former smokers, do you ever have random moments months or years later where you just get textbook "cravings" symptoms? - eviltoast

I’m so fucking irritable right now, every little thing is annoying me and my chest is tight, I keep clenching my teeth. I’m very familiar with these things, these are how my body is telling me “go smoke a ciggy”

Problem is, I haven’t done that for a year and a half. I’ve had this happen before, sometimes years on into my quittings, its always random and it’s always insufferable, like I’m a former psychonaut who accidentally cracked his spine 20 years later. Does this happen to anyone else out there? Any tips? I had a glass of wine but it didn’t help take the edge off much

  • Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I smoked for 20 years. I beat it by successively taking habits away. I quit twice for a year each time and fell back into it at the bar both times.

    The first time I went back, I didn’t smoke in the house. That was big but I really didn’t want my house smelling like that. The second time I didn’t smoke in the car… Also a big one.

    Then I vaped and successively brought the levels down. Each time it was really hard but my body adjusted. At my last level (3mg), I had bought some 0 for whenever I wanted to take the plunge, and accidentally switched to it. It felt really light on nicotine, but it was only after 3 days that I realized. I decided that was it and kept vaping 0.

    It was surprising how badly my body would react if I didn’t get my fix. I knew there was no nicotine in there, but boy did I get irritable and jittery if I didn’t get my hit. By this time, my first child had been born and I knew I’d have to call it. I was contemplating a date when one night she picked up my device and stuck it in her mouth like she’d seen me do. Threw it all away right then. That was about 7 years ago.

    Yea, the smell of cigarette smoke is nice and I can still remember the feeling of that first one in the morning with a coffee. The worst I do now is an occasional cigar, but I make sure it’s never repetitive or a lot.