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Cravings after 135 days quit????

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Cravings after 135 days quit????

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 13

Hello Spacecas!

I have to say after 8 years of smoke free living...... yes I still do have cravings. They generally are a passing notion, and I have even heard the arguement about loosing wieght by smoking(this one I instantly remembered reading forum posts here about people going back to smoking after gaining weight and then was fat and hooked again). Pretty much I laugh as I remind myself, there is no way I want to go back to smoking,what a stupid notion.. it passes and I move on. The latest smoking dream I had, was a while ago, sometime in the last few months, I dreamt I smoked a cig, but instead of waking up all upset, in my dream I said, this is stupid I don't smoke, I remember it tasted as nasty as it smelled. The urges are easily squelched, I will not let nicoteen take that much time up in my life.

I don't know how your quit will go, we are all different with different situations. My smoking quirks generally pop up after I have been around smokers like in the car, even rolling down the window doesnt help get rid of the stench! I do live with multiple smokers, I can tell you though, it can be done, and you can stay quit, just remain ever vigil. These forums are life savers. While here on the first year of my quit I bet I read posts every day. I can't recall them right now but let a notion pop up about going back to smoking and I am flooded with different things I remember reading.

Stay strong in your quit! One of my favorite sayings here, I can not remember the author but it was on their signature " you are always one cig away from a full pack"

SuzyL

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12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Reading this string has given me the impetus I need to start today. It reminds me to be on my guard. It sometimes feels as the days and weeks mount up that we must surely be over the worst and the rest is plain sailing. This thread illustrates so clearly that at 136 days , over four months, the craving can return and linger on and off for days. As I work through week nine! I get angry at the constant effort required to keep smoke free. It feels that I am still spending a good deal of my time involved in smoking related activities. Except now the time is spent to keep me smoke FREE! That is the point made so clearly below and I must not underestimate the importance of that. It IS TIME WELL SPENT. So today with 58 days behind me, I will not smoke. N.O.P.E.

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13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Spacecase!!!

Hang in there, Kiddo!!! You remember going through those stretches previously and you just have to remember that yes, they will come and go! Addiction to nicotine is pretty darned close to being addicted to other drugs, because it IS another drug! It's been said that nicotine could be even more addictive than heroine! You have already gone through the withdrawal part of the addiction, a couple months ago. Your fight now is the mental war against your demon. I thought for a long while, that the war would never be over, but I was committed to never let that demon win even one more battle! I've won the war and you are winning yours! That sneaky little sucker is going to rear it's ugly head now and again, but the frequency of it's visits are going to become further apart and you will notice that the strength of the crave will be weaker and weaker as time goes on.

I still have a smoking dream every now and then and they usually wake me up with a start! Smoking was something that we lived our lives around for so long... it was our crutch and something we could always rely on to give us a boost. It's going to take a while to get that demon off your back, but it WILL leave! Every month and every season will bring you an activity that you associated with smoking and those are the sources of your cravings. Keep that crave basket and tic tacs close at hand for a while! Every now and then, bring out that list of reasons why you wanted to quit. What other things can you think of to keep your motivation high till the next milestone and celebration??? Like Working on It says, Slow and Steady wins the race!

Quitting is a dramatic lifestyle change. You made the commitment and have over 3 months under your belt! Wooooo hooooo for you! You CAN do this!!! All you have to do is remember N.O.P.E.! That's how we live our lives now... one day at a time without smoking!

Jim

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13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 618

Dear Spacecas,

I doubt that what you have experienced with your quit will be, 'A life time recovery effort,' but, certainly for the near future it is wise to be prepared to guard against what Nicotine addiction can throw at you.

Congratulations on quitting for 136 days...now keep looking ahead at the prospect of those smoke-free days mounting up.

You will find more times of stress, but the craves should diminish as time goes on. Of course stress plays a major part in these craves. We all lit up under moments of stress, so that habit must be broken. Have some strategies ready for the next time this happens, and remember that the reasons for your stress will not change by lighting a cigarette!

Guard your quit with your life, as your life depends on it!!!

Never look Back! The Future is Ahead!

Love Lolly.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Hi Spacecas,

Having occasional cravings and smoking dreams long after a quit is common. The stress you have been experiencing is likely the trigger. In the past you would have used cigarettes as a an unhealthy coping mechanism. How else can you manage your stress now? Managing your stress will help with the cravings and thoughts of smoking.

Although cravings and smoking dreams do crop up every once in awhile they don't usually stick around for long. Some people may experience these random cravings more then others. For some, after a period of time they completely lose the cravings and smoking dreams. The longer you stay away from smoking the less likely they will occur. Keep doing what you are doing. Keep learning from each trigger and being aware of your stress levels.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 153

I'm going through the same thing right now. I quit 72 days ago but for the first time since I quit my cravings have been driving me nuts for days now. I really think it's because I've been sick for almost 2 weeks now and am under a lot of stress. I remember back to when I first quit drinking 3 years ago anh now I never crave alcohol any more. At worst it's just an occasional passing thought. However, I do think that with any addiction we will have to be vigilant for the rest of our lives. It gets much much easier with time but we can't drop our guards because that is when it sucks you back in.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1095

Dear Spacecas:

This is a common thing with the quit process. The only thing I can tell you is that the cravings come and go. You will find that they get shorter and shorter. Stress and life in general are triggers but with your resolve to quit, you will win this war against addiction to nicotine. Hang in there and do not ever give up your quit; guard it with your life because cigarettes kill. Wishing you the best.

Duffis

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 95

Was wandering if anyone else has had this happen...Been a while since I have wanted a cig and all of a sudden i really want to smoke one and have even dreamed of smoking...Of course I have not and want cause dang 136 days is alot to just throw away and i am so proud to have made it this far that i want mess it up..But it is really agravating to want to smoke so bad all of a sudden...My stress level has been really high here lately so that might be what is triggering it also...

I have been eating alot of tic tacs again to curb the cravings and to satisfy the need for the taste some...Does this happen alot and is this going to happen more down the road..I know as a recovering drug addict(been quit for 8 or more years) they say you never recover that you will be recovering the rest of your life...Is that the way this is going to be??? A life time recovery effort and a constant guard against it..

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Cravings after 135 days quit????