Wow @C_8 Cate! 
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Stay strong and patient Steve @ThereISaLIGHT. It takes time for your brain/body to accept the chemical change. Will not be easy but I’m quite sure it’s worth the pain. Is there any peer support groups you could join in? Maybe also call your doctor?
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I guess you’re doing this cold turkey Steve. I don’t know how big the cigars are you were smoking but seems to me like a big amount of nicotine you were ingesting daily. And there’s also the weed part. That’s a lot to detox from all at once. Not saying it’s undoable (I did the same 5.5 years ago) but it’s hard work and the withdrawal is severe, both physical and mental. Took me 10 days to 2 weeks to get over the worst.
Keep going Steve. It gets better. You know what and who you are doing this for (yourself in the first place, but certainly your kid and dog and other loved ones too). It’s hard work for a while but the gains and benefits are immense. Finding peer support is hugely beneficial. This is a good place for that, even though there are other groups that are specially catered for smokers quitting and quitting smoking. If you scroll up through this thread you’ll find some reposts of stuff I copied from a no longer existing forum that helped me immensely when I first quit. I wish you all success.
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I am on Chantix and it works great, I just didn’t expect this much of a struggle. I am feeling better, day 9!
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I’m on Chantix to help and it is amazing. Day 9, starting to feel a little better.
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Hope you are all well and smoke free, my fellow grumpy A-holes 
I got some sad news today. Just now I heard of the passing of an old friend from the quit smoking website that started my clean and sober journey more than 5.5. years ago. He battled COPD for as long as I knew him. His advice of riding the craves instead of fighting them was extremely helpful to me early on in my quit. They might be of some use to you too. I hope so.
“Fighting craves can wear you out… next time perhaps give this a try… When a crave starts… find somewhere to relax ~ lay down or a find a comfortable chair, standing will work though. Close your eyes… relax your body… remain calm, allow your crave complete control… allow it to run it’s course ~ completely ~ start to finish… until it stops… allow it to enter your mind… The first time may be intense, sort of like a vibration running through your head… relax… remain calm, lower your shoulders often, allow the crave to run it’s course… until it stops, you will be okay… … Embrace your craves, experience them… learn from them…ride them out… every time… ride them out… you will be okay… Craves are proof nicotine levels are lowering… embrace them… learn from them… Practicing this method will allow the very essence of your addiction to manifest itself… your courage will grow… There will be anxiety/stress… walking bathing or light household activities will help… try to walk often… namaste.”
Rest in Peace Bertram.
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I did 3,5 months without smoking but had to reset last Friday and again yesterday when I had one cigarette at work 
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I’m sorry Hanna. You know quitting again gets harder after each one smoked. Give it your best to be quit again friend. Hugs.
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Thanks Menno. Appreciate your words. At the moment I have no cravings or plans to continue but know well how easily the odd cig turns into a continuous habit 
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I have been holding off posting here because I am not quite ready to stop again… But I have been smoking for the last couple of months.
I totally expected to be done with it by now. I’m not really sure what took me back to it or why it feels hard to let go of again. I know there is some nicotine addiction there, but it feels like there’s something emotional going on too which is more powerful, even though I can’t quite put my finger on it.
I am going to try and apply some principles of mindfulness to the situation and will be back with you grumpy a-holes once I’ve got a handle on whatever it is that keeps drawing me back to cigarettes. Also have Allen Carr’s book lined up to read again soon!
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Both addiction to nicotine and the habit of smoking are maybe the strongest biggest things to break with any substance abuse disorder I know. Now what follows is not specifically aimed at you Siand, but there is some good advice in this repost written by Vicky, one of the professional quit smoking counsellors that was around at my old quit smoking forum.
Subject: Unhappy Non-Smoker
From: motivated19 on 4/9/2010 11:42:23 AM
I quit smoking about 15 days ago. I am using the patch and this site to help.
The first 7 days were dreadful. A week after that I was o.k. Now my chest feels tight, my tongue and throat feel weird and I am very unhappy.
This is probably the most challenging thing I have ever attempted. The rewards are silent and that makes it even more difficult.
Will these feeling ever go away?
RESPONSE FROM Q’s ASK-AN-EXPERT:
From Vikki (Staff) on 4/9/2010 12:14:29 PM
Congrats on quitting smoking. Stopping smoking is an ongoing process of learning and practicing new ways to live and cope effectively as a nonsmoker. It is not easy at first to stop doing something you have done every hour of your life for the last 20 + years. It takes time, patience and practice.
Many quitters ‘try everything’ except the most important step of all - actively learning how to LIVE their new nonsmoking life!
This means ‘becoming a nonsmoker’. And ‘becoming a nonsmoker’ is much different than not smoking a cigarette for as long as possible. ‘Becoming a nonsmoker’ means learning how to relax, enjoy, engage, live, laugh and cope with EVERYTHING all in a new way - as a nonsmoker - for the first time for as long as you can remember!
Stress, boredom, comfort, sadness, loneliness, wanting a ‘reward’, seeking familiar routine … all these needs must be addressed effectively and not simply ignored. And this must be done without a cigarette.
For many, many years, a cigarette filled all those needs. How many years did you smoke for? 20 years? 30 years? Half of your life? Most all of your life? Give your quit process time to succeed!
It is going to take focus, time, effort and practice to find NEW things to ‘fill the void’ and even more time for those NEW things to feel comfortable and become automatic parts of your life.
Today is a great day to get geared up and prepared for your quit process.
Revisit your motivations:
Why are you really interested in keeping this quit?
What will you gain from being a nonsmoker?
Is your quality of life important to you? Why?
Who is going to support you through this?
How will they support you?
ASK for support and be specific about what you need!
Revisit your quit process:
What has worked well in previous quits?
What has worked well in the past 15 days?
Write it down! Do more of it.
What has not worked so well?
Stress issues?
What are 5 things you can do that are relaxing and comforting to you?
Write it down. Do them!
Boredom?
What are 5 things you can do that are fun and rewarding?
Write it down. Do them!
Depression?
This happens, quit or not. Day to day life, moods in general, people, situations, lack of interest …it happens if you are bored or stressed or dwelling on what you are missing instead of what you enjoy.
Keep your activity levels up and reach out to friends and family. Do something fun or meaningful instead of dwelling on stopping smoking.
Missing cigarettes?
When do you miss them?
What are you REALLY needing in that moment?
What can you do that is inspirational and of value to you, personally? Really think it through, write it down, and do it.
Commit to practicing those new behaviors every day for the next 2 months of your quit process.
Now, add your personal, well thought out answers to the following:
How will you be relaxing and rewarding and unwinding and enjoying and comforting and entertaining and cheering yourself up each and every day?
List at least 10 possible activities. Do one of them every time you feel like you cannot make it without a smoke.
How will you address habitual triggers like after meals, morning coffee, socializing, reading, watching TV, driving, between tasks and so on?
List at least 10 possible distractions. Do one of them every time you feel like you cannot make it without a smoke.
Remember, instead of doing ‘nothing’ ~ get busy! Create new rituals and new patterns and new activities and new habits and new thoughts to replace the old cigarettes and the current void. Practice actively living as a nonsmoker each and every day by engaging in these new behaviors and new emotional coping tools and new habits. That way, you will not feel stressed or bored or anxious or lost. And you will not start ‘romancing’ the cigarettes. If you actively ‘Fill the Void’, you will not have room or reason to miss smoking!
Stopping smoking can literally save your life. It is well worth taking the time and effort to move forward as a nonsmoker!
Good luck, keep up the good work, keep going and KTQ!
Vikki
Q Counselor
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That was really helpful, thanks for sharing.
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I started my timer today, finished the pack yesterday and not going to buy a new one. I don’t feel really determined, but want to give it a go. My parents will visit me soon, I will surely be anxious and pissed off af, so want to gain a few days before that.
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It’s the end of day 2 for me, still on track. I spent the afternoon with my friends and then worked till 11 pm. I had cravings, but it wasn’t that hard with all these distractions. On the other hand I want to isolate myself, I procrastinate replying back, I don’t want to speak with my best friend. Sometimes I really don’t understand myself.
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Sounds like very normal to me. I don’t want to be “online” all the time. But if I start to continuously isolate and withdraw from all connections, I have a problem (with my sobriety). Congrats for 2 days @Tomek!
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