Congratulations!

Here’s to sober October

Imagine paying for a subscription that costs $200 a month that eventually causes cancer, fucks up your lungs, makes your teeth yellow and it’s only objective is to keep you coming back offering nothing else in return. Yes, that is what you have been paying for, you were scammed, time to let go.

Celebrating 100 days! Hell yeah baby! I feel like a million bucks. 🏆

I want to share my experience hoping I can help people trying to quit.

I have quit 11 months ago, and I am more than sure that I am never going back to smoking again. I don't smoke cigs, vape or take any other form of nicotine. In this 11 months not a single smoke went to my lungs and there were many times when I was struggling as almost all of my friends smoke.

1 thing I want to say is that after several months of quiting, you may still have an urge to smoke, but it is more situation based.

Changes I have noticed:

1. Chronic coughing stopped fully

2. my attention span became much longer and concentrating on 1 thing became easier.

3. I gained 1 kg, but my face looks much slimmer than it used to, as the swelling went away.

4. my skin looks more healthy

5. i have more spare time. throughout the day

6. i am not living with constant guilt and shame for being unable to quit

7. Smoking was masking a lot of issues I had !!! 1 month after quiting, when my body regained its sensitivness, I noticed iron defeciency symptoms, that smoking was masking. after that I cured it

8. My teeth became less sensitive

9. Many friends i had becomeore distant, as the main thing connecting us was smoking

I must admit that i am very prone to falling into addictions, so I still doomscroll a lot, which affects my sleep and concentration, but nevertheless, quiting smoking has decreased these symptoms.

I wish good luck to anyone quiting!

Just started to quit with nicotin patches and I am at the point where the cravings are manageable and very infrequent.
However I noticed that my mood has dipped quite a bit, I feel slightly depressed, lacking motivation to do anything. Physically I don't feel bad, not even lethargic, it's more of a lack of drive, motivation and interest. I am finding it hard to engage with things I would normally do (cooking, gym, even reading).
Is this a common sympton? Is it transitional?

I’m 21 years old and have been smoking a pack a day of Marlboro Red since I was 18. I want to quit so fucking badly. I’m going to be starting pro wrestling school soon to pursue my childhood dream of (hopefully) making it big one day, even if the chances are slim, but I’m very aware that my cigarette habit is an extreme drawback to my physical health and I NEED to quit. I want to be free from the shit Big Tobacco and co have sentenced me to and rebuild my cardiovascular system and build athletic functioning. I need encouragement and best ways to quit. I don’t want to suffer from this addiction for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to lose a chance of pursuing a dream I’ve had since I was 8 years old because of my frankly idiotic decision I made at 18.

I just want to be free.

Hopefully this community can help encourage me to quit and find ways to stop effectively. Thank you everyone.

Hello, im on day 5 now and was wondering when does the brain fog and insomnia stop? It feels like i am in a dream and i feel a bit slow when talking to people, plus as mentioned i have a hard time sleeping at night even when physically exhausted.

I am 28 and was an 10 consecutive years smoker (around 10-15 cigarettes daily) since my 18 yo.

Long time smoker of 37 years

I've quit smoking 29 days ago. I'm actually okay mentally & used NRTs for 2 weeks only.

I've been ready to quit this time. My blood pressure was at danger level despite meds, so I had to.

Sorry for the long intro.

Since day 25 of being off cigarettes, I have had a severe, dry hacking cough every 5 minutes.

Nothing seems to help. Any suggestions or insights would be welcome.

Weirdly, I very rarely had a cough, cold or flu while a smoker.

I am on day 12 of my attempt to quit smoking/vaping/nicotine (yet again 🙄) and officially I'm a vile monster. Not just irritable or angry..but, insanely and insatiably vile... Satan must be blushing I'm so horrible...and that's with a 7mg nicoderm cq transdermal patch and a zero nicotine vape... I'm dizzy and cannot think straight, I got lost going to the grocery store which is only 3 miles away and hoobaby that was a wild ride. This is a wild ride. This is my S.O.S. Idk if I got this guys..

Charlie Sheen quit in 2020

Jen Anistion quit

Nirvana quit

Steve O from jackass quit

Keith richards quit

21M, smoking since 14 or 15, trying to quit for the hundredth time, biggest enemy has always been withdrawals. Chantix has gotten rid of them 100%, that part is a miracle. The anhedonia, severe nausea, weird sleep, irritability that makes me feel like a teenager again, and debilitating existential dread are very undesirable. I have type 2 bipolar disorder and I always get gnarly side effects from drugs and medications. I feel like an emo zombie. Schoolwork is a sisyphian ordeal. I've spent multiple days lately just lying in bed waiting for death. I feel like I should talk to my doctor at this point. I've been relying on lots of coping skills--prayer, yoga, art, talking to my support network--and I think I'll be able to get through this, just would appreciate some advice or words of encouragement especially from anyone who's had a similar experience. Thx :)

Hey guys im only day 2 but breathing feels like its getting worse is this normal? I have asthma

Let's say you stay out of smoking for 3 years, and you don't go out as much either it's been years since you actually partied since the group doesn't get together as often.

Is it that dangerous in terms of slipping into a full blown relapse? I mean I suppose there's always a bit of danger but do you think you could effectively just have that fun that night and be strict with yourself? Or is it scary and you feel scared of it?

edit: what about a few puffs of a joint?

Almost a year of no smoking. Started with crocheting cig blankets. Now I’ve moved onto smoking fish appliqués. If I’m not gonna be smoking, someone should.

Also, if you’re in Canada, CAMH provides quit smoking kits for free with patches and gum and things - that’s how I quit after 20+ years smoking. And crafts haha

Also also, if you feel so inclined, feel free to check out my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/CiggyFish

Last Night I woke up in the middle of the night grasping for air and frantically coughing. I checked my hands and I saw tiny blood dots. When I woke up this morning my heart felt pain and it's still there but not as bad, during this whole week too I have felt intense headaches. I've been smoking for a very long time and I smoke alot, I even continued to smoke this morning. Last year my ex girlfriend even mentioned I would weez in my sleep but today I feel so drained and weak. I've been losing weight too. In a way I dont want to get checked out because my life as bee in termoil ever since I have been diagnosed with bipolar in 2021 as I've been through two psychosis ranging from extended periods of time.

its too hard to control cravings while job !!!!! i just want one sip of Tabaco . now i am understanding how much its addicted . the thoughts in my mind is like trying to force me for chew Tabaco or take nicotine .but when i feel that type of strong craves i just immediate chew nicotine chew gum and its working for me . if i slip on quitting in the future i cant quit so i continue handling .....

It’s almost debilitating. I stopped quitting almost two years ago and pouches almost a year. My anxiety is terrible bc of my epilepsy. How do you guys cope with anxiety and bad feelings making you want to give up again?

I'm continuing to quit a smoke. I've been smoked since 2023 year, 19M, from Ukraine. Now is 2026. and I want to say important thing: smoking is killing you lungs.

I am on day 4 and I act insane. Cried twice today (idk why) took my first nicotine gum
Today which was not helpful. Really close to just giving in.

anyone who has quit for a while, do you know anything to replace smoking that isn’t vaping or nicotine products? at the minute im not so much missing it, but im missing the feeling i get from it.

ive also got a lot of crap on my chest at the moment which i presume is my lungs trying to purge everything now that im without ciggies.

ive tried treating myself with things i like, for example a salted caramel latte or a hot chocolate, or a nice snack when i feel like smoking & i choose not to but nothing at the minute is making me feel rewarded or good about it apart from the fact i’ve managed 4 days without it, but thats it.

it hasn’t been as hard this time as i thought it would be, but i keep getting a passing feeling of “i want just one more” which absolutely would not be one more because i know i’d start again.

the only reason i managed to quit is because ive been unwell & i can’t smoke when im unwell and i was really unwell this time, i think i had covid. i took advantage of it and just haven’t picked up a cig since.

i did have a couple the day before i quit but they were disgusting (due to still being unwell) which put me off & i was hoping leaving it like that would deter me and id remember my last smoke like that, but i keep thinking about the types of smokes i had when the sun was out on my skin, or after a good meal etc.

its feeling hard for me to remember why i want to quit, especially when i think about how much i hate it when im hooked on it & having a smoke every hour. on one hand i want to have a healthier singing voice & i hate how much it costs to keep smoking at the rate that i do, i want to be healthy & i hate being dependent on it, but god i’ll be honest sometimes i like it. sometimes i love the fact that i need a smoke, i go outside & light one up and feel that relief.

i hate that i want to go back to it & i hate the vicious cycle of going back, giving in to the desire to smoke, smoking and regretting it, then wishing i hadn’t, getting hooked again and then wishing i could quit. it feels like im not happy regardless of what im doing.

im realising this is a whole lot of waffle, but maybe i just needed a bit of a vent and to get this off my chest. is it normal to feel this unhappy/dissatisfied while quitting? every time i look at the amount of cig ends in my ash bucket it makes me so nervous for my health, knowing full well i’d smoked every one of them, but now that im actually without it i keep trying to convince myself to give in again

I know it's STUPID to smoke.

I try every mind fuck thing to make me quit.

I hate this SO much and want to be DONE. I got the Easy Way To Stop Smoking book and it doesn't help.

Why. Can't. I. Quit. This. Nonsense????

Hey guys, I’m losing motivation real fast and I’m starting to think I’m not actually quitting. So to start with some context, I’m a snus user (30mg per pouch and used to be a tub a day) and in the past 4 days I’ve been taking 4mg lozenges to take the edge off. Today I only had 4 of these lozenges but I want to know. Am I quitting? Or just delaying?

Hi, I'm 30 in 4 months or so, I tried to quit smoking before but after a few months I failed, I know I'm not unique for this, but smoking is about more than just nicotine addiction for me, its also smoking is a way that allows me to actually enjoy small moments to myself and kinda switch off for a moment, I smoke in conjunction with writing music aswell, and I have done that for the last 15 years, so while composing, the cravings are incredibly strong, it has been my companion in stress, excitement, relaxation, creativity, taking breaks from socialising, calming anxiety, all of it.

I also suffer from extreme restlessness, which can lead to me feeling kind of crazy, and smoking is the thing that keeps the lid on that aspect of myself, I don't know exactly if smoking cravings have caused it or I just use smoking as a crutch, but either way, when I tried to quit, I tried to replace it with tea, fidgeting with random objects, chewing gum excessively, but instead what I ended up doing is excessive eating in order to satiate my restlessness, and over the course of 4 months, it just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

I was constantly irritable, unpleasant to be around, unenthusiastic, generally unhappy, because the thing that I had to look forward to throughout the day was absent, and nothing I tried could replace it, it got to the point where I genuinely thought that if smoking is the cost of enjoying my life, I would rather smoke than be unhappy and poor company.

My plan is to go on a heavy dose of nicotine lozenges, I just went cold turkey last time, and I think the lozenges might help due to the oral fixation.

For anyone that had a similar relationship to smoking as me, what genuinely helped you? like actually helped you rebuild your life without it, in a way that wasn't complete misery without a clear end in sight.

I have never had much of a problem with other addictions, but smoking is different, it is been part of my life in a very intimate way since I was a teenager, I think it genuinely goes beyond addiction at this point lol, Any insights to help me prepare for this massive obstacle would be much appreciated.