I've been "wanting" a smoke for about eight or nine hours nonstop. would you call this a craving? I thought they were only supposed to last for a few minutes. But it's been hours. It seems more like a mental thing, not as much as a physical thing. It's like an intense discomfort that isn't going away. Is this normal? My other quits werent really like that. 

A typical craving only lasts for an approximate 2-5 minutes.  However, it is not at all uncommon during the early part of the quit to have obsessive thoughts that leads one to fixating on a cigarette.

 

This is addiction we're talking about.  We developed a physical dependency and altered our mental state through years of nicotine addiction.  The mind and body will eventually adapt and not smoking will feel far more normal than lighting one up would, but...it takes time.

 

Be patient.  A few rough days to enjoy a lifetime of freedom is a good trade.

2 minutes ago, Boo said:

A typical craving only lasts for an approximate 2-5 minutes.  However, it is not at all uncommon during the early part of the quit to have obsessive thoughts that leads one to fixating on a cigarette.

 

This is addiction we're talking about.  We developed a physical dependency and altered our mental state through years of nicotine addiction.  The mind and body will eventually adapt and not smoking will feel far more normal than lighting one up would, but...it takes time.

 

Be patient.  A few rough days to enjoy a lifetime of freedom is a good trade.

that makes sense. I am obsessing over it 

5 minutes ago, christine 12 said:

that makes sense. I am obsessing over it 

 

During the first few days of my quit, I obsessed relentlessly.  Quitting and smoking were the first things I thought about in the morning and last thing I thought about before I went to sleep.

 

It got better with time.  In fact, it's but a distant memory now.

Boo is spot on. I thought of smoking non-stop too. That was one of the worst symptoms for me but then one morning I woke up in the best mood I had been in in years and smoking wasn't the first or last thing on my mind. You'll get there too. It was promised to me and now im promising you. Hang in there, it gets so much better

I was exactly the same... it was my one driving thought and being an insomniac I got at most 3 hours respite a night when i slept. We're not just spinning you a line, it gets better and its like Jillar just said, one morning you wake up and about an hour or so after you've been up it suddenly registered you haven't thought about a smoke. Its all a lot newer and closer for me than it is for Boo and Jillar but let me tell you it really, truely does get easier. I've only been quit for 6 months but sweetie I have had way more good days than horror days... way more and its not that I don't still get the occasional crave, or thought or ah stuff moment where I think I'll just go get a smoke... because i do, but they are fewer and further between and way less demanding. So as Boo says.. short term struggle and drama.... long term benefit. I know in the early days the old phartes would tell me it gets better and I'd think when... when I changed my thinking to be it'll be better tomorrow, it'll be better tomorrow it suddenly was.. each day is better than the last until I'm not sure how much better it can get  most days.

My physical cravings were overshadowed by the mental process of quitting smoking.

Free Your Head, I would scream shout whisper over and over and over.

It took a long time to turn the page but, the page got turned and I freed myself from Nicotine addiction and from smoky thoughts.

I now use those mantras, mental techniques that I practiced while quitting in lots and lots of good ways now.

 

Hold tight to your resolve, Christine.  Soon, your smoky thoughts will grow still and silent.  It's really nice when that happens.  Hold on.

I had this happen a few times and it was disconcerting. It felt like it would never end. It eventually did end. It doesn’t matter what it’s called as long as you don’t listen to it. You are doing great. Do not fixate over whether you are obsessing or not. It’s not representative of how good your quit is. Your quit is good as long as you don’t smoke. 

17 minutes ago, Giveintowin said:

I had this happen a few times and it was disconcerting. It felt like it would never end. It eventually did end. It doesn’t matter what it’s called as long as you don’t listen to it. You are doing great. Do not fixate over whether you are obsessing or not. It’s not representative of how good your quit is. Your quit is good as long as you don’t smoke. 

Thanks. I finally feel somewhat better now. I think I will last through the morning or longer.