Another good post I found:
Living With Craving
This is to anybody out there who is really struggling, craving a puff (or actually, a lot of puffs). This is for anybody who's made it a few hours, days, or even months, and is very close to going out to buy a pack of cigs.
I have been in your shoes and I know what a "relief" it is to light that first one up. And, I also know how awful it feels when you put that first one out, knowing all the hard work you have just thrown away. And, I know that when you light up the next one, as you must, it will not feel like a relief anymore.
In my case it was only a matter of a day or two for the coughing to return, along with the other charms of smoking: waking up to empty the overloaded ashtray; the 4 a.m. wheeze that woke you in the middle of the night; the occasional burn of clothing or fingers; the tears when smoke gets in your eyes; what sunlight looks like shining into a smoke filled room; the brown film on the mirror and TV...and beyond all this, hovering in the back of your mind, the knowledge that you are advancing, step by step by step, toward the edges of terminal illness. Sal calls it "that certain dread" and she's right.
So I urge you to learn to live with your "crave". It is much easier to live with than emphysema is. It's different for each person, but I finally knew I had beaten the junkie when I found myself in the presence of a smoker with a lit cigarette, about 4 months since my last puff - and reallized that my craving was gone. What a wonderful moment!
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 56
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,275
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $504
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 9 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 36
