I used to smoke 20 a day. I gave up 15 years ago, but I had a few cigarettes in the first years after I gave up, when I was drunk etc. Probably a total of 20 cigarettes in the 5 years after I gave up. But now I haven't had one for 10 years, and I can't remember the last time I had a craving.

So, in short, the cravings die down rather than disappear, and it takes a long time, but yes, the cravings do eventually subside.

OP here, I wonder if the method one uses to quit affects cravings. Is there anyone else here who was a regular, habitual smoker (so, not whatever counts as social smoking) and quit cold turkey without using nicotine replacements, therapy, whatever else? How are your cravings?

I know I will never go back to smoking. I think addictions of any kind are moral failings and, when I was a smoker, I despised myself for being so mentally weak.

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, NO.

OP here, how much did you used to smoke most days and how long has it been since you quit?

OP here and thanks for the responses. I find it interesting that most people posting considered themselves social smokers. What counts as social smoking versus just being a plain old smoker? I would imagine that cravings are probably less of a problem for those who never smoked regularly, since the addiction was not fully developed.

In my experience, NO.

It gets SO much better, I promise. I've not smoked in 12 years and after the first three months, which were hard, I've on had cravings twice (both under exceptional stress in a work-related issue, involving two very difficult direct reports). In both instances, a really, really long hot bath helped. Good luck and congratulations on quitting!

I quit smoking well over a decade ago - actually getting close to two decades ago. Probably for the first 2 years I would get cravings during times of stress. I actually had a couple of weak moments when I smoked some cigarettes. Thankfully, I had the wisdom to stop that before I became physically addicted again.

Now it's hard to believe that I ever used to smoke. It's just not something that I would do now.

All cravings left me after a year. Once I picked up a pavk of cigarettes for someone and this triggered a desire to smoke and it had been over 10 years since I had quit.

Just remember that you have invested so much time and no way can you give in. Good luck.

I quit smoking when I was pregnant with DC#1, who is now 13. Every once in awhile, I will crave a cigarette in the worst way. I'll walk past someone smoking and smell it, and I want one really badly. Most of the time, though, I don't have any cravings.

I was a regular smoker who became a very very limited smoker (ie, one when out with a friend or when I was stressed but regularly went weeks with nothing. Now I'm pregnant and haven't had one since January. I don't really have cravings anymore but I do miss it. Every once in awhile I'll have a fleeting moment of really wanting one but it's not what I've heard other people describe. I've usually forgotten by the time I'd be able to do something about it.

Anonymous wrote:I am an ex social smoker, who would sometimes chain smoke when I got stressed out.

I never would have thought I could totally get over the cravings, but it's pretty complete now. They used to be super strong, especially in times of stress, but now I can smell cigarette smoke and instead of having a huge craving I actually get grossed out.

It's awesome.

+1

I am an ex smoker, and I, too, had to stop hanging out with anyone who smoked in order to do it successfully. I've been smoke free for 15+ years and I don't crave it at all. I craved a cigarette the first couple of years, but I got over it and now I never think about it, have zero desire for a cigarette. ZERO. It only irritates me when people smoke around me. I can't remember when that change took place, maybe 5 years after I quit...

I am an ex social smoker, who would sometimes chain smoke when I got stressed out.

I never would have thought I could totally get over the cravings, but it's pretty complete now. They used to be super strong, especially in times of stress, but now I can smell cigarette smoke and instead of having a huge craving I actually get grossed out.

It's awesome.

I'm an ex-social/stress smoker. I was never a big smoker, but I really enjoyed it. I probably would have kept on smoking but at 40, my doctor put me on meds that are very bad in combination with smoking. So I quit.

It's been several years and I miss it. I probably always will. When I'm stressed, I wish I could smoke. When I'm out with friends and they go out to smoke, I wish I could smoke.

I did smoke a couple of times after going for a year or more without it, and I can tell you that it sucked. It tasted really terrible and made me nauseous. So you wouldn't necessarily get that calm feeling if you did it now - it might taste awful and make you feel sick. Maybe if you remember that, it will help.

Posted in the thread on quitting cold turkey, but then I realized I had a question:

quit smoking without joining any group or following any plan in particular. I just decided I was not going to smoke any more and I took it one day at a time. It was a private resolution and I did not tell anyone because even so much as talking about the quitting process made me want a cigarette.

What was most crucial was breaking up with my chain-smoking boyfriend and no longer hanging one on one with friends who were smokers. Nowadays, I don't have any friends who smoke. I had some times when I was almost sobbing in my apartment because I wanted a cigarette badly (usually in periods of great stress) and I did experience the ex-smoker's weight gain of about 20lbs. But 7 years later, I am still hanging in there. I

Now, here is what I am wondering about: Even though it has been 7 years since my last cig, I still have powerful cravings whenever stress hits. Just two weeks ago in a moment of real distress about my marriage, I made a whole game plan to buy a pack of cigs and have "just one." I had to sit myself down and repeatedly go through my list of reasons not to smoke. I could imagine myself taking a drag and that lovely, calm feeling spreading through me and all my nerves settling down. Nonetheless, I made it without smoking and here I am, two weeks later and still smoke-free. Will a day when I no longer have cravings come? Has any ex-smoker gotten to that point?