I know I wanted to push the river and be completely done with craves or triggers quickly ( immediately !)

but, honestly, it was a full year and a bit more for craves and triggers to back off into oblivion.

 

In fact, at 10 months, I had a big hurdle.  

I was having craves and using them to get in the way of my work (painting).

It was akin to writers block but, I was blaming nicotine and whining about quitting.

 

The truth was that addiction had changed so many brain receptors and I hadn't dealt with all of them.

Discouraged, I wrote in my blog My Life As One Big Smoke Trigger and the response was heartening.

Paul, Action, Marti, Chrysalis and Tink all gave me their encouragement and I was able to push through.

 

So, if you are well into your quit and still having moments of despair, please hang on. 

It gets better.  You get stronger and your brain gets reclaimed.

It just takes time.

 

 

Here is a vid from, our friend, Joel

 

 

Edited January 14, 20206 yr by Sazerac

I don't experience cravings anymore.  

 

Let me rephrase that.   I have not experienced a craving in quite some time.

 

Same with the smoking dreams.  That stuff is in the past.

 

If I am around people who smoke there is no trigger.  Just a mild annoyance.

 

You are free from smoking when its no longer a question you bother to ask.

 

As Sazerac says, it just takes time.

The craves disappear.

 

All of them. After a few  years, there are only old memories left.

 

If they did not, we would never quit smoking permanently.

 

 

Cristóbal

As an update, now at over Six years of Freedom,

I haven't had a crave in years and years and years...haven't faced a trigger either. 

 

NOPE is permanently etched into my consciousness by using it as part of my wake up greeting of the day and I am grateful before sleep for my smoke free life.