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Today is the fourth day of my quit. I am just trying to keep track of my feeling for the first week. I'm told that the nicotine is now gone from my body and I have reached the peak withdrawal from it. I'm not sure what that means. If the nicotine is completely gone, why would I still be going through nicotine withdrawal which I'm told could last 3 months. Lately I have been having urges to reach for a cigarette. I have decided that instead of trying to ignore it, I just tell myself that I just had one. I am really very convincing and I actually think I just had one and therefore I don't want one anymore. lol Unfortunately, this is not my long term plan of action. The longer I tell myself I just had a cigarette, the more I will look at my self as a smoker. NOT GOOD. It does help with the first few days though.

Although the nicotine is gone, the receptors in your brain are still craving that stimulation that nicotine used to provide. That will gradually die off. Also, think about when you smoked. How much of your day was consumed by smoking related thoughts and activities? Not smoking itself but all the stuff surrounding smoking. All that time you used to spend planning and thinking about smoking related stuff is no longer a factor so you need to start to develop new routines to fill all that free time productively. You also need to learn new ways to deal with all life's situations: stress, happy times, sad times and just relaxing times. These were probably all times you relied on smoking as an emotional response to those life situations. Now that's no longer available and was never really necessary in the first place. This is the part that takes time. It's a slow process but as you go through it, your reliance on smoking as a go to for life experiences will be less and less each day from here on in until, after a while, you won't think about smoking right away when life situations arise. That's when you know you really have a handle on this addiction :)

Hello Breathless- its downright shitty for a bit, we really have to learn to be non-smokers again- its a combination of habits I think- you are in complete control- every urge gets weaker,, find something to help- I used gum-I still do, just not as much, it freshens our breath. the opposite of a nasty cig,, every day your stronger, an soon ,,when you smell a smoker,,, its awful.. stinky,, etc- hang in there,, stay here, study everything about nicotine etc,, its pretty enlightening,, RC

After just a week! The early (and many) blessings: Achieving that truly full breath at last (phew, my lungs still work) Appetite is back and food tastes good I feel more confident Not afraid of tomorrow's 1.5 hour drive and winter hike with 3 never-smokers Don't have to worry how badly I smell during my therapy group Money not spent on butts I feel more relaxed and calm in the morning (no rush out of bed for nicotine fix) Not worried I'll smell during Monday's job interview Back on the QT ;)