Congratulations!

After 36 years I have finally managed to give up smoking. Today it's been 2 weeks and I am managing quite well so far and not having many cravings. I am using patches and hoping I can wean off them ok.

I was smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day. I am now saving cigarette money up to keep me motivated and treat myself. So far I have saved £200.77.

I don’t usually check my app but I did today, turns out it’s officially been 5 months of no nicotine or cigarettes!

It’s kind of funny… I was out the other night and the weather was so dry and cold, it felt amazing to finally take a deep breath and feel it in my bones.

Cheers to good health and resilience!

i am curious about what happens after the difficult first few weeks quitting smoking. everyone talks about cravings and nicotine withdrawal but there seems to be less discussion about how people feel several months or even years later.

did you notice less anxiety, better mood, improved self esteem or more energy? i would also love to hear whether quitting nicotine affected your relationship or ability to focus

give me some advice please i also want to know any communities aside from here

if you struggled with depression or anxiety before quitting did anything change overtime? i know everyone's experiences is different but i am curious about the long term benefits people have personally noticed

its been hard after my nictotine overdose i want one bad rn but managed to last im proud of myself and im not gonna touch one

7 weeks cold turkey. Can't believe this us happening!

I'm not back to my old self, but lately things have been consistently improving.

Cravings - I do get them, probably daily, but they are very undramatic. I'll get this unpleasant feeling that I'm lacking something essential, then realise it's nicotine. My brain goes "oh damn this is kinda really bad!" and then I remember it's a craving and doesn't reflect reality and can be safely ignored. And this is very important: it's essential for me to remember that it doesn't get worse if I ignore it.

Anhedonia - seems like it lasted for 6 weeks and then lifted. I'm able to enjoy things again, just as I used to. This one is such a relief because it made me feel like I could never be happy without smoking. I might be currently overindulging things I enjoy a bit because it's so refreshing. It's not exactly dangerous but I'm not getting things done as I'd like.

Sleep - I still wake up every night after a few hours of sleep, but I'm less awake and fall back asleep in perhaps 15-30 minutes. And I still wake up pretty early. So, I'm still somewhat sleep deprived but there has been a big improvement.

Executive functions - this is the crux. I have adhd and making myself do things I don't want to do has always been incredibly difficult for me. I switched to a new medication that really helped with this just before I quit, and after the quit I've been a chaos. Cleaning, cooking, personal paper work are the worst, as always. I have some tricks and the new meds but it's not cutting it. I'm now really hoping this is something that will improve with time. Outside the tasks I mentioned I function alright again so it's not hopeless. It's nice that I don't need to accommodate smoke breaks anymore.

Also I think there is a confidence problem in this. I used to feel like I could do anything as long as I can smoke before and after it. If it's a long job I can pull an all-nighter as long as I take smoke breaks. This is now something I've lost, I need to find some new way to find confidence to start tasks and believe I'm going to manage just fine.

I still find the smell of tobacco smoke pleasant when I encounter it - I always did, since childhood - but what's been very surprising to me is that I don't identify with the smokers anymore. Like, I don't identify with non-smokers either but when I see people smoking I don't see myself as one of them. I didn't expect this, my smoker's identity was always very strong. Yet I'm already starting to forget how it felt like. Like it's starting to feel absurd that I used to think about cigarrettes so much. I just don't feel it anymore. I can understand it and I know how important they are to smokers and never want to belittle it but I am starting to forget how it felt like. I don't know why. I've had quits before lasting up to a year but this is the first time this happens. I wonder if it's because I haven't slipped at all. No random drunk puffs just nothing. I don't know.

I've had only one smoking dream so far, finding a rolled cig in a stressful situation and lighting it before I realised. I fet like I had no options. But even in the dream I knew I was quit.

So all in all I think I'm going to week 8 doing actually pretty well! Some things are still a struggle, buy I'll wait a few weeks before I get seriously worried.

Lol I know it sounds so ridiculous but Ive done this so many times and I get stuck here. I dont really have any physical cravings or anything at this point but I convince myself that I can just be a casual smoker now and enjoy a bit of tobacco or some cigars sometimes. So I've basically been perpetually quitting for 3-4 years now stopping for weeks then smoking. The thought of never being able to let go and relax and have some tobacco makes me feel very depressed like ill never really enjoy anything again. So the current plan in my mind is basically to get to like 3 months so I'm "not a smoker" then I can relax and enjoy a casual cigar and not be addicted or some shit lol. Really dumb. Would like to actually do it for real this time as 40 days is the longest I've gone in my whole life. Any tips to get past this "bargaining" thought process would be appreciated.

I have been smoking for last 13 years.

Since covid 2 packs a day and daily drinking

I have tried quitting multiple times but you know nicotine is a B*t**

Day 16th on recigar and 5th day without smoking, I dont feel any better as of now but my heart is not running like a train.

I decided to quit because I was informed that month end is my last working day and I think I have been telling myself that smoking is keeping me sharp at work , ( we find our trueself in mysterious ways)

Just to let everyone know who is thinking about quitting that this is the best thing you can do to yourself. Never thought I can live without cigarettes but I have and I believe it gets better from here

Also want to thank all the supportive guys in this sub, you all are awesome, keep rocking and motivating.

I’ve been a smoker for about 30+ years. I haven’t smoked a cigarette in about 17 days and doing good! But I do smoke weed in the evenings and it helps. I figure with cigarettes I was smoking about 20 a day but with weed I smoke 1 joint a day. Am I still a smoker and is my recovery gonna take longer?

I (32F) quit 16 days ago. I’ve always been a highly motivated entrepreneur. I can work from home whenever I want, but I do rent a desk in an office to get out of the house most of the time.

Since quitting, I’ve stayed home due to random episodes I get where I sob uncontrollably for hours. I have to do breathing exercises just to try to stop the tears to walk my dog, which rarely works. I’m a mess. I haven’t been this depressed in almost a decade. I no longer enjoy my life. I don’t have any motivation to do anything. I feel like I messed everything up and my life sucks and I can’t fix it. I wish I could evaporate. I am starting to fantasize about suicide like I used to, though I would never do it. I know I’m delulu right now. I can separate myself from the thought and acknowledge that im delulu, and still fantasize about it like eating a tub of my favorite ice cream. Being awake hurts. I haven’t woken up with dread, simply wishing to fall back asleep forever in ages.

I want to start smoking again, I was happy then. I want kids though. I feel like if I don’t go through this, I’ll never be a mom. But I don’t know if I can get through this. I have a history of depression, adhd, social anxiety and panic disorder. I’ve been okay with my vyvanse + smokes for the past 3 years when I started medication. Now, when i take my vyvanse without my cigarettes, I crash out. Like worse than just raw dogging nicotine withdrawal. I’ve also been getting panic attacks every other day, on or off my meds. I stopped my 20mg vyvanse months ago with no issues. I only took it ~3 times far apart since stopping cigs to see if it helps.

Idk. Idk idk idk.

Pls be gentle. I don’t know what to do but to write here right now. I have a doc apt soon and therapy next week…

Edited post to fix grammar.

hey guys! i just finished my last cigarette. ever. smoking has been a massive coping mechanism for me, I started very young (around 11/12), i turn 18 in half a year. i already look visibly aged at 17, my face is puffy and my skin isnt as elastic/defined as it was (obviously).

honestly, as vain as it may sound, the predominant reason im quitting is appearance. not health, although, that'll be another massive win for me. I was wondering, has anyone noticed their skin elasticity repair/that theyve looked less "saggy" or "droopy"? my big worry is my eyes and jaws elasticity, as I hate my appearance and I cant wait to change it.

ill be working out alongside to try and repair core health and maintain a beneficial distraction. wish me luck!

that’s so cool

I'm almost 2 months smoke free. I understand that this is more mental than anything. I'm 37 and started smoking when I was 13. It was my rock, childhood neglect, foster care, all the things stressful it was the only thing there and it remained that way until two months ago. I have kids and I want to remain active and not be out of breath getting my trashcan from the road. I'm not overweight, haven't gained any weight since I quit luckily and that's likely stress related and it's taking everything in me to continue avoiding the gas station and picking up a pack, or going right next door and getting one off my neighbor cuz he's a heavy smoker. I smell it every time I step outside. It's familiar. Does this get easier anytime soon? I feel like I'm in some depressed, no motivation funk right now and it blows. It may be very vain of me but I keep telling myself, gotta get the lungs right to sing again, I don't want those mouth wrinkles... Being here longer for my kids is a given but when does this ease up? Does it keep coming in waves like this? TIA xx

don’t have any more self confidence in me, all i do is pick up a cig and try to forget everything that’s going down in my life.

M20. As the title says, I've been trying to quit nicotine and it's just so goddamn hard. It's by far the hardest addiction I've tried to get rid of. Weed? Uncomfortable, but manageable. Xanax? Sure, it felt like I was in hell, but it was easier than whatever this is. Alcohol? Didn't even have to try once I started taking Elvanse!

I've read Allen Carr's book, which helped me stay off the cigs for two days, and since then, I haven't been able to quit for more than a day. The biggest problem for me might be the cravings when my medication starts to wear off. I can somewhat manage them until the afternoon, but it gets much worse at night.

My plan for now is to try quitting again and, if I really have to, try nicotine gum.

Any advice would be appreciated and I apologise for the rant at the start.

I’m currently 20, I’ve been smoking street carts and dispensary dispos/carts just about everyday since I was 14. Do you guys think I still have a chance of my brain/lungs healing or is it too late for me? Is there anything I can take, Everytime I exercise or drink an energy drink I feel like I’m going to have a stroke. I don’t remember things as much as I used to.. I’m just worried about the future. I never gave my life a chance. and I think nobody really talks about how weed can be a serious addiction

I’m trying to quit smoking and vaping but the cravings are far too much. I’m only 16 and it’s impacting my sexual and physical relationship with my girlfriend I’m trying I really am but it’s not working any tips?

Hi guys, can you help me. I recently quit smoking and I’m coughing up these horrible things. I’m colourblind so I can’t tell whether it’s blood I’m super paranoid. Has anyone else ever experienced this? It happens almost every day. I’m worried it’s blood and it might be something sinister. I normally don’t overreact with things but it’s making me sick with worry.

I smoked for 15 years. From 17-32

Ps. Sorry for the nasty photo

Nobody is forcing me to but like, after I initially cave I just smoke the pack in 2-3 days and then suffer the mild withdrawal.

I don’t have this issue with tobacco, it’s just smth about cigs man they are so foul in the uk, but I can’t roll and I told myself I’d never ever buy a vape again, since they strangely mess my lungs up really horribly in the short term (chainvaper by default). I’ll hit peoples vapes but i refuse to cross the line to buying one knowing how much more addictive they are when you have your own one, all the time.

Worst part is I asked my mum for money and she gave me the last £8 she had in the bank (she had a little cash at least). Immediately felt awful guilt after getting a few drags. Being stressed doesn’t feel like an excuse I’m not such a bad nicotine fiend that stress is a justifiable reason to lapse.

I was out with friends, everyone was smoking, I was quite drunk and I couldn't resist.. What should I do?

I'm not sad, I know It can happen, I only have to continue with the same path but I need to use a different strategy if I want to be free. It's the third time I quit, and I always restarted like that..

What are your strategies?