MrBen

For me, that is.

It's been a couple of weeks now and the cravings are simply brutal. If it weren't that my job requires good cardio and swimming after smoking hurts like you've been slapped in the chest by a giant, I honestly think I'd had caved.

The scary part is that some people say the cravings never go away. Man, I'm not sure I could handle that, I've been dealing with this on the basis that the pain is temporary.

Quitting drinking was hard but nothing like this. If I craved a drink I could do things to take my mind off things and I'd be ok, this is taking over every waking thought. I feel it down to my bones.

Anyone else done the double, have any advice?

Mentium

I quit smoking over 25 years ago - 60 a day. I won't say it was easy but I was determined and didn't miss it after two or three weeks. I have struggled with booze for decades and am only now getting free of it. For me they are of a different order, though potentially just as deadly I guess.

Croissant

I've given up smoking twice. Once for 8 years....not one puff.

Then stupidly....kind of coincided with when I started drinking, I started smoking again. Like they say about drinking, I basically took up where I left off. :/

Second time round was harder.

I used this site, just to remind me I wanted to get healthy...I mean, getting older, smoking is only going to affect us worse, right?

It's an Australian site, but I found focusing on the benefits helped me a lot;

quitnow - Benefits of quitting

I get a strong urge now and then, but it's my addictive voice throwing a hissy fit cos we don't drink anymore and can't we do something "fun". Yeah right!

Anyway, will be 2 years on August 1. No puffs, nothing.

trachemys

I quit cigarettes 2.5 years ago using a nicotine vaporizer, an e-cig. Best thing I ever did. It doesn't have to be the expensive proposition that retail smoke shops are pushing. Go to madvapes.com and look at their starter kits. You can get started for $50 or less for a complete kit.

Once you've changed over, you can taper down by specifying the nicotine content of your liquids.

Stoogy

I've never smoked but I'm absolutely positive it is just as hard as quitting any addictive substance whether it be alcohol or any other.

HeadLump

I gave up smoking 23 years ago this week It was very hard but I was absolutely determined to do it. I made it on my 3rd attempt. I'm sorry, Ben, but though the cravings went away, I dreamt about it for years (and still do, occasionally). It's been well worth it, though

For me, giving up alcohol has been slightly easier on the whole as the cravings haven't been so strong.

Now food is a whole different issue

Straightshoot

I am using an e-cigarette also. I am still smoking what is known as analog cigarettes also, but have cut down tremendously, from 2 packs to less than one. It is the hardest thing I have ever tried to stop doing, all other bad habits were much easier. One day I really need to stop smoking real cigarettes. I absolutely hate them and what they are doing to me.

KateL

I found quitting smoking much harder x

Stoogy

Like I said earlier I have never smoked so I'm no expert by any means but just a thought was, I know a few smokers and a few drinkers and my take on it is that smokers generally have a cigarette every hour or so meaning it is never truly outwith your system as long as you continue to smoke where as the drinkers I know only drink in the evening time, does that make it tougher? It may have no relevance at all but worth mentioning.

Cascabel

I quit smoking about 50 years ago from a two-pack-a-day habit. About fifteen years later I quit drinking for over thirty years. Quitting smoking was much harder than quitting drinking, for me. But, about five years ago I went back to drinking: I thought I could manage it but was wrong. On the other hand, I have never felt the urge to start smoking again.

trachemys

Yes, the nicotine receptors are much more demanding than the alcohol receptors.

jezza

Have to admit I have given up on giving up!! I have tried everything, patches, gum, Champix, e-cigs & nothing works for me. The only thing I havnt tried is hypnotherapy which I may look in to.. The fags are a damn sight harder to give up than the drink. I find anyway!!

MrBen

I've tried the e-cig and I think it's great. Feels the same as smoking to me. Does it mess up your cardio like cigerettes do does anybody know? (I know the health implications are as of yet unknown)

geno198

I quit smoking and resumed chewing. I chew only at work now. Want to quit that too. I have one can left. I agree with you, I quit drinking easier than this. Good luck

aborkie

I quit smoking with Nicorette. If you're trying without a nicotine replacement then yes it is brutal, almost impossible.

FreeOwl

I agree that it's harder.... or then again, maybe not? Because I did quit smoking before I quit drinking.

That said, it took me about a decade of on and off attempts to quit smoking.

As for cravings, cigarettes just disgust me now. I have no idea how I managed to do that crap for upwards of 20 years. I haven't had a craving in a long time - and even then the only time I had a craving was because I was drinking.

Hang in there!!

It is SO worth it.

jezza

That's the million dollar question.. It won't do as much damage as a real one as it doest contain the same shite plus I've heard that a lot of people that have taken the e-ig up have found that their breathing is a lot better & they get less breathless.

DG0409

I tried the nicotine replacement bit, but found it just kept me hooked on the nicotine and drug the process out. To me, that seems like telling a vodka drinker to switch to wine. Sure, it's a different method of delivery, but the drug is the same.

For me, cold turkey worked best. It's tough at first, but then the withdrawal is over faster. It was really tough for me to quit smoking. I had to try a ton of times before I finally made it. I learned more every time about how to quit and strategies to cope with cravings. Quitting drinking has so far stuck for me on my first try. I don't know that it was really easier but I used what I had learned about quitting smoking and applied it to quitting drinking and I think that helped me.

Mind-set can make a big difference. It helps a lot to think of the positive things- money saved, being healthier, etc.

Support helps. There is a 24-hour no smoking/nicotine thread under the quit smoking section of SR. Just like quitting drinking, it can be helpful just to focus on committing to not smoking today. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-part-5-a.html

MrBen

I'm toughing it out cold turkey. I looked into e-cigs and I'm not convinced, nobody has any clue how bad they might be yet.

But today is tough as nails.

Cascabel

I agree, cold-turkey is hard but best. Stick with it, it gets easier after a few weeks. When I finally quit, my wife told me that I was a real #%$& for the first month and then slowly became more mellow. When I quit (after multiple tries) I had to also quit many other pleasures that I associated with a cigarette such as a cup of coffee or a glass of beer. Eventually I was able to resume my coffee drinking and, unfortunately, my beer drinking without thinking of smoking. The thought of having a cigarette now is revolting. My best wishes to you!