r/stopsmoking

I'm going to start smoking tobacco again because it helps me tremendously. I still remember the days smoking how much I loved it. I'm also homeless and have schizophrenia so what do I have to loose

I liked this quote I wanted to share.

It is never ''only one''

Before quitting i used to smoke 7-10ciggertes daily then i quited and started feeling good for a while but today i had a very bad day i feel like i need to start smoking again ..To be honest after quitting my health is better but my mood and enjoyment is very bad i can’t even be happy i feel bored all time i can’t even start a conversation and i can’t find friends before i used to be happy,had many friends i have been happy but its like nothing i feel like im empty…
What should i do smoke or quit and wait 😓

I’m about a week in now, and the worst of the physical symptoms have subsided. As expected, it was absolutely brutal. Horrendous insomnia, splitting headaches, cravings worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. But there’s one good thing that’s come out of this: I am absolutely determined to never put myself through this misery again. Never again!

So, if you’re worried about caving in, I’ll say this. Make it far enough along and the idea of EVER having to try to quit again will be so revolting that it will overcome any sort of craving you might have. You just have to make it there! It’s gonna suck, but make sure it doesn’t have to suck twice!

So thankful that I managed to do this for myself and for the people who love me. And thanks to you guys in this community who have provided such a wealth of advice. Y’all have made this easier than it otherwise could have been❤️

The more I smoke, the worse I feel. My depression and anxiety are spiraling out of control, along with the feeling that smoking is making things worse. I’ve been smoking again for six months, and my consumption is becoming uncontrollable. Wish me luck.

I'm 23, I have been smoking since I was 19. I was only smoking 1-2 cigarettes a day in all those years. More than that always made me weird in my lungs so I did not do that. Life is good, and I just decided to quit for a half marathon in December 2025.

Was smoke free from November 1025 - July 2026.

Did the half marathon in about 2:30 and it felt great. Somehow, was completely smoke free until June 2025 and somehow ended up smoking 1 cigarette at a graduation party. That was the relapse.

I am doing well in my life, making a lot of money after I graduated. I am even into a lot of sports, still running 2-3 times a week and cycling about 2-3 times a week + 1-2 gym sessions a week.

Somehow, post the relapse, I started enjoying them more. I convince myself that I ran about 20 km/week and cycle about 60-70km/week and gym, so it's harmless.

Today was the worst. I went on a long cycling ride, and the view was too good and smoked a cigarette. Coming back home, my HR had spiked all the way and I felt so bad about myself.

Help me debunk this positive/negative of excercise and smoking. Personal experiences will help.

Ignore typos, am really furious at myself as I just came back from that ride.

Title. Which has worked best for ya’ll?

Officially 3 weeks off nic after being a very heavy user for a decade. vape/zyn/cigs I was constantly switching. But i could feel it killing me. Chest pain, trouble breathing, random aches and pains… fatty liver on top of it all. Anyhow after many failed quit attempts I got on chantix and it’s working for the most part. I’m posting here honestly because I really want a fucking cigarette right now and am choosing to distract myself with something else instead. Fuck nicotine absolutely dog shit tier useless drug from hell. Thank you for reading my post fellow quitters I love you all 🫡

I quit August 10. It has been eight days; I have never gotten past three!

I am using on! pouches (4 mg, 2-3 a day) and fum. The fum is a rig that has flavored air cartridges, no nicotine.

I also have been using chatgpt to yell at and be sad at. Smoked for over 30 years.

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!

Hey everyone. I haven't posted here in many years, but I just wanted to celebrate the fact that after about a decade of being an absolute nicotine fiend, I've been free of it for well over 6 years!

The motivation to post is that I just reread a post I made when I was just 8 months out: https://www.reddit.com/r/stopsmoking/comments/j9ssuo/8_months_nicotine_free_my_tips_for_success/

I expected to read it and cringe a bit, but I was actually pleasantly surprised with the post and discussion. Maybe I'd reword it now, but a lot of the "tips" are things that have stuck with me through the years. I think the biggest thing I'd add to that post (from one of the comments) is that, while you need to accept that cravings are going to happen, you should really make sure to understand the reasoning behind them - what's triggering them, how you're feeling when they happen, etc.

Other than that...honestly, it's been long enough that quitting/staying quit doesn't really occupy much of my time. It's just something that's a part of me now. That's great, but doesn't really make for a super interesting 6 year update post. Either way, I just wanted to post this as encouragement for people just about to start out or in the early days. It gets so much better.

...when I told her I quit smoking. She (11) never gave me a hard time about smoking, but when I told her I quit, her face lit up. She told me she always hated it, but knew I would only quit when I was ready.

I've quit a few times before, the longest for over a year. One night of drinking ended that streak, and I stopped drinking years ago. I have a good feeling this time is the last.

I'm only on day five, but when the cravings are intense, I just remember that look on her face and how crushed she would be if I caved. Here's to the rest of my life without another puff, and many more years with both of my children 🥳

I honestly don’t want to quit smoking, I’m happy to cut down a bit but my partner is so controlling about it. he will often take my tobacco away from me and hide it, leading me to spiral into withdrawal anxiety. he is also a massive drinker and although I would like him to cut down I simply suggest it and tell him that it’ll help his mental health, I never take alcohol away from him. idk what to do plz give advice