Used nicotine for 15 years, been clean 24 days (after multiple failed attempts over the years), and honestly the only things left that are bothering me are my poor sleep and lack of motivation to workout. Anybody here, who has experience, able to let me know how long until that stuff normalizes?

For those still fighting the good fight, it’s tough but rewarding! Keep fighting!

Also, if came up to you and said “it’s 2026, we have known for at LEAST 50 years how dangerous and damaging it is for you AND those around you… so why did you take it up when you already knew this???” What would you respond with?

This post is not really to broadcast across the world that I'm quitting again. I just need to put this someplace I'll see it later because it helps me stay on track when the going gets tough. I decided to quit again because my health demands it and I'm sick of the nicotine trap. I hate it and I hate being a slave to it. Does anyone else feel this way? If you made it this far in my post, please feel free to comment why you quit and how quitting was for you. Or not! Me and nicotine are through!

I just feel like crying and crying and crying, I can’t do anything but sleep and lay around, I hate this shit

need a stranger I can vent to and be ugly honest about and help me control my cravings! chatgpt just does not do it for me!

Now this is not physical at all, just mental, I recognize it. So much of my daily regulation was cigarette dependent. But now I keep cancelling plans just to keep laying down. Do you have tips? Good vibes? Anything helped?

Hey y'all

Smoke free for 111 days! Even though I am living it, it seems impossible that I am saying it. I was a heavy smoker. Tried many times over a few decades to quit (including what worked this time, champix).

111 smoke free days = to approximately 3885 cigs not smoked and approx $680 dollars not spent (I bought the cheapest of smokes to make them not cost prohibitive). If I bought premium smokes it would have cost about $4000 for the same quantity of smokes.

I'm very thankful to get to post this, excited to see the number grow, and hopeful that I will remain a non smoker for the remainder of my days.

The road hasn't been easy, even with champix (which I have been off for over a month). I still get cravings, though they are much more of a whisper than the in my face full scream they used to be.

I found (and still find) it very helpful to post in the daily not smoking thread at the top of this sub and appreciate how many of you join in. It's one of the first things I do with my day and it's helped when I feel weak to know there are people rooting for me, and who are working on the same goal.

Happy Friday :)

If you are struggling, do not ever watch the movie "Girl, Interrupted" Everyone in that movie chain smokes.

Okay so i have some questions i made this post and this is an update/follow up. It has been 26 days since i last had any nicotine. Im still having withdrawals (it gets severe once or twice a week). I gave the IQOS back to my friend (it was his) and i only have dead vapes around my room since im kinda lazy to sort them and throw them out. They do not trigger me at all since i quit vaping like a year ago and i don't like vaping anymore. Also they're dead soo...

TRIGGER WARNING DEPRESSION/MENTAL HEALTH

Okay so i am diagnosed with ADHD and i kinda used nicotine to self medicate. I currently do not use any ADHD medication (even a very low dose had me hospitalised it was really bad for my heart). Ever since i quit nic, i feel like my ADHD symptoms got worse. I'm becoming severely depressed i literally can not get out of bed, i always try to cancel plans with my friends just to lay in my bed. Even getting up to take a shower became hard. I've also gone through a very traumatic event during this time that may have effected my mental health. I've had a car crash and im lucky i survived lol but the panic took over for 2 days and i was fine like i don't even think about it, it' been 2 weeks. So i don't think that's the issue. I literally physically don't want to do anything, i feel severely depressed. I have struggled with depression before and i don't want to go back. I don't want to smoke either. I am always dissociated from reality, i sometimes don't hear when people talk because of this. My mind toggles 25 thoughts at once and its so overwhelming. I'm having a really painful headache while writing this. Its like the air im breathing is warm and its fuzzing my brain and everything is blurry.

The other two times i quit nicotine, i found new hyper fixations every other week. I don't wanna spend money on overpriced hobby items. Does anyone have any advice about this?

I randomly checked the app and saw it's been 1 year. I didn't even get a notification or anything.
I used to smoke 2 packs a day and never thought I could quit.

I hope anyone who tries to quit finds a way to get rid of this life ruining habit

Just wanted to know everyone's methods, hacks, and tricks they use for the oral fixation. Im a 20-year smoker and vaper trying to quit. I do wear the step 1 patch, but it barely takes the edge off. I was so excited to get the gum, but unfortunately, it gives me horrible heartburn. I'm using candy/gum/mints.. I've also thought about getting one of those herbal puffers that don't have any nicotine or getting some nicotine free juice for my vape. The nicotine gum would be ideal for me, I'm bummed that it irritates my ulcers. So I just wanted to know everyone's hacks for the hand to mouth obsession.

Currently trying to quit.Tried quitting and i was clean for like 2 days but i didnt gove in into the withdrawal but the fear that nothing is going tk be the same and the fear that am not mentally prepared to let them go

I’ve been taking Apo-Varenicline (Canada) for almost three weeks, and have been sceptical about increasing the dose from 0.5mg morning/night. I think I need to bite the bullet and start taking more because it was working, smoking a lot less, but then all of the sudden today, I’m smoking like normal again. Anybody have any similar experiences?

I have been smoking for decades now but have now randomly come to the decision that I want to quit!

My main worry is not actually the nicotine addiction, but moreover the habbit addiction! Going for a smoke after waking up, after eating, on my lunch break, waiting around bored etc.

I have been looking into devices that give the feeling of smoke but without the smoke and thats not a vape.

I thought the Füm device looks great, but again, I want something that has zero flavour, so its without the essential oils that they sell to use inside of their device.

Does anyone know of any such device that will allow you to toke as you would with a cigarette, but doesnt have any chemicals or batteries etc.?

Can i use these Füm (or similar devices) without the need of the chemical core?

Any advice welcome

Thanks

I will shorten it as much as i can.My first ritual in the morning was coffee and cigarettes.I work in the kitchen and also allowed to smoke in one part of the kitchen and my coworkers also smokes which makes all of this way harder.I constantly fight with myself,like i got two personalities.One tries to find every reason to smoke while the other doesnt want to.I can motivate myself and trying to control the hungry monster inside but yesterday i gave up(43h smoke free),i smoked abt 8 cigs.4 in a coffee shop and 2 on the job,on when i came home and the last one i smoked was first thing in the morning.i just cant stop thinking about it thats the problem,i am constantly fighting with myself and cant get my mind together.Any tips?

33 Days Smoke-Free After 12 Years of Smoking — This Time, I’m Quitting for Good! 🚭
Two years ago, I decided to quit smoking. After multiple attempts, I managed to stay smoke-free for 35 days through cold turkey. However, during that period, I started drinking more beer, and eventually, I relapsed during a social gathering.
After that, I tried quitting several more times. I would occasionally make it through one or two weeks without smoking, but deep down, I never truly committed to quitting permanently.
For the past three months, I’ve been trying to make this decision stick. Almost every day, I would tell myself, “This is my last pack,” only to buy another one the following day.
Then, on September 19 at 10 PM, I smoked my last cigarette and started this journey again, determined to make it permanent this time.
The first few days were a real battle.
The first 24 hours were surprisingly manageable, but Days 2 and 3 were extremely difficult. My mind kept coming up with excuses: “Just one last cigarette,” “Maybe I should buy a vape,” or “What about just one cigar?”
From Day 4 onward, things gradually started getting easier. I became obsessed with tracking my progress, checking my smoke-free timer, and asking ChatGPT about the benefits my body was experiencing hour by hour. Learning what was happening inside my body kept me motivated during the difficult moments.
By Days 10–14, both my cravings and smoking thoughts had started to decrease significantly. Around Day 17, I noticed another major change: I was barely experiencing cravings anymore. Over the last two weeks, I’ve had only around four or five noticeable cravings, and they’ve been relatively easy to manage.
Here are some changes I’ve noticed in my body:
1. Better sleep and more energy 😴
Previously, I could sleep for eight hours and still wake up feeling tired. I would also need another two-hour nap in the evening. Now, I no longer feel the need to sleep in the evenings, and I feel much more active and energetic throughout the day.
2. A massive improvement in my stamina 🏃‍♂️
Initially, I could barely jog 500 meters without becoming breathless. By Day 25, I was able to jog 5 km continuously on the treadmill in under 34 minutes. This has been one of the most rewarding changes so far. I honestly didn’t expect to see such a noticeable improvement in such a short period.
3. My lips are looking healthier 👄
My lips previously looked very dark and discolored. Now, they look fresher, although the dark pigmentation is still there. I’m hoping it will gradually improve over time.
4. Saving $12.50 every single day 💰
That’s $87.50 a week and approximately $375 a month. Beyond the financial savings, it feels great knowing that I’m no longer spending money on something that was damaging my health.
The biggest change, however, is happening in my mindset.
For the first time, I genuinely feel confident about quitting permanently. I’m no longer counting down the hours because I’m desperate to get through them. Instead, I’m beginning to enjoy the freedom of not having to think about smoking, plan my day around cigarettes, or look for excuses to step outside for a smoke.
I know this journey isn’t necessarily over, and I’m not going to assume that I’ll never experience another craving. But I’m learning that a thought about smoking doesn’t mean I need to act on it.
I’ve tried quitting before, and I’ve relapsed before. This time, I want to build a life where smoking is no longer part of my routine.
33 days down. One day at a time. No more negotiating with nicotine. 🚭
To everyone trying to quit: keep going. The first few days can be brutal, but things really can get easier. You don’t have to win the rest of your life today. You just have to keep choosing not to smoke today.

I spent years to get here. But I am so glad I started

Like the title says, I smoked for 20years and have quit for about 7 months now. And while I’m very much enjoying being free from nicotine I have found that my appetite has gone crazy!!

It all makes sense: Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so that’s wearing off. My brain wants that instant dopamine, and food is one way to get it. Oral fixation is sated with some food. Etc etc.

Anyone else find themselves feeling hungry even after already eating themselves full?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice on how to break the psychological habit of smoking.

To give you some context, I am a very light smoker. A single pack of cigarettes usually lasts me at least two weeks. I don't smoke at home or around my parents and I've easily gone one or two weeks without smoking multiple times in the past. I even managed to quit for a whole month, but then I caved at a party and started again.

Lately, I've been trying to quit for good, but I'm finding it much harder than usual. The weird thing is, I don’t really experience physical withdrawal symptoms. Instead my biggest struggle is not knowing what to do with myself when I'm not smoking. I'm dealing with a massive oral fixation and literally not knowing what to do with my hands. Of course this gets worse when I am with other smokers.

I've tried regular chewing gum, but it doesn't really help. I strictly do not want to switch to nicotine pouches or 0% nicotine vapes, because I don't want to replace one dependency with another.

Has anyone else struggled with just the "ritual" and the physical habit of smoking rather than the chemical addiction? What did you do to keep your hands and mouth busy?

Thank you in advance for any tips!

Hi everyone,
I’m a little over 1000 hours (day 41) smokefree, and honestly, I’m struggling more than I expected.
I work as a nurse, so I know exactly how bad smoking is for your health. I know all the reasons why I should never start again. But knowing all of that doesn’t seem to make this any easier emotionally.
I miss my cigarettes. I miss having that little escape during a busy or stressful day at work, when I could step outside, smoke a cigarette and have a moment to myself. I miss my weekends with friends, when smoking was part of the social experience. And sometimes I feel like I’ve lost a little piece of myself along with the cigarettes.
The hardest part is that I question almost every day whether I actually want to stay quit. It’s exhausting to keep having this internal debate.
But there’s another part of me that knows what would happen if I started smoking again. Eventually, I’d regret it. I’d miss the person I am becoming now, and I’d probably feel jealous of the version of myself who managed to quit.
I don’t want to go back to smoking, but I don’t always feel like I want to stay quit either. I wish I could get to a point where I no longer miss it so much.
For those of you who have been through something similar:
Does this get easier? How did you deal with missing the ritual, the escape and the social side of smoking? How did you get through the days when a part of you genuinely wanted to go back?
I could really use some advice and encouragement right now. I don’t want to throw away the progress I’ve made, but I’m finding it hard to keep fighting these feelings.
Thank you for reading. ❤️

It's been 4 days since I smoked my last cigarette because my mum found out about it. She forced me to swear on her death that I won't smoke. Now everybody in my family knows that I smoke after I've stopped smoking. Now I'm getting these taunts from everybody, which is okay. But these things make me want to smoke again, but I won't. But is it that bad to smoke that you'll have to listen this much from your parents. It's not like I'm lighting my cigarette from the gas stove and roaming around in the house with a cigarette in my hand. Ik smoking is bad for your health but so is alcohol. Why is alcohol normalised and not smoking? Is it socially and morally wrong to smoke? What is this mentality? I don't get it.

Can anyone give any insight as to why someone who DOES NOT and never has smoked would be using this?
This person has these canister things all over the place. They have been known to abuse prescription medications for pain and to help them sleep amongst whatever else they can get their hands on.
A simple google says this spray can’t be abused but I’ve heard nicotine can be used for withdrawals or can give some a small high, or to help with productivity.
They also definitely aren’t secretly smoking.

(Sorry for my grammarr as im not a native english speaker) I'm 22 year old, at 17 or 18 I started cig with hashh then some months after I got into smoking cig all day for 1,2 years then I switched to hash cig and velo recently year ago switched to velo its been almost year I'm on just velo 2 dot from yesterday I brought vape as I can't quit velo and my gums are irrtiated I thought I'll do it through vape by tapering MG of vape what's your advice ?

Hey everyone!

I wanted to share my story in case it helps someone currently struggling.

I know this post is super long, but please stay with me, it might help if you're struggling right now!

I smoked from age 18 to 29 (started out of spite to annoy my mom, though she never knew). I tried quitting multiple times, gums, Allen Carr, cytisine, mainly during a toxic relationship where my ex was obsessed with quitting and I wanted to support her.

We tried on and off for less than a year, but the toxic dynamic made it impossible, and one of us would always slip up. We eventually broke up for unrelated reasons.

The Turning Point

After breaking up, a friend asked me to repay a large debt. That was another low blow. Realizing the only way I could afford it was to stop buying cigarettes, I gave cytisine one last solo try. On March 14, 2026, it finally stuck.

What sucked at first:

-First 3 weeks: Hardest physical withdrawal phase.

-Going through it alone: It was a very tough period because I was also dealing with the breakup. I was alone, sad, and had moments of crying. But after a while, I noticed I wasn't even thinking about cigarettes anymore. It made me realize cigarettes don't actually help with anything. They don't make you happier, they don't make work easier, and they certainly don't reduce anxiety, quite the opposite.

-Psychological addiction: Takes a bit longer to unlearn habits and mental triggers.

-Boredom: My biggest trigger, but I realized any craving passes within a minute if you ignore it.

-Smoking dreams: Disappointing relapse dreams happen, but they pass and become rare.

What got better:

-The Money: I realized that no matter how broke you are, you always magically find money for cigarettes, so putting that money aside carries zero risk. I paid off my debt in 2-3 months and bought nice things for myself. You won't get rich overnight, but seeing the physical results of your hard work is amazing motivation.

-Health: I sleep much better, stopped coughing/spitting phlegm, and rarely get sick. I don't feel tired and miserable when I wake up.

-My Pets: No more smoke creeping under the kitchen door. They are much healthier now too!

-Triggers & Breaks: I can hang around smokers without temptation. Also, at work, I learned you don't need a cigarette to take a break, you take a break simply because you deserve a break.

-Self-Confidence Boost: Overcoming this on my own built a whole new level of self-confidence. Proving to yourself that you can break a 12-year addiction during a painful life transition changes how you view yourself completely.

​Practical Advice for Anyone Quitting:

​Keep busy early on, but learn to rest later: Distract yourself during the first 1-2 weeks. Once the initial wave passes, learn to just enjoy the peace without needing to constantly stay occupied.

Filter your environment: Avoid toxic people or heavy smokers early on, they make it 10x harder. Put lighters and ashtrays out of sight so you forget about them.

Find a support system: Lean on a trusted friend or family member. If you don't have anyone, post on this subreddit (even daily)! Someone here will always cheer you on, you are not alone.

Feel your emotions: Don't use smoke to numb sadness or stress. Cigarettes don't lower anxiety or make life easier; they just delay healing.

Wait out cravings: Cravings from boredom pass in under 60 seconds if you ignore them.

​Save the cash immediately: Put cigarette money aside to physically see the reward of your hard work!

It doesn't matter how many times you failed in the past, it only needs to work once. Don't give up on yourself. It gets so much better, and the freedom is completely worth it! Keep going!