Over Six Months Quit — It Gets Better
I was thinking of this sub recently, and how, when I first quit (January 22, 2026—or almost seven months ago), I dreamed of being a former smoker—one of those people who comes on here and says “it does get better.” And I don’t want to jinx it (says my OCD), but I want you to know that it does get better—it did for me.
For context: I quit because it was making me nauseous and physically ill. I could not smoke a full cigarette, and after one, I had to spend time recuperating because I worried I would throw up. I stopped going outside and doing much in the world, in order to keep my smoking schedule in tact, and in order to feel more comfortable with the physical symptoms of smoking (the illness). I was worried about quitting smoking because every time in the past, I had felt like I was crawling out of my skin—I had felt suicidal—I had suffered.
During one of the lowest months of my life, when I could barely smoke a cigarette—so uncomfortable did it make me—I decided to quit. And here’s what I learned.
>Throw out all the lighters, ashtrays, everything—immediately. My bf quit cigarettes with me (you can imagine how stressful that household was), and I urge you to stay away from smokers and smoking situations for a while—maybe a few weeks—until you have resisted enough cravings and know you won’t likely give in to temptation (even if it does nag at you)
>use the damn NRT if you want to or need to—I feel like I saw a lot of people on this sub being all tough guy and saying don’t use it, and that turned me off of it, but the NRT allowed me to stop using cigarettes and over like three weeks I eventually stopped using it (in this case the gum) because I honestly forgot to take it
>actually, for me, social situations and being around someone having a smoke break didn’t bother me that much. Stress was the kicker, and also the change in seasons (weirdly)
>you’ve got to make new memories. You’ve got to think of the things you value in your life and figure out a way to keep them, even if it’s in a different form. I used to listen to music while smoking, and I made it a goal to find new music this year (and in fact to listen to all music I hadn’t smoked to—no old smoking tunes), and this has been deeply exciting (I have discovered cool samba music, Ethiopian jazz, Chinese reggae—check out every noise at once)
>treat yourself a little like a cute little alien dude who knows life on planet smoke but is learning life on planet not smoke—this is to say, you’ll have to rewire your brain and the many associations you have. But you can. Take this time to do as many new and novel things that you’ve always wanted to do—kind of like a nicer and less destructive midlife crisis (go swimming! eat ice cream! buy a hat!)
>I have gained weight every time I have quit smoking (this is my second attempt, and my longest one too), but I considered it a small price to pay for getting to enjoy food again, not feeling physically ill all the time, and actually feeling way healthier and more willing to move my body (as well as easier to move my body too!)
>the depression, suicidal ideation, and moodiness are NO JOKE. It was very up and down and touch and go for a long time. The best thing to do: get a therapist, or meet with the phone person on your state’s quitline which I always felt like resembled free therapy (just in the context of smoking cessation and cravings)
>get as much support as you can, but when meeting with a psychiatrist, I personally hesitated about starting new meds or changing my existing ones (although I was prescribed some meds that help anxiety as needed) (and I really only took them a few times because I am very worried about relying on other pills or substances—obviously for good reason)
>it does absolutely get better. Let me count the ways: I have freedom. I go with the flow better. I don’t think about cigarettes very often or at all. This means that I can spend all day at a memorial (something I did earlier this month) and not have to step away to feed my addiction and end up feeling nauseous. I can go to concerts. I can go to baseball games. I can go to movies in a theater. I hadn’t done these things in years. Food tastes so good. Sometimes I am genuinely emotionally moved by a good meal lol. Sleep sucked for a while, but now I sleep like a little baby. I feel more confident now, because I now understand that I am capable of changing my life. I am more present in my relationships. Smoking really feels like something I “used to do.”
If I can help you, or give you advice, let me know. Good luck everybody!