Stupid Cravings

[desiree465]

This week has not been fun. I've been having the most obnoxious cravings and it's making me cranky. It actually feels like I'm back at week one. I'm not necessarily worried about going back to smoking because I don't do that anymore, but I definitely want this feeling to go away. I have at least one smoking dream a night again. Those dreams had started to taper off. So what gives! I knew NML was going to be tuff but I wish I could get a break from these yucky crawl out of my skin feelings. I'm wondering if this week was bad because my husband has been away for work. I did my best to not sit around for too long but I had a lot of school work to do and I used to smoke like crazy when I would read or when I was typing out reports. Hopefully I get a little break from these feelings soon.  

[YoungAtHeart]

MAKE  a break from those feelings.  Move your study place.  Go for a brisk walk.  Go for another brisk walk with your adorable fur buddy!  Dance to your favorite music.  Buy an adult coloring book and some markers.  Get busy!

This is just one more phase to get through.  Nobody said it would be easy - EVERYBODY says it's worth it.

Just hang in there!

Nancy

[elvan]

Nancy just gave you some amazing advice...dancing for even a few minutes, might help to relieve some of those craves...it certainly will distract you.  I think it sounds like your husband's absence is having an effect on you...it is SO WORTH it to stay smoke free.  I know that these crawling the walls craves will pass.  You've got this!

[maryfreecig]

Below is a link to Dr Hays blog about nicotine and rewards and well worth reading if you have not already. Funky days come in go in quitting but there is always something that we can do to get out of it--your blogging about it might just have been  that thing to do this time around. Thanks for sharing.

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/expert-advice/blog/2018/01/31/re-learning-rewards 

[desiree465]

Morty thanks you for the suggestion, he really enjoyed his walk today:)

[swilson2]

Just dropping by to say hello, hope all is well.

[MarilynH]

It's wonderful to see you swilson2, how are you doing? 

[swilson2]

Doing good, i haven't been here for a long time and I am missing all the people, it was great to see most of them are still smoke free. Thank you for asking how i was doing.

[mrios5776]

When my cravings come I have a stress ball that I squeeze while popping a couple of altoids in my mouth. I get fresh breath while getting ready for my intro into thumb wrestling.

[elvan]

Cravings are annoying and stupid...no doubt but they are NOTHING compared to giving in to the cravings and having to start over.  The damage from smoking is interminable...believe me, it is NOT worth it!

[Steverichey]

Yesterday was day one 3 am was the end of that woke up going nuts. Felt pretty disgusted with myself for scrounging around on the ground for a cigar butt outside

[elvan]

It gets better...just stick with your quit, scrounging around on the ground looking for a butt is pretty disgusting!

[YoungAtHeart]

No butts about it  - get back to your quit!

[Cindylegato]

This is Day 2. Too many red vines!

[desiree465]

lol you can never have enough red vines! Good for you on 2 DOF you're almost through withdraw you can do this. 

[Pawr]

Wow, here I was thinking it was only me. I'm on day 33 and the last two days have been ridiculous. I've been thinking about smoking literally since I woke up. I have been fighting for minutes and hours all day and will make it to day 34 but this really just sucks. The only thing that seems to work is self talk. Telling myself that that cigarette I want so bad is NOT just one cigarette. I know if I smoke it I'll be satisfied for a few minutes and the cravings will start all over. Stick with it. I bet your husband loves kissing you with your stink free mouth. 

[YoungAtHeart]

Let me inform you!  You are traveling through No Mans Land - a period of time when you think you should be over it already, and an intense crave can hit, seemingly out of the blue, and seem to last forever.  You feel as though you are never going to reach the end of this journey..............

STOP!  You WILL!  This is perfectly normal - and it will end - I promise.  Use the tools you found helpful early in your quit and you will be fine.  These will end just as quickly as they came!

Hang tough.  You are almost THERE!

Nancy

[desiree465]

LMAO yes I'm sure he does. I almost spit my coffee out reading that hahaha

[desiree465]

So true. There is a good reason they call it No Mans Land. You think you're over the hump and then BAM you could have a day that feels like you're back to square one. It really does go away I can promise you that just hang in there. 

[wispanky]

I have now stopped smoking for 1 month, 3 days, 13 hours, 14 minutes, 20 seconds. That translates into 504 cigarettes NOT smoked, for a savings of $134.03! At 5 minutes per cigarette I have increased my life expectancy by 1 day, 18 hours, 4 minutes, 7 seconds.

And yet I still crave cigarettes every day. I am avoiding going outside as that's where all my smoking was done. This sucks.

[elvan]

wispanky  You are in No Man's Land and this journey takes TIME, I know it is frustrating because you have come so far.  I did that same thing and avoided going outside on past quits, this time, I rearranged the area where I used to smoke.  I put plants there, changed the direction of the furniture and made it a healthy place.  I sat out there and blew bubbles instead of smoking.  That was a recommendation from a respiratory therapist helping me to breathe more effectively.  Deep breath in through the nose, hold, exhale SLOWLY through pursed lips.  If you go too fast or blow too hard, you don't get any bubbles!   If you haven't read this description of NML, https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-days-30-to130-appr... Please do so now.

I remember reaching a point where I felt like all I thought about was smoking or rather NOT smoking.  My husband has been a recovering alcoholic for over 34 years and he quit smoking over 29 years ago.  I asked him how I was supposed to do this...I could not think of anything else.  He told me to get down on my knees and pray to God or my Higher Power to remove the mental obsession.  He said I might have to do it more than once and that I HAD to get down on my knees but he swore that it would work.  I tried it, I had very little faith in it but I was desperate.  I did have to do it more than once but not several times and I felt something lift from me...I stopped thinking about smoking/not smoking ALL THE TIME.  It's certainly worth a try.

I suggest trying to produce some dopamine yourself, listen to your favorite music, really loudly, sing, dance, exercise.  LAUGH!  I came here every morning and every evening when I first quit, it has now been over five years and I still make every effort to come here every day, it HELPS, it REALLY helps.  You CAN do this and you really are doing great.

Ellen

[Pawr]

I agree with others that this site helps. For me, it helps to see others stories and to take a minute to reflect on what brought me here  Guessing that you have smoked a few and got really sick of it or else why quit. I smoked most of 40 years and don't want to have any of the horrible effects you see people here gave suffered. Maybe I'm too late, maybe not. I've been free since December 3 and honestly still experience 2 -3 good strong craves a day. The thing is, they do become less frequent. One cigarette will be oh so great, and then in 15 minutes or so,  we want another. I've reconciled myself to just not having that first one and so far I haven't. Good luck.IYou are right, it sucks!!!      

[elvan]

Pawr   Use NOPE, Not One Puff Ever, I said it over and over again at the beginning of my quit.  I smoked for 47 years and I am one of the ones with horrible effects, COPD, surgical removal of both of my upper lungs because of emphysema, shortness of breath, fatigue, oxygen at night.  I also have rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative disc disease with scoliosis.  Seriously, I would not wish this on anyone.  I am a retired RN, it's not like I didn't know smoking was dangerous and that makes me crazy.

I quit many times in the past, the difference between those quits and this one was EX and it is because of EX that I have not only quit but grown emotionally.

Ellen