Great question Needtostop, this is my 2 cents worth,
Cravings/triggers, can last 10 seconds. Sometimes we can have just a fleeting thought, that disappears once we realize that we don't smoke anymore. Quick and over with.
Another crave/trigger can last 5-10 minutes where you need a coping mechanism in place..such as hard candy, hot tea, a magazine, a walk or an activity to distract you through it.
The last one, I like to refer to as the "Recurring Crave/Trigger". This happened to me a week or so ago...two mornings in a row, I was dropping my daughter off at volleyball, and had this incredible urge from the time I woke up until after I dropped her off until I was safely past the gas station and on my home, did it go away. It was nuts. I think this was more a trigger than a crave. My Mind just snapped, and wanted a cig after I dropped my daughter off. Maybe boredom, change of routine (I was also off work this week on vacation).
So you have to be prepared. It doesn't make us weak to have a crave/trigger last more than 5-10 minutes...what is very important is how we deal with it. Recognize it for what it is....Junky talk in your head, and distract yourself to get through it, whether it's 5 minutes or longer.
Stay strong,
Kaiti
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/7/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 58
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,295
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $319
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 38 [B]Seconds:[/B] 49
