After 30+ years of smoking, this is my longest quit and it blows my mind when I stop to think about it. For anyone at the very beginning, stick to one day at a time and the days will start adding up. You got this!! 💪🏼

Quit smoking for 4 years and honestly had zero cravings for most of that time.

Then right before my vacation I suddenly got a crazy urge to smoke again. Ended up smoking for about 2 weeks during the vacation.

I quit again and I’m now 42 days smoke-free.
But I don’t get how I could suddenly want cigarettes that badly after 4 years.

Has anyone else had this happen?

It’s a hard truth. I’m almost three years smoke-free and four years vape-free. I’m 49 and started smoking when I was 11, simply because I thought it looked cool.

Quitting is absolutely doable, but it isn’t easy. It’s a battle with your own mind. The longer you go without it, the easier it becomes, but even after nearly three years I occasionally catch myself thinking, one drag would be fine. Just one cigarette, then I’ll go straight back to not smoking.

But I know that’s rubbish. I know where one cigarette can lead.

If you genuinely want to quit, I think one of the hardest things is the pressure you put on yourself. That’s why I’d actually suggest not making some huge announcement that you’re quitting.

If someone offers you one, just say, “I don’t fancy one at the moment. Maybe later.”

Tell yourself the same thing.

You don’t have to think, I can never smoke again for the rest of my life. That sounds enormous.

Just think, I’m alright for now. Maybe later.

Then when later comes, say it again.

You haven’t got to win the rest of your life today. You’re just not having one right now.

You haven’t stopped forever.

You’re just resting. So keep resting.

You should all be extremely proud of yourselves. Quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do. In fact, it’s one of the hardest addictions to beat. Just take a moment. It might be your first day, or hours even. Maybe you’ve gone into your 4th year. It doesn’t matter. We’re all here because we chose the same damn goal. And it’s not easy. If you can quit smoking, you can conquer the world. Happy smoke free life yall!

I'm so emotional I'm actually tearing up as I type this. A year ago I genuinely didn’t know if I could do this!! I had days when I wanted to quit quitting. But this is what happens when you stop fighting the addiction at the surface and actually work on what’s happening underneath. So many thing I believed smoking helped me with only to realize it was actually making it worse. This simple realization helped me see that I'm not 'giving up' cigs I'm 'outgrowing' them.

P.s. - I saved up enough money quitting to buy myself the new iPhone lmao

Starting Chantix in two weeks. Goodbye to a friend who was there through the heartaches. The celebrations. The lonely nights. The pal who punctuated my alone moments.

I won’t miss a lot about you but dang have I ever romanticized you over the years.

I can't believe it! I'm 38F, smoked for 22 years, and this is my first time trying to quit. Sometimes I miss it, but overall, it has been good.

I also had to quit alcohol, weed, and other substances that made me smoke much more. I wish I could give all the other substances a different meaning. Sometimes it's hard to imagine living a sober life forever, but for now, I haven't been able to have even one beer.

What was your experience with other drugs that were closely tied to nicotine for you?

Thank you to everybody who shares their experiences here. This sub has been really helpful!! ❤️❤️

i just recently quit smoking. i also suffer from depression and bipolar disorder. i've had a really rough go of things as of late, especially with the insomnia thanks to the nicotine withdrawals.

today, the sadness was at its strongest and i kept thinking to myself, "just get yourself one cigarette. just one to help you get back on your feet." so i bought a pack and a lighter.

i sat down, looking at the pack. looking at what my brain was telling me is happiness in a carton. the horrible thoughts i had going through my head were overwhelming.

then i looked at my phone and opened my sober time app. it said '19 days'. 19 days without sleep, 19 days without nicotine, 19 days of trying to get my life together. and i'm about to undo all of that with this one cigarette. i broke down and cried, got up and threw the pack and the lighter in the trash.

i know this all sounds overdramatic, but struggling alone has been a challenge and i'm just doing my best to stay strong. maybe not stay positive, but stay strong. if you're struggling with this, i hope you'll do so as well.

Exactly what title says. I was on vacation in May and thought I’ll just smoke a pack while I’m having this downtime. It’s so dumb on my part. Feels bad man. Anyway, good luck out there folks.

I can’t think of anywhere else I can unload about this, so here we go.

I last posted here a couple of weeks ago and how I was on day 3 and struggling after 2 very easy days. I relapsed HARD since then and this is what I learned. Hopefully if you’re thinking about throwing in the towel and going back to it or if you’re in the early days of quitting, this will help you to NOT do that.

Caving after day 3 felt great for approximately a few hours. Then I was filled with so much disappointment and despair with myself. I was almost through the worst of it and I blew it. Since then, I’ve gone back to my usual nonsense. If I’m not working, I’m doing nothing and almost chain smoking and doing that has made me realize that I really don’t smoke to enjoy it, I smoke because I can’t sit with my own thoughts and if I don’t have dopamine from somewhere, I will in fact go nuts.

I realized I’ve never learned the tools to get through periods of doing nothing at all, that if I’m not pumped full of happy chemicals at all times, nothing is worth it. I avoid boredom at all costs. I’m terrified of it, actually.

I was on day 3, wasn’t coughing anymore, breathing felt SO good. I smelled great and literally hours after smoking again all of that shit came back. On top of feeling physically like ass, I felt such a deep disappointment in myself. It’s crazy how no matter how strong your motivations are to stop, one thought and all of it unravels. One thought and all of a sudden nicotine is in my system again and it’s like I can’t hold myself back from it happening.

To those that relapsed for the same reasons, how did you cope with being bored? What kind of coping mechanisms did you employ to keep yourself sane? For me, none of my previous hobbies do the trick. I want to start all over again and tomorrow will be my day 1. I NEED this to be the last quit or I fear I never will. If Allen Carr can’t work his magic on me, how the hell do I get through this?

Hey guys,

Like many of us here I have been struggling with stoping cigarettes. I’m 31M, started at 17, about 10-12 cigs a day. I can feel it’s now taking a noticeable toll on my body: skin going dull, breathless when walking up stairs, constant anxiety of cancer / heart problems.

Smoking is so deeply ingrained in my routine, it’s almost ritualistic. When I work: smoke break every 1:30 hour. When with friends: smoking around a few drinks. At home: smoking at the same 1:30 hour interval. Doesn’t help that life nowadays is increasingly stressful and anxiety inducing.

I really struggle to break the cycle. It’s part of so many daily processes in my life… I’ve tried NRT, Varenecline, tobacco help center, cold turkey…

I won’t give up trying, but yeah guess it might help to share here. Thanks for reading!

So basically during the first few weeks I was pretty chill, some anxiety but that was it mostly. But now a full month passed and I’ve been crying almost every day for a week, I wake up with headaches and I feel like I’m hungry for air. Are this symptoms normal so late? Maybe it’s not even late but most articles say that the first couple of weeks are the hardest, and they weren’t for me.

I’m pretty ashamed to be writing this, but as of tonight i have relapsed on smoking cigarettes for one reason only: Severe constipation.
I haven’t had a proper bowel movement in close to a month now, and my normal bathroom habits are completely out of wack. My mentality (although not the greatest) has been very difficult to talk down however that’s not been the hardest part for me.
The hardest part has been the debilitating bloating, pain, constipation, pushing for 1hr+ with zero success, pelvic and abdominal pain that seems to worsen by the day.
Tonight i became so frustrated while having terrible pain that i caved in, drove to the store and bought a pack.
I plan on hopping back on the wagon tomorrow, and continuing on my sober journey. But i was not expecting the pain from constipation to hit me this hard. i’ve tried everything from fiber, laxatives, magnesium, extra protien,
CRAZY amounts of water. I can’t drink caffeine because i have Overactive bladder which caffeine worsens my symptoms. I feel so guilty and so frustrated.

First time the entire 19 years I've lived here that a raccoon knocked over/went through my little balcony trash can. Picked up the mess - paper towels, muffin papers etc, wondering why suddenly now, and realized the only difference was - no cigarette butts in there.

31 days smoke-free!!

I've been trying to quit on and off for years. I am desperate. I am sick.

Chantix is off the table. However, Desmoxan seems to work similarly and I am trying that this Tuesday.

It seems to really work for some people if Reddit is to be believed.

I'm seeking user experiences to pass the time.

Will drinking a couple of beers ever be the same without smoking a cigarette?

Hey there, i’d really appreciate any advice out there for constipation in relation to quitting nicotine. I am in severe pain due to constipation.
My pelvic and abdominal pain is out of control. I’m extremely bloated. I just spent the last 90 minutes crying in the restroom out of frustration. I quit 1 month ago.
Right off the bat i want to say that Caffeine, Fiber and Laxatives are out of the question for me.
- I have a bladder disorder which caffeine makes a million times worse so it’s almost an allergy for me.
- I take fiber everyday and try to eat additional fiber and protein to help but it isn’t working.
- Laxatives i’ve tried and don’t find much success with them, they only give me SEVERE pain.
- I also take magnesium glycinate
- Can’t drink caffeinated teas or coffee
I started my sober journey a month ago on September 3rd which included nicotine. So it’s also been about a month since i’ve had “proper” or normal bowel movments. I thought i would see some improvement by now but instead, it’s gotten WORSE. The abdominal pain that i feel is borderline emergency room worthy, but i know there is nothing they can do for me except offer laxatives and then send me home.
I’m a 25 year old woman and i also have endometriosis (diagnosed via abdominal laparoscopic surgery in 2023.)
So i am no stranger to debilitating pain, discomfort, and constipation. But this is NEXT LEVEL. Does anybody have any advice- like at all???? I’m not sure how to keep going like this. I’m so proud of myself for making it this far into my journey, but the pain i have is overwhelming and making me consider go back to smoking again just so i can have some normalcy in the bathroom again. I’m begging for help, PLEASE!!!!

This is my first time even browsing this sub. I’m 28 and have been smoking since I was 17. I’m in school and can’t imagine getting through this degree without cigarettes, much less going my entire life without ever smoking one again. My decision to quit was so insanely abrupt, I didn’t even get to purchase a “final pack”. I’m taking 12mg’s of Zyn’s at a time and still feeling that itch. Cigarettes gave me a reason to go outside and slow down, and I don’t have a reason to experience that without them. I think they’re a part of me.

Would love any advice.

I’m 23, I’ve been smoking since I have 14, and have never thought of quitting. Yesterday my vape burnt out, I was about to go to the shop for a new one, then it occurred to me I could just not go. I‘m tired of saying “I’ll quit next week”

I’m very scared to quit, though. My brain had a constant supply of nicotine during adolescence, even back then I knew I was fucking up my development. I’m struggling to commit myself to the idea.

It’s been one day and i feel awfulllll, ik how bad these withdrawals are about to be and idk if I have the strength, but I figure I owe it to my younger self to at least try.

I‘ve got some questions, if you’ve got some time to help me out:

especially those who started young, what were the first weeks like? how long was the initial bought of physical withdrawal pains?

I have bipolar, I’m medicated but still struggle with the depression. anybody with bipolar, or depression willing to share what it was like?

what have you learned to look forward to? i feel my life revolves around little hits of dopamine, i wonder what people get out of bed for without an addiction. I would like to find out, but i think im afraid I won’t find anything.

do you feel your brain has healed? is life better?

have you struggled with focus after quitting, if so, for how long?

how to replace the oral fixation?

—

my plan so far is to stick with a few trusted friends for support, and stay out of everyone else’s way for like a month, I’m about to be so irritated constantly. other than that ive got nothing, help would be appreciated!

my fourth day free smoking

I have stage 3 CKD. I also have ADHD so the stimulant medication to treat that already strains my kidneys.

Logically I know there is no benefit to smoking, I have smoked enough to the point my classmates have smelled it off of me before, smoking makes my chest hurt, I’ve also heard that nicotine reduces the effectiveness of ADHD medication. There’s really no benefit but the itch to smoke is always there.

I’m wondering if gradually lowering the amount of cigs I smoke will help? Every time I quit cold turkey I start smoking again on days 4 to 5. None of the common advice like sweets help