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1. toyechna

   

   1 posts
   Registered:
   23 Apr 2018
   06 Jan 2019

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   I quit April 20 2018 with the help of Champix and no slip ups  I still crave a cigarette daily.  Will this deprivation feeling ever end?
2. efram, quit coach

   

   235 posts
   Registered:
   29 Nov 2017
   06 Jan 2019 in reply to toyechna

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   Hi toyechna,
   
   Thank you for writing, and congratulations on over eight months smoke-free!
   
   It's hard to say how much longer such feelings of deprivation will last, but they won't last forever. Though you've been doing well for eight months, it's likely that you were a smoker much longer, so it's normal for cravings to linger. Learning to be a non-smoker takes time.
   
   When feeling deprived, it can help to turn your focus more onto what you have gained from quitting rather than what you may be missing.
   
   And if there's a certain specific time that you miss cigarettes daily, it may help to find a specific replacement strategy or two. For example, some people crave cigarettes after meals as a way to relax; once they find a different way to relax they no longer miss the cigarettes.
   
   Your reasons for quitting are obviously strong -- as are you -- to still be doing well in spite of feeling deprived.
   
   For others reading this thread: have you gone through something similar? If so, what strategies helped you to succeed? Thanks in advance!
   
   Regards,
   Efram
   

   Last modified on 06 Jan 2019 15:42 by efram, quit coach
3. treepeo

   

   832 posts
   Registered:
   29 Nov 2017
   07 Jan 2019

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   Hi toyechna,
   
   First of all, let me congratulate you on being smoke free for over eight months.  That is terrific, good for you!  It shows how strong and committed to your quit you are.
   
   It's horrible that you still have daily cravings.  My heart goes out to you.  I quit two years ago cold turkey.  I can tell you that the cravings started to ease significantly after the first month.  That is not to say that I didn't have cravings, but I did not have them as often.  The longest I have gone without a craving is about five months.  I smoked for over 43 years, so I think that I will always get cravings from time to time, because smoking was such a big part of my life.  But now it no longer defines me.
   
   I am sure that eventually, your cravings will ease off.  I just don't know when that will happen.  It really varies from person to person.  But you have been able to resist which is great.
   
   If it helps any, when I get a craving, I think about where I started from, how scared I was to quit, and how much I struggled that first month especially.  I never want to have to go through that hell again.  And then I think about where I am today.  I mean, first of all I am still alive.  I am not sure I would be if I was still smoking.  I am not being dramatic, I truly believe I might be dead if I didn't quit when I did.  My breathing was really bad, and my heart pounded out of my chest.  I had so little breath that it was difficult for me to talk.  Any little exertion gave me pains in my chest.
   
   But today, all of that is different.  My breathing is no longer labored, and I don't get pains in my chest.  I can climb a flight of stairs without my heart beating 100 miles a minute.  And those are just a couple of the positive things that have happened as a result of quitting smoking.
   
   Toyechna, keep your eye on the prize.  You have accomplished something amazing.  You quit smoking.  Focus on that and how it has impacted your life.  Eventually, your body will realize you don't need cigarettes and the cravings will ease up.  And then you will be truly free.  I hope that happens for you soon, because you deserve to have that kind of relief.  You have worked really hard to get to this point.  Celebrate your achievement.  YOU ARE A WINNER!!!
4. efreeman75

   

   296 posts
   Registered:
   02 Apr 2018
   08 Jan 2019

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   Hi Toyechna,
   
   You quit smoking for a reason.  Whatever the reason or likely reasonS, you have not had a cigarette in nearly nine months.  That's nearly a year.  Did you ever think you would make it this far when you first started?  Do you remember how difficult the first hours, days, and weeks were?  I'm sure you don't want to have to go through that again.
   
   I'm also sure you've realized some positive events and gains in the last EIGHT MONTHS.  I guarantee you smell better!  You're likely not as winded climbing stairs.  You've saved thousands of dollars.  Your body has healed itself and your health has improved. 
   
   It's OK to crave a cigarette, we're all recovering addicts.  The point is that you don't give in to the craving.  Smoking will not solve any of your problems or offer you anything beneficial.
   
   The day will come when the cravings will subside but we can never be complacent.
   
   Success is not permanent, and failure is not fate.  We must work to control our future.
   
   E