D The first 3 days or so are the worst (cold turkey)... Spend the next 3-4 weeks keeping your hands busy and learning not to think about smoking. And never take a drag again.

edit: forgot this thread was old

[reynold]

I guess there's that certain length of days you need to pass before things get much easier.

[ajrocks]

8 months clean but now I've slipped and have 1 or 2 smokes a day again. I'm fucked.

[uno]

Hi...
I quited smoking about a month ago...
no patchs just my strength...

the hardest part for me is when i go out to have a drink
hehehehe

So stay strong... Just Say No...
and remember u are the one who can say the "No, i don't want it"...

Cheers :D

Whenever I have stopped it was always hardest during drinking, times of stress and after meals. Break the habits and it should be easier.

[woj]

Took me over 1.5 year to get rid of the need for cigarettes. Good luck.

wow, I'm glad I never picked up smoking... :-/

[J. Falcon]

Good luck, you'll make it.