Hi, Kate. Congratulations on your planned quit. This is a wonderful thing you're doing for yourself.
One thing to keep in mind is nicotine is a drug of addiction and we are all addicts. Just as an alcoholic will always want a drink and a junkie will always want a fix, we will always want a smoke.
Don't despair, though. This won't be a constant, demanding need. It will be something that will come up from time to time, but the instances will become weaker with more time between them the longer we stay smoke-free.
Smoking was tightly intertwined with every aspect of our lives for so long. We formed memory associations between events and smoking. Now that we've quit, when we experience an event that we previously smoked during, our memory association will want to make us smoke again. This triggers a crave. When we get through that event smoke-free, the association with smoking is weakened. Eventually, the link will be broken and we will be able to experience the event without smoking thoughts. Sometimes this happens the first time, sometimes it takes a few instances, but eventually the association will die.
There's also some physiological recovery the brain needs to go through, repairs that need to be made. Research has shown this process typically takes 12 - 18 months. You won't be craving for 12 - 18 months, though. Don't worry about that.
You're doing the right thing by learning as much as you can before you quit, Kate. Knowledge is power, forewarned is forearmed. The more you understand and to expect, the more power you have over the addiction. I'm glad you've joined us.
Shevie
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 389
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,789
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1478.2
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 72 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 30
