I gave up smoking 8 years ago and tonight I am desperate for a cigarette ....

[TarquinGyrfalcon]

But I'm not going to have one - although the call is sooooooo strong. I've had a rubbish few weeks and just received a shirty email from my boss about something that isn't my fault which feels like the final straw.

Good job I live in the middle of nowhere ignoring the fact my lovely neighbour smoked and if I ran down the road and knocked on his door I could be inhaling in about 3 minutes time

Remind me of all the positive benefits to not smoking!

Makes your breath, hair and clothes smell
Gives you the cats bum mouth
You are burning money!
Not to mention the health issues

Have a glass of orange juice instead.

The money saved! Being able to breathe easily. Not stinking. Probably living longer.

5 years since I quit, it’s not easy, but don’t go back, you’ll regret it.

Eat some chocolate to distract yourself.

Within hours (if not minutes) the fact that you caved in and smoked will be another thing to feel shitty about when you're already feeling shitty! Resist, you'll feel better in the long run

Cigarettes are a tenner a pack now.
Keep telling yourself that.

You're all right and I need to keep reading your advice - @Hidingtonothing I'm going to hang on to the fact that I will be furious with myself if I give in - I genuinely feel worse tonight then when I went cold turkey!

It tastes really disgusting and then you’d be hooked again and after 2/3 cigarettes you’ll not notice the awful taste

But mornings your head will be fuzzy from the nicotine- smokers don’t notice the fuzzy head because they have it everyday, but none smokers would notice

You genuinely will, how you're feeling now is temporary but smoking now could set you off on a long old path of having to kick the habit all over again. I still get cravings sometimes, bit weird but I tend to distract myself with random jobs which keep my hands busy, sorting the junk drawer or unknotting DD's necklaces are good ones, unless you crochet or own a rubix cube obviously

£10 a pack is a pretty strong deterrent - I remember back in about 1988 declaring that if cigarettes ever hit £2 a pack I would be giving up

It’s not the actual cigarette you are craving, it’s the memory of the ‘crutch’ you used to have when you smoked. The ‘break’ from whatever was causing the stress, when you could go and have a fag break and take comfort in the habitual behaviour IYSWIM.
If you had a cigarette now, after eight years of not smoking, you wouldn’t get that ‘safe and comfort’ feeling - you’d most likely get very light headed, dizzy and a bit sick, you’d also break a rib coughing!
So suck your thumb, punch a cushion, dance to loud music, have a bit of a loud shout, do some deep breathing - the last thing that would help you now is a sodding cigarette!

I do crochet - great idea, hopefully if I can keep busy tonight the longing will subside

It will subside, can't guarantee it won't come back now and again though so it's good to have some strategies ready to deal with it. It's weird how it can bite you on the arse years later, I had no cravings whatsoever for the first five years but have on a few occasions lately. Hope it passes soon, now get crocheting

@FadedRed - I think part of the problem is I loved smoking. The whole ritual, social side (and I'm not sociable) and the physical act. Nothing has ever replaced it for me and I've always had cravings but tonight they have been all consuming.

But I'm eating chocolate, crocheting and determined not to give in. It helps that it is raining and blowing a gale and I'd have to walk to my neighbours house to get tobacco!

I loved smoking gave up in 2003 after 16 yrs smoking. I was made redundant after 24 yrs in the same job in 2012 along with several other colleagues. After getting the final confirmation I joined a few of them in the smoking shelter for a fag.

It was vile, tasted disgusting, made me feel dizzy and nauseous. Felt crap and couldn't get rid of the taste for hours after. If you do have one is likely to be disappointing. .I haven't had another one since and after that last one probably won't again.

Think of something nice to buy with £10 tomorrow

It'll make you want to throw up. The smell/taste will linger in your nose for hours. You'll get a nicotine hangover. Your neighbour may be out so you'll get all wet and cold for nothing.

This is all really helpful - I think I need to let go of the idea that the first drag will be bliss and all my tension will melt away!

I keep thinking about the fact my house will smell awful - DH and I both smoked for years and i never noticed the smell. We still have one set of friends who smoke and when I go to their house I am always struck but the stale cigarette smell.
I think I'll stick with the smell of wet dog instead

And I love the idea of spending £10 on something lovely tomorrow

I've caved twice, it was nasty (not envy) It honestly isn't the blissful relief you think it will be, I smoked less than half both times then chucked them in disgust. Stay strong 💪