Welcome, Renee. There are several different methods used to quit smoking and although cold turkey is the one with the highest success rate, it doesn't mean that other methods don't work. I used Wellbutrin XL to quit. You found something that works for you so don't ever second guess or look back because when you're 80 years old and haven't smoked in many decades, it won't matter how you quit, only that you quit. The end result that we all seek is to stay quit forever. Once you quit, protect it at all costs because if you lose it, it may be years before you try and quit again or perhaps never even attempt another quit.
If somebody says they pet a toad every evening at 10 PM for 15 minutes to keep them from smoking I wouldn't tell them to stop petting the toad but I would stop the train at Creepsville. lol
Here you will find support to never take another puff, ever.
Your cravings will be few and far between the longer you stay quit. You can go months and even longer without thinking about it. Here's a good video to help put the whole craving thing into perspective. One thing to remember, never, ever forget that you were once a smoker for the day that you forget is the day that you can get caught off guard by a sudden trigger and you could find yourself smoking again. We're nicotine addicts and remembering that we were once smokers and getting the occasional craving or thought of smoking is what we signed up for when we decided that we wanted to become smokers.
For us, we can never, ever take another puff.
Craves Or Thoughts For Cigarettes That Occur Over Time
This video discusses the fact that people may get thoughts for cigarettes after quitting and how we have numerous resources to help former smokers minimize the problems that these thoughts may pose. The following videos explores the different causes and solution to these thoughts or craves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Z980ITCvk
Related Media:
Difference between physical and psychological urges
http://youtu.be/_A8s7Pw7jA0
Video discusses how while the intensity between the psychological thoughts for cigarettes weeks or months into your quit may feel very much like the physical urges you may have encountered in the beginning of your quit, that there is an important difference in the two states.
Fixating on a cigarette
http://youtu.be/OZLJ_nlkUCQ
Video discusses how people often fixate on the desire to have "a good" cigarette.
"How long before I don't want a cigarette?"
http://youtu.be/CLp_ic5VgiI
Video discusses how experience is what is going to dictate how long it is before you can do certain activities without smoking, not time. Covers some of the same concepts as smoking triggers filmed a few days before, but I believe more people will look up this title because it is a question often asked by people first quitting.
"Will I ever stop thinking of cigarettes?"
http://youtu.be/8310BI-euJw
Most people overestimate how much of a battle staying smoke free will be once they quit smoking. This video discusses how people will generally stop thinking about smoking, and much sooner than they usually think.
Smoking triggers
http://youtu.be/MMhyHzvHgt8
Video discussing why triggers can often create thoughts for cigarettes over time.
Tell a newbie how many seconds a day you want a cigarette
http://youtu.be/W_S_Z8R0_Pk
Video introduces the Freedom from Nicotine thread that has hundreds of members describe the frequency and intensity of thoughts for cigarettes that they have over varying lengths of time after having quit smoking.
Avoiding situations where you used to smoke
http://youtu.be/M681p2B-8kA
Video discusses the importance of facing triggers head on as opposed to the natural inclination of many to avoid situations where they used to smoke.
Summer seasonal triggers
http://youtu.be/BxWAiSN7Yls
Video discusses how a national holiday or change of seasons may result in a temporary increase of thoughts for cigarettes.
Change of season triggers - the fall
http://youtu.be/ADlHtj7N8vo
Video discussed how change of season events and conditions may result in a temporary increase of thoughts for cigarettes.
Holidays that result in three day weekends
http://youtu.be/BGCFdg9tY_w
While discussing labor day and fall kind of changes, issues discussed in this video applies to lots of holidays and situations like three day weekends and the end of vacations for recent quitters.
Be prepared for holiday triggers
http://youtu.be/EOQvS4hjKYY
While filmed on Thanksgiving 2011, video relates to how any holiday or special annual event can result in more smoking thoughts than no
Longer-term quitters who say they are having "Bad Days"
http://youtu.be/1TpXVAEgOtU
Video discusses how longer-term quitters sometimes lose perspective of what really constitutes a bad day when it comes to thoughts for cigarettes.
"The only time I think of smoking is when I get one of your stupid letters"
http://youtu.be/DgZN4UI_8wU