Four years of nicotine use, gone.

After four years of using nicotine products such as cigarettes and chewing tobacco I've been off of it for about a month. This is my first time trying to quit and will be the only time. I don't really have the urge to go out and buy a pack of cigarettes but when I see a friend smoking I do want one. Personally didn't want to use nicotine patches or gum so I went cold turkey. I've been thinking carrying some beef jerky around might be a good idea if I do ever get urges or maybe just chewing gum.

Also how long does it usually take for the lungs to heal back to normal?

Good for you! I plan to go cold turkey off tobacco soon too. I don't know how long it takes, but I can tell you that after a month your health is significantly improved.

Having a substitute for that oral fixation is a good idea.

Im on over a month.. something was different this time though.. this time when i see people smoking I just think how utterly foolish they look8(. I really cant think of one reason to smoke. Nice work.. the last time I quit I made it five months.. and if i remember correct at about month 4 or so, it was like i was cured.. so cured i thought i could just have a cig or two with everyone at work on break.. yeah.. this will probably make sense to someone so I will write it.. I had one because I really didn't want one.. or more like hell i dont even crave those things anymore at all so I will just be able to have one or two at work.. wrong for me.. was back on the insanity of tobacco in less than a week.. congratulations.. smoking is awful.

It is possible to quit completely. After I became aware of the destructive influence nicotine was having on my life it took me three years of failed attempts to quit and radical lifestyle modification. For me trans-dermal application was not an acceptable option nor were the vapour cigarettes. Once I had a taste of sobriety I began to hate the way nicotine made me feel so much cold turkey was the only option. I would recommend tapering if possible. My final and successful attempt took 12 weeks to stop feeling like I was psychotic; this period was followed by protracted post acute withdrawal syndrome that was much less uncomfortable. The key was accepting that I only used nicotine in an ineffective attempt to feel normal after the tolerance set in and it was going to take months of feeling terrible to have the feeling I had been searching for all along permanently, sobriety. It is impossible to explain to a person addicted to a chemical what it is like to be sober again. Take my word for it, life free of nicotine is better. Don't expect overnight improvement or to be successful the first time.

This can be supported pharmacologicaly but it's not worth explaining. The feeling your chasing after the physical neurological adaptations to substance abuse occur is sobriety. Once I realised this I consciously reprogrammed my addicted brain to chase that feeling in the long run through abstinence.

After the first two weeks changes were so subtle for me I had to look over periods of weeks to see how far I had come. I took to jars and put 120 marbles in one and every consecutive day I did not smoke I moved a marble over. That way I could see how far I had come. Every marble represented so much suffering that all I had to do when I felt bad was look at all the marbles I had already moved and realise that to give up would be to sacrifice all that pain already behind me.

Now I don't even touch anything containing nicotine or expose myself to second hand smoke. I don't know how long this process takes for others but I have a very low BMI. This might have some influence on how your body processes nicotine and the duration of withdrawal and post acute withdrawal.


Its possible to quit and worth the discomfort required to do so.


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Good to hear you are still smoke free.

Yeah smoking is so stupid. I have cut back drastically and its starting to show in my improved health. I have a can of dip though, which I fall back on.....its all rubbish nomatter what form is comes in. My friend is on nicotine patches and just experienced one of the worst head aches hes ever had in his life.....we're still not sure if it was the patch or the addies lol.

Anyway, fuck cigs!!!! They are riddled with poison, its not like puffing on straight natural tobacco!