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1. justfortoday

   

   168 posts
   Registered:
   12 Aug 2019
   04 Oct 2019

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   Yesterday was my one month free of smoking. As many of you know, I got sooooo close to lighting up but thankfully you, and the tools I applied helped get me off that ledge. I know I can never smoke again; it just isn't an option for me, but I over the last three days or so, my "desire" to smoke has been super strong.
   
   It's not as intense as it was those first couple of weeks (wow … still remember that boot camp from hell), but the cravings can be quite gripping. It's frustrating and I fear I will always have to "battle" with this demon.
   
   So, here's my question. Given time (which I'm totally down with putting in), do these cravings become a little quieter? And, is it a normal part of the quit to go days feeling amazing about the progress, and then suddenly feel shaky that it's going to be hard for all of eternity?
   
   I'm so grateful for your input …. and thanks for helping me through this.
   
   
   
2. emancipated

   

   9 posts
   Registered:
   02 Oct 2019
   04 Oct 2019

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   Sorry to hear that it has been such a struggle for you the last few days. It is still a struggle for me. I will only have 3 weeks in this weekend. It frightens me to think that the cravings might still be so bad after a month. On the other hand it is encouraging for me to hear that those cravings are not as intense as the first few weeks. Hoping that they become even less intense and less frequent with time. (I also fear that I will have to battle with this demon for the rest of my life.)
   In any event, I believe a month is a HUGE MILESTONE. Cause for celebration. Congratulations, and I hope you have a chance to reward yourself this weekend for such an incredible achievement.
   
3. atp

   

   501 posts
   Registered:
   31 Dec 2018
   04 Oct 2019 in reply to justfortoday

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   Justfortoday - Hooray for making it to one month , and 3 weeks for you emancipated. 
   
   Seems a lot of us who quit hit a hard point about the 3rd or 4th week. You are getting over the physical side of the addiction, and you are now struggling with the mental side.These are sort of the last big cravings our mind tries to throw at us. 
   
   you're right on the cusp of really breaking free of the addiction. The cravings will subside, you will get used to being a nonsmoker. it just takes some baby steps first. 
   
   Went back through my old posts and found this one from February 02 that I posted at my one month:
   
   The addict in my head really gave me the full on treatment last night. Just as I'm celebrating one month smoke free, I have the worst evening of cravings since about the first week. It's like in the Soprano's with one of the characters saying "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" 
   
   For the entire evening I had that hunger/thirst feeling, got really grumpy, restless, and had a hard time focusing. Even had a restless sleep. Through it all I wasn't really tempted to smoke, but that extended craving was a real good reminder of how powerful the addiction is. 
   
   What a different way of looking at it though - I was actually annoyed at the craving episode. 
   
   To soothe myself this morning I spent a bit of time reading lots of older posts on this site and responded to some newer posts. It feels good to be a part of this larger community of new non-smokers."
   
4. justfortoday

   

   168 posts
   Registered:
   12 Aug 2019
   04 Oct 2019

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   Hi emancipated and atp,
   
   Thanks for your posts ... the support is so appreciated.
   
   emancipated, those first three weeks are tough, and I assure you the intensity will ease. And yes, the thought my new normal will be a daily fight is intimidating and I feel anxious I'm going to run out of steam.
   
   But atp really put it into perspective for me. I'm super "annoyed" these cravings have been messing around with me. Smoking is no longer an option. I'm done. So when I replace the "fear" with just being annoyed the craving is totally manageable. Who knew!
   
   I had a craving earlier this evening, and I actually rolled my eyes and said out loud, "are you kidding me!?! I got other things to do right now, so go find someone else to bother!"
   
   It worked. Another tool. Thanks for posting your journey, atp. It was encouraging... and I laughed out loud at the Sopranos' reference.
   
   Hang in emancipated... we will get through this crazy ride together.
   
   
   
   
   
5. atp

   

   501 posts
   Registered:
   31 Dec 2018
   04 Oct 2019 in reply to justfortoday

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   Justfortoday and emancipated,
   
   You both are so close to that point in your quits where you really do start to break free of the addiction. The new normal is taking hold and you'll notice that you'll soon be going the better part of a day, or longer, without thinking about smoking. 
   
   Start to value that quit for all the effort you've put into it so far. Enjoy some of the benefits. 
   
   Share your stats. Be proud of what you've done already. 
   
   Funny thing, went out his evening, and with things being cooler I took out a jacket from the closet. I could smell the stale smoke still on the jacket going back to last fall. God I must have smelled awful to people around me back when I was smoking. Worse was I didn't see that then. 
   
   At my one month I changed my avatar (picture) to one that expressed how I felt. That's me standing free and enjoying life as a non-smoker. Why not take a minute and pick an avatar that reflects where you're going?
   
   
   
6. lillian, quit coach

   

   216 posts
   Registered:
   28 Nov 2017
   07 Oct 2019 in reply to atp

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   Hi,
   
   atp has a great idea, it would be lovely to see some inspirational avatars if you can!
   
   You've been sharing so much and getting through so much together, great support!
   
   Lillian