Congratulations!

It is crazy to me to think that it’s been 10 years since I quit smoking. I remember my first day reading through the 1 year, 5 year, 10 year… heck, even 10 day anniversaries and wondering how I was going to get through it. I’m so thankful to have made it to the other side and am able to make my own post!

My last quit happened at 32 years old. I had been smoking a pack a day for 10 years and knew I had to push through as I knew my health was going to suffer. I grasped every crutch I could, slowly weening my was down through the nicotine patch strengths, vape nicotine strengths, and made it to that day where I was free and clear of it all.

Since then, I have received an associates, bachelors, AND masters degree. I started 3 jobs, working my way from a student IT intern to my current position as a platform architect. I picked up running and have run two 15ks, a ton of 5ks, and even ran a marathon this past January. Last year I hiked to Everest base camp, which would have been impossible if I was still smoking (half the oxygen as sea level is no joke!)

I’m so proud and thankful to have made it to this milestone. This past June my father passed away, and on his death certificate the cause included his smoking history even though he had been quit for the last 8 years. He had just done too much damage before then. I’m hopeful that I stopped early enough and am taking the right steps to protect my future.

Sorry this turned into a bit of a ramble, but if my story helps keep even one person from smoking today, it’ll be worth it. 💙

Enjoying my first nicotine free month after a 20 year smoking addiction. Quit a million times until I came across CBQ Method and finished all the modules end to end. Can’t be more happy with my decision to quit

I’ve stopped smoking for a bit over 2 years now, but that’s only true if I don’t count the Odd Cigarette.

I sometimes fold when I’m in a social setting where everyone is drinking/smoking or when I’m extremely overwhelmed. This happens at most twice a month.

Idk why I’m posting this. I wish I didn’t revert to smoking when life gets too hard or too fun. It’s benign enough not to warrant obvious worry but I’m sure the harm compounds…

I've made it!! it's been four weeks for me. You can see my old posts from here and here. I don't have any big craving or anything like that however there is a strong "you've deserved it you can smoke one cigarette" voice time to time. Thanks for this community for being so supportive. I'll update next milestone (3 months). If you have tips for the voice i've mentioned that'd be great.

After 4 years of continuous vaping, both thc and nicotine, I’m finally almost a month clean from nicotine and almost a month and a half for thc. Throughout this entire time, candy, specifically atomic fireballs and warhead minis, have been absolute life savers! They helped me curb my cravings in the moment and helped me focus on something entirely different from stress, anger or wtv the trigger was for nicotine. My biggest struggle I would say is routine, whenever I would drive I always had my vape, before classes I would hit it, before eating, while eating, etc. it’ll take more than a month to fix my associations. I just have to say I do feel noticeably more energetic, food tastes a bit better, and I can walk up a couple flights of stairs without being to gassed.

Hello everyone!

First of all, English is not my first language, so sorry if I have trouble to be understood!

New life for me. I was admitted to the HR last Saturday and I had 2 arteries blocked in the heart... I'm only 37 years old, so it's still a bit of a looose for me. In short, this is due to hereditary cholesterol unfortunately. All is good now , my heart has been cleaned up , thanks for the awesome medical people here.

All this to tell you that now, smoking is over for me, alcohol and fast food basically... New life then.

I smoked 5-6 terea a day, spraying tobacco with iqos. At least I didn't have a burn, but it was still nicotine. No more the right to THC in any form, only pure CBD in spray and more...

By playing sports and walking, what is your new poison?! We all have a poison, something that allows us to relax quietly. Since I have more right to my iqos, nor to my glass of whiskey and even less to a latte or two of THC.. what do I have left?! How do you manage guys ?

No judgment please, I took this in my face so I'm just trying to assimilate the whole thing. Of course I know it is for my health that's why I'm gonna quit everything but just need some tips !

Thanks a lot guys

Hi everyone,

Im a heavy smoker. I smoke atleast a pack of sigarettes a day and every 5 minutes if not more I hit my vape.

I fall asleep with it in my hand.

I spend every moment of the day obsessing where and when I can secretely vape.

Its bad.

I have quit. Cold turkey. 18 hours ago.

Im feeling crazy tired, dizzy, light headed and just exhausted.

Has anyone experienced this? And does it get better?

Ever since I quit, I’ve been reading posts on this sub every single day. Today was my worst day so far, which is why I finally made a post earlier venting about my cravings and asking for help. And as always, the people responding were supportive.

But it got me thinking. I only reach out when I'm really struggling. When things are going well, I usually just get on with my day, or worry that posting about it might sound like bragging.

This subreddit has helped me a lot, but because most posts are about hard times or milestones, it can unintentionally make quitting look like non-stop misery to someone just starting out.

If you had a surprisingly smooth time quitting, or if you’ve been smoke-free for a while and most days are easy now, please post about it, or let me know.

It would be really encouraging to hear from people who are having good days.

Hello everyone!!

I’ve found this sub through r/leaves

I’m 1 month in THC free, now it’s time to tackle the real beast, my nicotine habit.

I watched my grandfather smoke himself to his deathbed and I’ve unfortunately acquired that habit.

I started smoking cigs in 2011, sophmore in HS.

I’ve been from black and milds to cowboy killers.

In 2017 my friend gave me a vape and since that was a more financially stable route, I stuck to it.

Long story short, I’m 31, I now have this Juul.

I tried doing chewing gum but that was destroying my diet, tried going cold turkey but the headaches started showing its teeth.

Does anyone have any methods to slowly get away from this, planning to have children by 35/36 so I wanna get way away from this to give my body as much time as I can to recover.

Thank you in advance. <3

I haven't been smoking for 2 years but then I got into the classic addiction trap.

It was a trip back home (I live abroad) and my friend invited me to smoke hookah which is highly popular in my country. I hesitated but decided that if I allow myself to smoke hookah when I'm traveling it won't be a big issue. Nicotine is terrible, but smoking with friends one or two times per year seemed fine for me.

That was a huge mistake. Before my next trip I was already anticipating smoking hookah. And I smoked a lot there. "One-two times per year" turned into "Smoke hookah when I'm traveling"
Next time I traveled to Vietnam, I asked my friend a self-rolled cigarette. "Hookah when I'm traveling" turned into "Smoking when I'm traveling". And when I got tired of asking him to smoke I just bought a vape.

The thing is that each time I got back home, it was easy for me not to smoke. I didn't even think about it at all. It made me believe that everything was under control.

At the same time I realized that I started to wait the next trip not just because I love to travel but because I will be able to smoke something - hookah, vape or even cigarettes. Yes, I started to buy them and smoke even when travelled, not to another country, but to another city!

So today is my "Day Zero" again. I'm traveling right now, and I just threw a pack of cigs (not event the first one) in the trash. I'm pretty sure it will be a little easier to quit than it was the first time, since I smoked periodically, but it won't be easy for sure.

Don't rely on rules that allow you to smoke; don't slip off the path. If you're quitting - quit forever. Any dose of nicotine will bring you back into the addiction.

Attempted going cold turkey today after extremely heavy vaping and smoking without cutting down before, I'm still pursuing giving up, I'll do it with nicotine replacement therapy as clearly cold turkey won't work after being on such a high amount and suddenly stopping, I didn't even make it half a day.

I often use body doubling with a friend or random person on discord to do simple things like clean the house or step work just someone there to hold myself accountable but I figured I’ve been smoking cigarettes for 13 years and vaping for 10 simultaneously and tried to quite multiple times with no luck so I’m thinking I’ve gone 4 days with no cigarettes without any problems but I threw away my vape an hour ago and I’m genuinely tweaking so maybe if someone who is also down to try it we could swap numbers and anytime we get a craving just text each other the word craving just to put into perspective how ridiculous it is how often we crave these things if anyone would be down lmk btw I’m 22 so anyone around my age or doesn’t have to be around my age I don’t really care

I've done it too long. If someone else poisoned me like this every damn day it would be easier.

How do I quit smoking cigarettes? What worked for you?

I try to tell myself that the urge to smoke a cigarette is really my body thanking me for not smoking...and then I make up some excuse or procrastinate saying I'll quit later.

It's dirty, disgusting and potentially lethal. I have to quit!!!

It has been three years since I quit cigarettes. In October 2023 I quit nicotine vapes, too. I'm so proud of myself. I am sending all of you love. Let's keep going

Hey everyone! I quit smoking and it’s been 53 hours since my last cigarette. 🎉

I used to smoke around 3–5 cigarettes a day, and sometimes 7–8 when I was drinking. I’ve been smoking for about 5½ years, so quitting has definitely been a challenge.

Every now and then, I suddenly get a strong urge to smoke, especially when I’m outside or when I have some free time. I’m trying my best to keep myself distracted and take it one day at a time.

For those of you who have quit:

• What helped you get through the urges?
• What did you do when you had too much free time or were in situations where you normally smoked?
• How did you stay motivated during the early days?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences and stories. How did you quit smoking, and what helped you stay smoke-free?

53 hours down , hoping to keep going.

Hi, I'm m19 and recently quit smoking by using snus.

I had planned on just using it sparingly to negate cravings especially because I was going through some things in my life.

I would have been considered a heavy smoker, smoking 20+ a day before I stopped. I had been smoking since my early teens.

Now I want to quit snus completely, I'm using 30mg pablos 4-6 times a day and I know I need to get rid of the crutch before it gets worse.

Just thought I'd post here to ask is it better to taper or go cold turkey? And what to expect as the nicotine is much stronger using snus. Any help or advice is really appreciated!

Thank you guys!!

Do you know what's the problem with smoking? It's not that it can kill you. If you are dead, you don't notice it. The real thing is: Because of all the diseases it causes, it can turn the last 20 years of your life into a living hell.

Also note the 2nd photo: 10 € for 22 cigarettes. Do you see how you're being ripped off, how they're bleeding you dry financially while you're making yourself sick over it? They're criminals.

You relapsed? Well, I did relapse about 20 times before I now reached 6 months which is my record. Just try it again. One day it will work also for you.

Theyre advertised as having nicotine content, but they don't feel particuarly effective. Have been on patches with on and off smoking for 1.5yrs now. Thanks for any advice

I (26M) am on day 11 of quitting cold turkey, haven't had a single puff since I stopped. I defeated the little monster easily, felt no physical withdrawal, but the big monster is absolute doing numbers on me. The mental strain is becoming unbearable at work.

For context, I smoked rolled tobacco for 3 years, and for the last 5 years I have been using IQOS (heated tobacco), averaging a pack a day. I have been working at my current job for 3 years, and the entire time I have been smoking IQOS right at my desk while working (small office, my 3 coworkers are all IQOS smokers).

On a recent 8-day vacation, I picked up Allen Carr's book. I had bought 4 packs of IQOS for the trip, but I ended up smoking only half a pack the entire time, and I did not even smoke at all for the last 4 days. I did not miss it. But the day I got back to work, I smoked 20 sticks, a whole pack, at my desk. That same day, out of spite I finished Allen Carr's book, threw everything away, and stopped.

When I am at home or on the weekends, I am completely fine. I am relaxed and I do not even think about smoking at all. But the second I step into the office and sit at my desk, it is a completely different story.

Work has been impossible. I take Vyvanse for ADHD, and right now my brain is hyperfixating on smoking for 8 hours straight instead of getting anything done. I cannot focus, I feel low, and I am so drained by the end of the day. When I left office, everything seemed to reset, but in the last 2 days I ended up taking that awful mood home and stayed that way until I went to sleep. Now I do not even feel like cooking or eating, which is something I usually love.

These intense cravings seem to align almost perfectly with the peak effect of my Vyvanse. I do not take Vyvanse on the weekends, which might explain why I feel so relaxed at home. I tried coming to work one day without taking it to see if it helped, but it was just as unbearable. I can't even tell if it was the craving itself or if I was just bored at my desk, seeking a dopamine hit.

My brain will not stop negotiating with me throughout the day. Over the past week I have thought about buying nicotine free vapes or even buying a pack to re-quit later using Cytisine just to make this stop. I have even been arguing with chatbots every single day, trying to get them to convince me not to smoke, but it is just pissing me off because they repeat the same advice, until I realized I am just waiting for it to tell me "JUST GO SMOKE", since no one else does.

The worst part is that I think I get all the theory from the book. I followed the instructions to the letter, and I know exactly what I am supposed to do when a craving hits. The theory goes right out the window the second I sit down to work. I just feel depressed and enraged.

I know I cannot quit my job, but I cannot function like this either. Has anyone on ADHD medication dealt with this desk hyperfixation after quitting? How did you break the loop and start working again when smoking was part of your daily desk setup?

Looking back, I keep wondering if this mental wall is happening because I quit out of spite rather than a genuine desire to stop. Since I forced myself into this, I feel like my brain is still resisting the decision instead of accepting it.

I am exhausted from fighting my own brain every single minute.

EDIT: Added that I smoked a pack a day.

I’ve been thinking about quitting nicotine, but not for the usual reason.

Honestly, I’m not that motivated by the health argument. I know nicotine isn’t good for me, but “you might get sick years from now” just doesn’t hit that hard for me.

What does bother me is how much control nicotine has over my day.

Thinking about when I’ll get my next hit. Making sure I have enough. Feeling irritated when I can’t use it. Spending money on something I probably wouldn’t even miss if I had never started.

And then there’s the weird part: sometimes I’m not even enjoying it that much anymore. I’m basically using nicotine just to feel normal.

So I started wondering:

If I completely ignore the health consequences, is there still a good reason to quit nicotine?

For people who quit, what actually made it worth it for you?

Was it the money? Freedom from cravings? Better focus? Not having to think about nicotine all the time? Or just wanting to prove to yourself that you could live without it?

Genuinely curious, especially from people who weren't motivated by the health side of quitting.

I'm 26 and never smoked so often in my life

Some months ago i used to hang out of the office with my friends (who do smoke) at least 3 or 4 times a day, we took 5-10 minutes breaks where they smoked and chat and i used to borrow one cigarette from them once a week or even none

Now i moved to a new job, the new office complex have this beautiful smoking place with flowers and a koi pond but now i don't hace any smoking friend to hang out there, i felt weird just standing there so for the first time this year i bought a pack of cigarettes

Honestly i dont have any craving for them i just want to relax there but i felt weird and observed, what can i do instead of smoking?

I've been smoking around 12 ciggs a day for the last 4 years. Don't love it but also don't hate it enough yet to quit. I did get irritated once and quit for a month. But since my husband is also a smoker, it's very easy to slip back to have this activity we do together.

However, my body has lately been reacting horribly to ciggerates. Lately I would experience slight nausea after smoking but it was not too bad. But after a bout of dengue it's just unbearable. I can't smoke without feeling like I could thrown my organs out.

I also started bupropion for depression a few months back. It is also a drug used for smoking cessation. So I don't know what it is exactly but I can't seem to enjoy it anymore. I guess I'm looking for a final external push to say, it's time.