I am quitting smoking - please help me find a way to avoid the cravings?

Question

It's my fifth day and I'm struggling now. Please help me think of a way to avoid the cravings.

Answer 1

Don't give in to them! I found it helped me get through by telling myself that I could smoke as many as I wanted tomorrow and that I just had to get through today. When tomorrow came I would say the same thing. It was really hard to start with and so tempting to just have a cigarette, but after a few weeks the cravings had gone completely.

I found that counting days, then weeks and finally months gave me a mental milestone to say I'd reached. I have not smoked for 16 months now, but I still tell myself that I can have another cigarette 'another day' if I really want one.

I know it's dreadful at the moment but if you stick with it it will be worth it. Just one little piece of advice that you can ignore if you like...try not to replace gigs with food or alcohol. I did this to start with and put on over 14lbs! I've lost it again now, but if someone had told me that advice 16 months ago I'd have been grateful!

Good luck!

Answer 2

I'm using patches myself, which halts the "need" for a smoke very well, but it sounds to me like you've gone "cold turkey", and if you've been 5 days without any nicotine at all, seems silly to re-introduce it into your system now.

Distraction is probably the best thing to do, something to take your mind off it. Also, when you get a craving, just remind yyourself just how disgusting smoking is, and why you've quit - I've started to notice how much my colleagues stink when they come back from a smoke, it's even worse with the girls here, as stale ciggy smoke and perfume is pretty unpleasant, and it's a shame to have these pretty girls reeking like a working mens club!

However, I think that having a dialogue with people on Answers about your cravings, when you need to distract yourself fom it probably isn't going to help - it'll just remind you that you've got cravings everytime you look at the responses- viscous circle if you like!

Congrats on making it to the fifth day - that's a real achievement, you're on your way!!

Answer 3

I tried several times to quit smoking - on patches, with gum, with gel and I'm telling you now that if you succumb to the advertising pressures of nicotine replacement therapy you might as well just start smoking again.

If you're going to quit smoking you have to realise one major thing...you are trying to beat an addiction. Your body is physically addicted to a drug and the only way to beat it is to starve it out of your system, NOT replace it.

However, you are obviously like I was - seriously addicted. Most people's cravings stop after a few days, but if you're really clucking do not worry there is a solution. Go to your doctor and ask to be put on "Zyban". You take one tablet a day for a month and it will kill the cravings completely. Basically it was a drug that was originally trialed as an anti-depressent, but they found that it had better results with smokers than with depression. 80% of the people that took it stopped smoking.

And it works.

I went from 40 cigarettes a day to absolutely nothing - with no cravings - in a matter of weeks. It was painless and truly remarkable. I cannot recommend it high enough.

Try it, you won't regret it.

Answer 4

Well I stopped 2 years ago when my brother died. I smoked 15 cigars a day and apart from the cost it was really beginning to tell on my health.

Every time I got the craving especially in the first three weeks I just thought of were my brother was, on the slab in the mortuary. And any time even now if I get the craving I just look out of the window and enjoy what ever I can see.

So stick with it you'll feel 1000 times better in a very short time, unfortunately what you save in money you will spend on a new wardrobe so watch out for the extra pound slipping on hear and there.

Answer 5

Change your routine, find something to fiddle with when you feel the need to smoke, I've been told by an adviser at the Stop smoking service that coffee triggers the same part of the brain that makes you feel the need to smoke , so you could try another drink instead, go for walks and try to avoid (if possible) situations, places where you used to smoke. Add up how much your saving and think of something to treat yourself to as a reward for doing so well as it will make you happy and positive.

Are you using any Nicotine replacement therapy?

I quit yesterday and am using patches so don't feel too bad at the moment but I may by an Inhalator as a back up for those unavoidable stressful moments as combined with the patch is still less Nicotine than I'd get from a ciggie but will help.

Keep it up, good luck:-)

Answer 6

You probably won't avoid the cravings, you'll have to work through them. They only last for a few seconds and you only have to say no. It's not easy but you can do it, I know you can.
I gave up two and a half years ago after smoking since teenage, (am nearly 51) and had been smoking 30 a day. If I can do it you can.

Answer 7

The gum, patches all work to stop some of the cravings, but bear in mind that some of the cravings are habit/mental. When I stopped smoking, I found doing Sudoku puzzles or jigsaw puzzles took my mind off the craving and kept my hands busy at the same time.

Answer 8

I'm on day 8 of not smoking myself.
I've got this far by coming onto Yahoo Answers and asking questions as well as posting smart **** answers lol.
That I've taken to eating more and chewing gum,

Was even in the pub last Thursday night and managed not to smoke, was rather impressed with myself.

I tend to start and stop smoking, the first 2 weeks are the worse until I reach the 3-4 month mark and start carving again.
That I can't seem to overcome but I'm working on it.

Answer 9

I Have stopped smoking now for 11 weeks and now i finding it alot easier. to help me stop the cravings i did the washing up, or house work, anything really to keep my mind off it. Also i found sucking on cough candy helped me alot. Don't use patches or anything like that as they only make the craving worst. I tried Patches before and they did not help me. but this time just total will power alone. good luck in your stop smoking. your feel much better for it, i do.

Answer 10

Get a small notebook and every time you feel you need a cigarette draw a line in it.Just a simple single line. Sound silly? Take the book everywhere with you. When you look back at it when you are craving less and less, you will feel so proud that you craved all those times and never had a cigarette.x