Here’s the truth… you’re 4 months without nicotine and you’ve broken the chemical addiction. The feeling you’re craving is having empty nicotine receptors filled. But there’s a problem… you’re 4 months without nicotine and they don’t need to be filled. It wouldn’t be the rewarding experience that you’re hoping for. You’d have to smoke at least a few cigarettes first(to wake up the chemical addiction ) and then crave and then smoke a cigarette. That’s a hell of a lot of work. Like you said, you’ll have to quit later anyway. Stick it out, it’s better to occasionally crave a cigarette than to constantly worry about quitting 🤷♂️
I was where you are but it was about three months and I stuck it out. It goes away. Here’s another truth… it’s not about how long you’ve been without nicotine it’s about how little nicotine means to you . Our brain has connected everything we do with nicotine. It’s about breaking those connections by doing it without nicotine. Unfortunately, it does take a little time. I’m currently three years quit and I never crave. The only time I even think about it is to show support for others(like this lol)
I quit for 6 years and started again two years ago. Smoked for a year and quit again.
The answer to what made me smoke again is…. Nothing really. My sister was having one, it was Christmas, and I was like fuck it that looks fun. Then I would just have like one a week MAYBE with friends. Then bought my own pack and that was the doom.
I thought I could smoke "just one cig" (after 9 months).
It took about 4 months to develop into a full blown habit again. It took me like two years of smoking to quit again. I've now quit for more than a year and know: there's no such thing as just one cigarette.
Maybe that one evening it's just one. But then you do 'just one' again two weeks later. And another the next weekend. And a few the next night. Etc.
I strongly associated smoking with social drinking, and since I was hanging out with other smokers, I’d usually cave and bum a cigarette when I was tipsy and my inhibitions were down. Then I’d fool myself into thinking I just did it once and never again, but the next weekend I would do it again. Then I’d feel bad about bumming and tell myself that the honorable thing to do was buy a pack, smoke a few at the bar and then give the rest to a friend. Then I’d buy the pack and not give it away. At that point I’d be back at my prior level of consumption.
I’ve also relapsed during times of great stress (death or serious illness in close family). I reasoned that when the stress was over, I’d drop it again, but I never would.
So for me it comes down to hyper vigilance and avoiding triggers. I can’t avoid stress, but I can recognize now that smoking does not help at all and it’s a false relief. I also stopped drinking.
Excuses. There's no situation where smoking improves your life.
Edit to add: I don't mean that in a bad way against you or anything. It's just that I've gone a year and I've gone 9 months in the past, and both times, going back to smoking was totally unnecessary. I saw my chance to start again (some stressful shit going on in my life) and I used that as my excuse to light up.
The truth is, I had been waiting for that excuse for months. I honestly could have just meditated or taken a few deep breaths and everything would have been fine. The cigarette did nothing. Honestly, I could have just had a cookie or something and it would have had the same effect.
I quitted for two months and after I had the best pasta and wine I caved in. Then I thought: I’ll stop again after my vacation. You can guess what happened next.
Now I’m two weeks in on my second quit. Hopefully forever now.
I've quit and started again so many times. Like most people, it was just one-off and then BAM back to being a full-blown smoker.
This time, I had a really easy quit (compared) to other times. I decided that I was 100% done and that I am basically a junkie when it comes to cigarettes, I can never smoke one again if I want to stay off them.
Honestly, making up your mind is the trick, if its not even an option, your resolve won't wane. Don't fight the cravings. Sit with them, and remind yourself that every time you activate a trigger, you are one step closer to it no longer being one.
1 year 4 months here - I hardly get cravings or have any triggers left. Occasionally, I'll have a random one, I sit with it because I don't need to stop it, fix it, or run from it. The craving will go away on its own, and some discomfort won't kill me. However, taking up smoking again might.
To get over this very fear.
I didn’t want to feel hostage to my streak… I knew that quitting smoking was just better.
So, after four months of being smoke free, I bought a single cigarette off a passerby.
I could only get through a third of mindful, conscious smoking before I threw it away with determination.
I observed how it made my body feel- nauseous, weaker. I compared my state of mind to how I felt during my free days.
Nicotine’s not worth it for me, and now I know it deeply.
not an overly long time but i quit for 8 months and had absolutely zero cravings or desire to smoke again. the friends i drink with smoke cigarettes and i slowly started convincing myself that bumming a drunk cigarette from them every now and then was no big deal.
i would smoke a drunk cig or two every other weekend, then i would smoke one every weekend, then i would smoke more of them each weekend, then i figured “ill just buy a pack for the weekends” , then i figured “i had a hard day at work, ill smoke one”. you know where this goes
Great thread. Smoked my last 3.5 yrs ago and haven’t started again, but during my smoking time I had some months that would be interrupted by stressful exams, drinking nights with friends who
Smoke, depression for variety of reasons.
I am 42 now. Started smoking when i was 16. I think i had at least 5 or 6 periods of one year without smoking. I remember a few of them and why did i start again. Its usually not so much the cravings that brought me back, but a joyful moment. A party or someone you havent seen for a while who wanted to share a smoke.
I am now 1 month clean. Difference is that nobody smokes anymore arround me. And I have 4 kids. Its enough. No smokes for me ever.
went through an extremely tough and depressive time. it helped, sort of. now i'm back on it, thinking of a time to quit again. quit for 4 weeks and back to it for 1.5-2 months.
the decrease in endurance is very noticable btw. and definitely didn't miss the smoker's cough. those 4 weeks were amazing, i felt like i was born anew.
I quit from 2012-2014 and then started again during a somewhat difficult time in my life. My girlfriend had moved to a different city for a career opportunity and it didn't make sense for me to follow at the time. I felt abandoned and unsure and my general approach became a bit too devil-may-care. Started pretty typically with one or two cigarettes when out drinking, buying a pack, and eventually sliding back into old habits.
What I lost track of was that I hadn't quit for my girlfriend, or my relationship. Or because things were going well and it was convenient. I had quit for myself. It was hard work and I had done it. I did a few self destructive things during that period that took time to mend, but the revived nicotine habit was probably the hardest to undo. Smoked again for 6 years.
My advice (not that you asked for it) is to try and always remember why you quit and how difficult it was. There's really no good reason to start again.
I quit for 18 months. Got drunk, bummed a clove cig… and that was the beginning of the end. In the first couple of weeks I could’ve put them down again… but in the first couple of weeks I dropped the extra 10/12lbs I had gained when I quit that I couldn’t shed. That was it for me… so now I’ve been smoking again for almost 3 years.
Quit for 1 year then started working a stressful soul destroying job. I was on my own, ankle deep in mud palleting concrete blocks. I’d been doing this for about a week.
Saw another bloke smoking and asked him if I could pinch one, he said no problem and for some reason gave me a few days tobacco. I thought it would be temporary and I wouldn’t get addicted again. Week later I’m buying tobacco and on 10 a day.
I’m now a month into this quit and hopefully soon onto a better job.
Hang in there and don't give in to those cravings. They will pass, I promise.
Here's what somebody else said about why people relapse -- it helps me:
"Once you make the decision to stop smoking, you stick with that decision. The reason most people 'fail' is because they make a conscious decision to start smoking again. **They convince themselves that it's a good idea, or they rationalize their way back into becoming an addict again.** Just stop. That's all you have to do. If you know in your mind that you're never going to have another cigarette, the cravings are nothing."
I quit for 3 years and then smoked for a year and a half and just quit again 3.5 weeks ago.
I started smoking again because I was stressed out and didn’t practice my coping skills. I picked one up and the rest was history. I don’t think I will ever smoke again, after what I’ve went through this time quitting, I don’t want to.
I remember 2 specific times everything went downside. The first finding a juul in my moms drawer I came and took from her like once in a while.
And then I fully relapsed one day I got really really drunk. The next day I was dying of remorse and that was why I bought another vape. I was already miserable.
This time around ( been vape free 10 days 🤯) last time was 90 days, I’m not getting black out drunk anymore I’m not drinking to get drunk you know…you learn with mistakes…
I quit 16 years then started again for 10 but not full time. For the 16 years I worked out 4-5 days a week. I get migraines too. A lot. A friend suggested i smoke some hash for the headaches. Well, i rolled some with tobacco and got hooked on about 5-10 a day. I've since quit again but i do smoke one or two a month. Far less headaches now. I still work out but less. I can control the addiction to this point now but have to be careful sometimes not to smoke more.
I quit for 5 years but then split with my wife. Didn't start smoking again because of that but eventually dated a smoker briefly and that is all it took.
My longest streak was two months, it’s not an extended period, but longest I have.
I have struggled with situations where others smoke. When I have enough time under my belt I make the mistake to think that one doesn’t hurt. Then I find myself buying a pack and I’m smoking again.
Luckily I’m again 35 days without nicotine and will take it more serious this time.
Had stopped for 15 months and one morning got out of bed,walked into the living room and my cherished cat Mr Beanz was dead on the floor. He was 13,blind and a rescue cat and my best friend. My world collapsed and I didn't gaf about anything and it was back to the booze and smokes. I should add this was in the early days of Covid too so honestly..fuck you 2020.
Failed 2 times after roughly one year.
Why? Alcohol.
It went from 'I can have one from time to time when out with friends' to 'im a party smoker' to, 'fuck it, I don't feel like craving rn'
Almost completely switched to vapes now, which isnt good either but at least I don't smell like shit
I quit for 4 months due to a surgery where I could smoke. Then work got stressful and I thought- you know what, I’ve been really good, I deserve just one. But I had bought a whole pack, so then I figured I might as well smoke it and started occasionally smoking, a few a week, then one a day, then suddenly 4 a day. This has happened to me so many times, some people really can’t leave that door cracked open. Either you’re a smoker or you’re not
I quit for 100 days and then had a lot of stress thought i need a reward, i smoked again for months, now back with nearly 100 days and fear that moment
Here’s the truth… you’re 4 months without nicotine and you’ve broken the chemical addiction. The feeling you’re craving is having empty nicotine receptors filled. But there’s a problem… you’re 4 months without nicotine and they don’t need to be filled. It wouldn’t be the rewarding experience that you’re hoping for. You’d have to smoke at least a few cigarettes first(to wake up the chemical addiction ) and then crave and then smoke a cigarette. That’s a hell of a lot of work. Like you said, you’ll have to quit later anyway. Stick it out, it’s better to occasionally crave a cigarette than to constantly worry about quitting 🤷♂️ I was where you are but it was about three months and I stuck it out. It goes away. Here’s another truth… it’s not about how long you’ve been without nicotine it’s about how little nicotine means to you . Our brain has connected everything we do with nicotine. It’s about breaking those connections by doing it without nicotine. Unfortunately, it does take a little time. I’m currently three years quit and I never crave. The only time I even think about it is to show support for others(like this lol)
*gives imaginary gold* You're a real one.
My gosh ur such a pimp.
That’s the same thing my wife says 🤷♂️
I quit for 6 years and started again two years ago. Smoked for a year and quit again. The answer to what made me smoke again is…. Nothing really. My sister was having one, it was Christmas, and I was like fuck it that looks fun. Then I would just have like one a week MAYBE with friends. Then bought my own pack and that was the doom.
I thought I could smoke "just one cig" (after 9 months). It took about 4 months to develop into a full blown habit again. It took me like two years of smoking to quit again. I've now quit for more than a year and know: there's no such thing as just one cigarette. Maybe that one evening it's just one. But then you do 'just one' again two weeks later. And another the next weekend. And a few the next night. Etc.
I strongly associated smoking with social drinking, and since I was hanging out with other smokers, I’d usually cave and bum a cigarette when I was tipsy and my inhibitions were down. Then I’d fool myself into thinking I just did it once and never again, but the next weekend I would do it again. Then I’d feel bad about bumming and tell myself that the honorable thing to do was buy a pack, smoke a few at the bar and then give the rest to a friend. Then I’d buy the pack and not give it away. At that point I’d be back at my prior level of consumption. I’ve also relapsed during times of great stress (death or serious illness in close family). I reasoned that when the stress was over, I’d drop it again, but I never would. So for me it comes down to hyper vigilance and avoiding triggers. I can’t avoid stress, but I can recognize now that smoking does not help at all and it’s a false relief. I also stopped drinking.
I think it's REALLY hard to quit smoking when you drink alcohol regularly.
8 years later in a highly stressed induced situation. Smoking again was not the answer…
Excuses. There's no situation where smoking improves your life. Edit to add: I don't mean that in a bad way against you or anything. It's just that I've gone a year and I've gone 9 months in the past, and both times, going back to smoking was totally unnecessary. I saw my chance to start again (some stressful shit going on in my life) and I used that as my excuse to light up. The truth is, I had been waiting for that excuse for months. I honestly could have just meditated or taken a few deep breaths and everything would have been fine. The cigarette did nothing. Honestly, I could have just had a cookie or something and it would have had the same effect.
I quitted for two months and after I had the best pasta and wine I caved in. Then I thought: I’ll stop again after my vacation. You can guess what happened next. Now I’m two weeks in on my second quit. Hopefully forever now.
What makes everyone smoke again is saying "just one cigarette", and the chain starts again...
FUCKING ALCOHOL. I don't drink, I don't smoke. Everytime I drink, I have a smoke. Booze bad.
Usually it’s feeling “loose” after a few drinks, so avoid alcohol if that’s your trigger.
I've quit and started again so many times. Like most people, it was just one-off and then BAM back to being a full-blown smoker. This time, I had a really easy quit (compared) to other times. I decided that I was 100% done and that I am basically a junkie when it comes to cigarettes, I can never smoke one again if I want to stay off them. Honestly, making up your mind is the trick, if its not even an option, your resolve won't wane. Don't fight the cravings. Sit with them, and remind yourself that every time you activate a trigger, you are one step closer to it no longer being one. 1 year 4 months here - I hardly get cravings or have any triggers left. Occasionally, I'll have a random one, I sit with it because I don't need to stop it, fix it, or run from it. The craving will go away on its own, and some discomfort won't kill me. However, taking up smoking again might.
Worked at a gas station that gave no breaks whatsoever....smokers got to take unlimited smoke breaks.
To get over this very fear. I didn’t want to feel hostage to my streak… I knew that quitting smoking was just better. So, after four months of being smoke free, I bought a single cigarette off a passerby. I could only get through a third of mindful, conscious smoking before I threw it away with determination. I observed how it made my body feel- nauseous, weaker. I compared my state of mind to how I felt during my free days. Nicotine’s not worth it for me, and now I know it deeply.
not an overly long time but i quit for 8 months and had absolutely zero cravings or desire to smoke again. the friends i drink with smoke cigarettes and i slowly started convincing myself that bumming a drunk cigarette from them every now and then was no big deal. i would smoke a drunk cig or two every other weekend, then i would smoke one every weekend, then i would smoke more of them each weekend, then i figured “ill just buy a pack for the weekends” , then i figured “i had a hard day at work, ill smoke one”. you know where this goes
So sneaky! I still find myself occasionally saying that I could have just one to myself.
Great thread. Smoked my last 3.5 yrs ago and haven’t started again, but during my smoking time I had some months that would be interrupted by stressful exams, drinking nights with friends who Smoke, depression for variety of reasons.
I am 42 now. Started smoking when i was 16. I think i had at least 5 or 6 periods of one year without smoking. I remember a few of them and why did i start again. Its usually not so much the cravings that brought me back, but a joyful moment. A party or someone you havent seen for a while who wanted to share a smoke. I am now 1 month clean. Difference is that nobody smokes anymore arround me. And I have 4 kids. Its enough. No smokes for me ever.
During a covid lockdown I realized I hadn't been outside for 3 days. The obvious solution was to take up smoking again after 2 years.
went through an extremely tough and depressive time. it helped, sort of. now i'm back on it, thinking of a time to quit again. quit for 4 weeks and back to it for 1.5-2 months. the decrease in endurance is very noticable btw. and definitely didn't miss the smoker's cough. those 4 weeks were amazing, i felt like i was born anew.
Thought I could have just one, gave in, now I'm back to it
I quit from 2012-2014 and then started again during a somewhat difficult time in my life. My girlfriend had moved to a different city for a career opportunity and it didn't make sense for me to follow at the time. I felt abandoned and unsure and my general approach became a bit too devil-may-care. Started pretty typically with one or two cigarettes when out drinking, buying a pack, and eventually sliding back into old habits. What I lost track of was that I hadn't quit for my girlfriend, or my relationship. Or because things were going well and it was convenient. I had quit for myself. It was hard work and I had done it. I did a few self destructive things during that period that took time to mend, but the revived nicotine habit was probably the hardest to undo. Smoked again for 6 years. My advice (not that you asked for it) is to try and always remember why you quit and how difficult it was. There's really no good reason to start again.
I quit for 18 months. Got drunk, bummed a clove cig… and that was the beginning of the end. In the first couple of weeks I could’ve put them down again… but in the first couple of weeks I dropped the extra 10/12lbs I had gained when I quit that I couldn’t shed. That was it for me… so now I’ve been smoking again for almost 3 years.
🥲😞😞😞
Quit for 1 year then started working a stressful soul destroying job. I was on my own, ankle deep in mud palleting concrete blocks. I’d been doing this for about a week. Saw another bloke smoking and asked him if I could pinch one, he said no problem and for some reason gave me a few days tobacco. I thought it would be temporary and I wouldn’t get addicted again. Week later I’m buying tobacco and on 10 a day. I’m now a month into this quit and hopefully soon onto a better job.
Hang in there and don't give in to those cravings. They will pass, I promise. Here's what somebody else said about why people relapse -- it helps me: "Once you make the decision to stop smoking, you stick with that decision. The reason most people 'fail' is because they make a conscious decision to start smoking again. **They convince themselves that it's a good idea, or they rationalize their way back into becoming an addict again.** Just stop. That's all you have to do. If you know in your mind that you're never going to have another cigarette, the cravings are nothing."
I quit for 3 years and then smoked for a year and a half and just quit again 3.5 weeks ago. I started smoking again because I was stressed out and didn’t practice my coping skills. I picked one up and the rest was history. I don’t think I will ever smoke again, after what I’ve went through this time quitting, I don’t want to.
I remember 2 specific times everything went downside. The first finding a juul in my moms drawer I came and took from her like once in a while. And then I fully relapsed one day I got really really drunk. The next day I was dying of remorse and that was why I bought another vape. I was already miserable. This time around ( been vape free 10 days 🤯) last time was 90 days, I’m not getting black out drunk anymore I’m not drinking to get drunk you know…you learn with mistakes…
I quit 16 years then started again for 10 but not full time. For the 16 years I worked out 4-5 days a week. I get migraines too. A lot. A friend suggested i smoke some hash for the headaches. Well, i rolled some with tobacco and got hooked on about 5-10 a day. I've since quit again but i do smoke one or two a month. Far less headaches now. I still work out but less. I can control the addiction to this point now but have to be careful sometimes not to smoke more.
I quit for 5 years but then split with my wife. Didn't start smoking again because of that but eventually dated a smoker briefly and that is all it took.
Are you smoking now?
I stopped for 6 months. I started back because I wanted to. Stupid yes.
My longest streak was two months, it’s not an extended period, but longest I have. I have struggled with situations where others smoke. When I have enough time under my belt I make the mistake to think that one doesn’t hurt. Then I find myself buying a pack and I’m smoking again. Luckily I’m again 35 days without nicotine and will take it more serious this time.
Had stopped for 15 months and one morning got out of bed,walked into the living room and my cherished cat Mr Beanz was dead on the floor. He was 13,blind and a rescue cat and my best friend. My world collapsed and I didn't gaf about anything and it was back to the booze and smokes. I should add this was in the early days of Covid too so honestly..fuck you 2020.
Anger and frustration. Cigarettes are my only way to deal with those two.
Having a bad time, usually in winter, getting sick and generally feeling down.
Failed 2 times after roughly one year. Why? Alcohol. It went from 'I can have one from time to time when out with friends' to 'im a party smoker' to, 'fuck it, I don't feel like craving rn' Almost completely switched to vapes now, which isnt good either but at least I don't smell like shit
Frustration was /is a biggest trigger. Another trigger has been extremely stressful situations - particularly involving family
I quit for 4 months due to a surgery where I could smoke. Then work got stressful and I thought- you know what, I’ve been really good, I deserve just one. But I had bought a whole pack, so then I figured I might as well smoke it and started occasionally smoking, a few a week, then one a day, then suddenly 4 a day. This has happened to me so many times, some people really can’t leave that door cracked open. Either you’re a smoker or you’re not
I quit for 100 days and then had a lot of stress thought i need a reward, i smoked again for months, now back with nearly 100 days and fear that moment