[jbug]

When do the urges go away? I haven't had a cigarette since February but every time I see some one with one or smell it I'm like wow that looks good or wow that smells good and get to craving one. So when does that go away or will it ever? I want to not have to worry about going back to smoking because I know it is bad for me and that is doesn't help my healing. I also run the risk of my doctor running a pee test to see if I'm smoking and getting yelled at if I did smoke. So I can't smoke even though I still want to. So when does the want to go away?

Jan

[Perna]

The addiction is to the chemicals and/or how they make you feel but the sensual, the sight/smell associations are all yours. When will you quit puckering when you think of what lemons taste like (when we were kids my brother use to make me think of sucking a lemon :-)

[feddy]

First of all, congrats on being smoke free for 4 months! That is a huge accomplishment and you should be very proud of yourself.

I have good news and bad news for you...I quit smoking 15 months ago and even today, I still get the occaisional craving for a cigarette. But, here is the good news. Over time, the cravings will become less and less frequent and less and less intense. For me, it was sometime around the 9 month mark that I started to have days go by where I no longer thought about smoking. Then days would become weeks, etc., etc.

Now, when I get a craving, it lasts a few minutes and is really just a passing thought that I can easily brush aside. More like, "hmmm, wouldn't it be nice if...?" My best friend and his partner smoke and I can easily sit outside with them on a sunny day and have a few drinks while they sit and smoke beside me. I know I couldn't have done that last summer with such ease (I quit a year ago April.)

So like I said, good news and bad news. Stick with it though, it just gets easier. The thing that kept me going was remembering how difficult the initial quit was. I knew I never wanted to go through withdrawal again and that really helped me make sure I never started smoking again.

Congrats and good luck!

Feddy

[jbug]

Thanks for your responses. I am hoping that I can resist my urges to give in to my cravings when I go home..it is easy to not smoke when I am out at my parents because they don't smoke and I don't have access to them. Whereas when I am at my apartment all I have to do is go down to the neighbor's and he will give them to me. I am starting to build some good coping skills though I hope so when the urges strike I do x such as pop a piece of gum or suck on a blow pop. Someone here in pc gave me the idea of blowpops. They help a lot. I also started to cross stitch and you can't cross stitch and smoke at the same time or at least not very easily. I also have some books to read.

Jan

[Perna]

Don't get addicted to blowpops though :-) I have a heck of a time with candy if I buy it. It doesn't help the nutrition/weight.

I don't know why you go to your neighbor's but I would suspect my motives if I'm just going down there to socialize, unannounced/uninvited, kind of like just happening to be passing a liquor store and. . . Invite him to your place and have a no smoking rule for your apartment :-) Not a whole lot can help with your behavior except you. Make a list of why you don't want to smoke (for you, not one that includes, "X (doctor, parents, etc.) would kill me" :-) It's only keeping what you do want in front of you that will help with behavior that you don't want.

My husband and I were on a vacation a couple weeks ago and he couldn't smoke in the rental car so he'd smoke before he got in or we'd stop at all the rest stops so he could smoke but when he got into the car after smoking, I almost gagged he stank so bad! It's not the same when there's plenty of time/space around him and/or I'm not there as often.

Were I you, I'd give someone who smokes a teeshirt and ask them to do some chain smoking in it for a couple days and then give it back :-) Give it a whiff every time you're tempted to smoke; it's not a pretty smell! I'd remember that smokers don't have as good a sense of smell/taste (how sad that one can't taste how good some foods really taste; my chocolate cake is better than your chocolate cake :-)

Or, get some exercise collecting butts in a public area; it would clean up your environment and help you (bending and stretching as well as walking) at the same time. I use to have a friend in the apartment building I lived in who had a 5 mile route, checking all the "machines" for forgotten change and the sidewalk, gutter, etc. You could keep a route clean of cigarette butts/trash?

[jbug]

Well I am going into the fire tomorrow. I am going home. I will be where I have access to them and the thing that is scaring me is how my brain is already gearing up for that first cigarette. I keep telling myself that is isn't going to happen but am so scared.

Jan

[Rhiannonsmoon]

How are you doing Jan? Hopefully you have managed to stay of the smokes because you are at your parents place...

[jbug]

Well since I am at my parents it is a non problem because I can't smoke here it isn't an option so I do fine. It is just a huge problem when I am home by myself. I smoke because I am bored/lonely..etc. I have to admit I did smoke a couple when I was at home and boy howdy did I beat myself up about it. I am beginning to think this is something I won't ever be able to beat. My T and I were talking about it a couple of weeks ago and we determined that I smoke because I don't think I am worthy of being smoke free. I don't have the self esteem to tell myself Jan you are worthy of beating this addiction so just do it. So as soon as I feel better about myself maybe I can win this fight.

Jan

[Symbiosis]

Jan, I'm going to agree with everyone else. The urges seem to stay on. I have quit and come back many times now (no count). For a solid year I didn't smoke, decided I could bum one, just not buy my own and it started all over again. I smoked my last one yesterday and will give them up again. I realize I'm torturing myself at this point, especially since I know the distraction techniques to help me quit...just always end up in some moment of weakness or another.

I think there should be 12 step programs (maybe there are?) because when I'm not smoking, I have a visceral LOVE for it upon seeing someone else smoking. It is crazy!

Stay strong. There is always thinking about how awful smoking can make you feel (the after-effects).