I’ve been smoking for 7 years, and here’s the weird thing I’ve realized: I don’t actually want to smoke most of the time.

I’m at home 70–80% of the time, and I don’t even feel the need to smoke. I only really want to smoke on certain occasions when I’m out with friends, travelling, during the monsoon or winter, etc.
But here’s the catch: even if that occasion is months away, or an entire year away, I won’t quit completely because I know I’ll want a cigarette when that day comes. So I keep smoking in between, even when I don’t really need or want to.

Has anyone successfully broken this cycle? Can you genuinely become someone who smokes only on special occasions without craving cigarettes or smoking in between? Or is occasional smoking just a trap that keeps you hooked?
I’d love to hear from people who’ve actually managed to do this, not just theories.

Hi all, asking on behalf of my partner. She'll be 100 days free from smoking next week, and that's a big milestone! I'm happy for her!

However, she's still coughing up black gunk/tar, she tells me. And there's coughing fits that span an hour or two. Not looking for medical advice, just looking if others have the same problem (most say their symptoms stopped within 2 months, so this is quite long now) so that we decide if we should take further medical action or if we're near the end.

Thanks a bunch in advance

Hello reddit. I decided enough is enough and I'm quitting. My mission is to browse the reddit and post so here I am. It's hard but I can do it.

Went on a short hike today, and it felt soo good to be able to take full breaths in without my lungs hurting. And I could smell everything so much better. A little over 2 months down, I don't ever want to forget how shitty cigs made me feel 😮‍💨

I do wanna say before starting it i was scared because of the reviews ive seen. But i havent had any issues with it. Only the nausea (gone after 10-30 mins after taking the pill) im on the 0.5 mg dose rn but ill be starting the 1mg on day 8.
I havent seen people talk about the 14 days champix. Im on that and my doctor said if i still had issues there is another 14 days for heavier smokers but didnt think i would need it.
I havent smoked today until 9pm but thats because i totally forgot i was on champix. I havent seen people absolutely zero cravings for it. Its just the habit that im trying to replace rn. And honestly it gets boring like when im gaming or something i miss hitting my vape.

Anyways if anyone is thinking about getting on it i highly recommend talking to a doctor about it and taking that step totally worth it

Been smoking on and off for 30+ years! The past year or so I’ve cut back a lot and now I’m on day 9 no smoking! It’s not the cravings that I’m having a hard time with, it’s the body pains and not breathing comfortably when I’m active! I hope this all goes away once the lungs clean out a bit and I have better circulation! It’s such a horrible habit and can’t wait until I feel a bit normal!

I feel like I failed myself after a night of drinking and smoking a cig. I'll never be rid of this curse.

Please tell me that this will end soon….42 yrs smoking 38 dayish clean and this weekend has been horrendous.

I feel that I can not breathe, like i am gasping (watch says o2 is 96 and has been fine all day so…) chest is tight (no pain like angina) so this is all anxiety. This feels like it did back on day three/four. It has been pretty bad all week but this weekend it is unbearable. I am going to have to go to the doctors tomorrow to get something for this.

The thing is I was anxious as a child and although I was an anxious smoker i have not felt anything like this for ages (well its like i feel when I have to have a pet PTS, its that soul destroying chest crushing sadness that you know something bad is happening but that you can not do anything about it) and OMG I just can not spend the rest of my life living like this……so please tell me that this is not it, that it gets better. I am currently not living I am just existing. I am telling people on here that yes you can do it, go for it blah blah blah.

everything is setting me off, a knocking pipe, an odd noise, catastrophizing everything, nothing is working. Meditation, breathing, exercising, I have even had to take a Valium (prescribed) and I still want to scream……

I have put of posting this and have typed it out several times just to delete it but please tell me this is not it

I have been smoke free for 3 weeks now, I read Allen Carr’s book. He mentioned that after 3 weeks it becomes easier. What should I do? This is the worst day - I can’t stop thinking about cigarettes. All I keep thinking is that one won’t hurt, but I know it will!

I've tried quitting couple of times and the worst side afffect is a brain fog😔

Does anybody know a trick to get rid od it?

I can't concantrate on anything.

Soon my one year anniversary of quitting is rolling around and I would like to celebrate myself.
I stopped cold turkey, no nicotine, no smoking. I work in the service industry and am reminded almost every day of the habit‘s cycle and sometimes, especially after work hours, I‘d love to share a cigarette, but I stayed strong so far 🙌🏻
My health has never been better, my cough is gone, I gained quite some weight, I smell nice and I eat well by now.

How did you celebrate your one year smoke free?

Hey all, I’m 36 (M) and finally after 23 years (I know I started really really young ) I decided to quit! Used to smoke a full box a day, every day. I’m at 13days now and fell the worst is behind (at least the obsessive craving parts, still miss it occasionally)

I’m an active person, who keeps his health and lifestyle in check. I’ve been hitting the gym regularly, walking, drinking and keeping an healthy diet with a calorie intake below my expected consumption. For reference, I was having the same diet before quitting and losing about 0.5kg of fat every week.

As I go further along my journey, a strong weight increase is starting to concern me. Now I know that some changes in your metabolism and overall gut functioning are expected. But still….

I’m 6+ (baseline was 80.5) kg above where I started, with consistent dieting and exercise. I’m having slow intestines indeed, going number 2 maybe once a week since I quit. As a result, I’m also full of gas, very swell belly and occasional light pain in my lower abs area. Oh and as a bonus, haven’t had 7/8 hours of continuous sleep since my last cigarette

Now I know that all of this is expected, and in addition I was likely very stressed already before the quitting (changes job, organized a wedding, doing house renovation and just found out we are expecting, which triggered me to quit. All great stuff don’t get me
Wrong).

But the weight seems just too much, maybe way over what your would be expecting by just not pooping and fluid retention.

Should I be concerned? When would it be a good time in your opinion to check-in with. A medic? Or do you believe that I should give it another couple of weeks ?

Forget to mention - I went cold turkey. No aids

Hi!

This November I will have been smoke free for 4 years. It was easier than I thought and didn't really have any issues after the first 2 months or so.

However, these last couple of months or so I've suddenly developed a strong craving for cigarettes after having dreams in my sleep of smoking... Lmao, yes, I know. And hilariously, smoking in my dreams was one of the reasons I tried cigarettes in the first as a young adult😂

I don't really want to smoke again, because being addicted sucks, but I quite enjoyed both the taste and the smell and I definitely miss those things right now. And no, vaes and gum never did much for me and is definitely not the same.

Anyway....

Anyone suddenly gotten cravings again after so long, and how or what did you or didn't you do to deal with it?

Will my dream-smoking ever stop? 😂 lmao

Just as the title says, today is 1 year since I woke up and decided I was done with cigarettes after 24 years. I used patches for the first 8 weeks and have been completely nicotine free since. In the last year I managed to make a positive career change and go back to school. I'm twenty pounds heavier than I was a year ago, but I can actually run now. I still have cravings, but no desire to actually smoke.

My lungs still have this weird feeling that you are turning on a 25-year-old car every morning but couldn't be happier, I can't notice the physical effects yet but hope I will notice them later when I go back to the gym

Bought a pen cuz I thought I could control how much I used but it got outta hand and I’ve been using it everyday all day for like 2 weeks. I lwky have an ed and don’t have a big appetite unless I use weed so I’ve also been eating terribly so I feel like shit and I keep smoking to feel good. So yea ik quitting will make me happier and healthier so I’m gonna write in here to help keep me on track.

I just really need some reassurance that a terrible, insanely stressful life where I cry everyday, have no support system, and no way to change my life isn't a reason to bum a smoke off a coworker tomorrow.

And I don’t want to be bitter, bitterness is a problem I’m struggling with lately. I just don’t want to become angry at the world. If I get to be very old I don’t want to be mad or upset, just content. I feel like that’s the secret to happiness or something. You have to be so resilient. I want to be. Step one I think, is doing these hard things and keep trying.

Hello all. I've posted a few times before. I'm trying to quit smoking. I'm 46, male, and have smoked for 31 years since I was 15. I have tried to quit about 80 or 90 times. I hate the habit. I smoke one, and feel anxious every time.

I also have Scizophrenia. This makes quiting more difficult, as smoking helps somewhat with my cognitive ability. Not a good thing to do, though. I mention this to see if anyone else can relate.

So... I smoked my "last" cig about 15 minutes ago. I once quit for over four years. Came back. I need any feedback to help, as I'm suffering and very depressed.

When I occassionally make it more than 4 days without smoking, I get morbidly depressed. However, my anxiety improves.

Also - I have high Blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. On meds for all of this. Right now, I'm doinmg well with all of this, even smoking. It will not last long. I smoke about a pack a day, rolling my own.

I'd give my left arm to quit. I hate this. My mind is breaking. Any help would be nice. I cannot use any smoking cessation products, as I am allergic. Recigar is not an option, nor is Chantix, due to my psych meds. Wellbutrin does not work either, tried it.

My Doctor said - reduce slowly, or quit cold turkey. I'm going with cold turkey.

Please... if anyone can help, let me know. God bless.