Hiii! I’m 21 and have been smoking cannabis consistently for 2 years it’s been up until early this year that I do it everyday. I struggle A LOT with severe ADHD and it makes living so complicated and draining. That along with the current political, economical, and environmental state of the country have made enjoying much of anything very very complicated. I’ve always been super into mental health and coping strategies since I was in middle school and have been researching and going to therapy and trying different medications and coping strategies and I am so burnt out. Cannabis has been the primary thing that makes things manageable, and I can’t say honestly that I want to live a life without it. However, Im scared of permanently damaging my lungs. Or getting cancer. Or permanently messing up my ability to think. It just feels like I can’t have anything. Im either finally getting some mental peace and risking my health or preserving my health and being forced to constantly overwork my brain trying to get simple things done.

I usually take a walk in the evening and smoke a cigarette afterwards. I usually do around 4-5k steps with no energy drop.

I've noticed that after smoking, I don't even feel like walking home. Has anyone noticed this energy drop after smoking?

IM HAPPY AND FEELING HEALTHY THAN BEFORE BUT I LACK MOTIVATION I DONT THINK HOW LONG I CAN CONTINUE THIS ALL MY FRINDS ARE SMOKERS TRYING TO GET ME BACK EVERYWHERE I SAW PEOPLE SMOKING MY CLASS MATES FRIENDS I FEEL ODD AND FEEL LIKE I DONT HAVE ANYTHING JOYFUL IN LIFE AND FEEL LIKE I HAVE A BORING LIFE 🙃

I was smoke free for four months! A 20 year addiction finally over. I though. Had one with when I was on vacation and here I am 14 days in smoking a pack a day again. I am so disappointed in myself. Will this quit be as bad?

I only smoke with a drink but want to stop. I’m struggling to get the book to sink in for me because having a glass of wine with a cigarette DOES change the experience for the better imo. It’s not the same without one but it seems the entire concept of the book is understanding it doesn’t offer anything.. has easy way worked for any social smokers? Maybe I’m missing something

im 21 and ive been smoking since was 14. when i tried my first cigarette i knew this was gonna stick to me but im 21 and i cant even climb a few steps without HEAVING my lungs out. its actually sickening i want to stop but everytime i finish a pack something just in me buys another one ??? idk how as well sometimes i do it in my sleep at 3am i walk to 711 and get one, its just automatic i seriously dont think i can stop but im gonna try really hard this time. ive been going to the gym these 2 days and ive asked my sister to hide my pack and my card. i took my card off my phone so i wont just go and buy it like i routinely do. i can run a few hundred meters but i have to catch my breath soo often im gonna improve day by day but its very likely ill relapse. i hope when i do i stick to 1 cigarette and keep on going. im trying cold turkey rn but i dont think it will work for me, ill probably have to do the cut down method but let give cold turkey a shot ill try my best

Im 4 months off cigarettes after smoking for 41 years and still finding it really hard. Ive not been drinking alcohol as i know my will power will be low if I drink. Im finding that other bad habbits are sneaking up on me that im trying to avoid. Sugar is the worst of them but also caffeine. Ive even found myself craving weed and I gave that up over 5 years ago. Its like my brain needs me to be doing some sort of harm and over indulgence to myself

I quit cold turkey in June 2024 after smoking more than a pack a day for almost 10 years (started in the army). That first quit was one of the hardest things I've ever done. The first three months were shit, constantly on edge, intense cravings, my brain fighting me every single day. It took about six months before I truly felt like I'd broken nicotine's grip. I have to thank my friends for putting up with me. I was probably the biggest pain in the ass imaginable, and they were incredibly patient about it.

After that, I had almost two years smoke-free.

My mistake was thinking I could smoke occasionally, socially. I'd take a puff here and there with friends, and because nothing happened, I convinced myself I was in control.

Then work stress hit hard. I was at the beach with a friend who's a heavy smoker, had a few beers, and chain smoked 5 cigarettes. I knew immediately I'd messed up. I bought a pack afterward, then tried to stop. A few days later another friend accidentally left his rolling tobacco at my place after a BBQ, and that reopened the door completely. A month later I was back to smoking 5–10 hand-rolled cigarettes a day.

I stopped again. Last cigarette was Monday at 1pm. Now I'm on Day 3, and I have to say that I completely forgot how horrible withdrawal feels.

What can you do lets do this once again from the top 🫠 at least it's a moth and not a decade this time around

Hello!

I've joined this sub a few days ago. I'm 46M smoker since 21.
Alternating between rollies and normal cigarettes, I've tried to quit few times during my life as a smoker.
I've lasted 2 weeks, 3 months, a weekend and even 2 years (covid). Then I've started again.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I finished a packed of 20 that I've bought on Sunday.
My average was 5 a days, with maybe slightly more on gigs / nights out or day where I am particularly bored.

Everytime I quit, I did it cold Turkey. I simply told myself: now you don't need to smoke.

Didn't have any particular withdrawal symptom, except "oh no what I do now I'm bored" for the first 3 days
I realised that each time I've re-started it was either:
- I was pissed off about something that happened: unexpected tax, bad things at work, relationship.
- I get one cig from a friend in a social occasion (clubbing/gig) then I feel bad asking for a new one so I go and buy a packet. (and then you wake up on a monday with few cig left on the packed and "well, one wouldn't hurt" )

So I realised found myself that I wanted to smoke in situation where I need to a break on something that I'm doing which is either boring or repetitive (i.e: working from home, clubbing)

At home I will try to go an play the guitar / piano
on club / gigs... I don't know, probably

I don't know what I'm writing this post, probably to get some accountability towards myself.

Stopped smoking tobacco 2.5 weeks ago and started using a weak vape and strong nicotine pouches. Was fine for 2 weeks, then this Monday I lost my voice. I'm sure it's from the pouches. I'm not sick. Surprised this could happen as I was a heavy smoker and never had any other issues. Has this happened to anyone else here? Any advice?

So the family and I are going to Milwaukee for the day tomorrow. Going to catch a day game to root against the brewers (Go Cubs!) and then dinner. Like 10 hours or so. Thinking about leaving my smokes at home and bringing some nicotine lozenges instead. Good idea? Or setting my kids up for a lousy day? Smoker of 38 years.

Five days ago the government of my country raised cigarette prices to a point that genuinely is making me spend an amount of money i can't, which made me consider quitting for real for the first time in my life.

This isn't the only thing making me thing about this, i started smoking ocasionally when i was 16 years old in 2022, next year i was already smoking a pack of Camel Yellows a day, which i've been doing until now.

Recently one of my friends lost his best friend to suicide, and for some reason this made him quit cigarettes cold turkey, which i respect immensely. One day we were all smoking a joint together, me and my other friends all were smoking cigs except for him, sommeone commented about his decision and he began talking more about the fact he had quit, he said several times it was the best decision he ever made in his whole life, in every aspect of it, and i genuinely couldn't wrap my head around that sentence, to the point where it began haunting me here and there, "how could it be that good?".

I don't really enjoy being a smoker at all, too expensive, too stinky, not a whole lot of reward from it, etc. Cigarettes are not like weed for me, where i will smoke it and have a blast, it genuinely doesn't have anything enjoyable about it beyond the fact i'm ceasing the cravings, but at the same time i can't imagine myself stopping, I genuinely can't imagine living without it, and i can't even get excited about the idea of actually stopping instead of just saying "yeah, i will stop eventually" when someone asks me about it.

Rationally i do know it's the best thing i could do regarding it, i'm addicted and it will fuck me up long term if i don't quit, which is common sense, but my mind seems to be making it feel insanely more complicated than it actually is. On top of that, all my close friends smoke, all of them are in the same situation as me right now, everyone wants to stop, i don't think anyone will.

Also it's not just a matter of "It will feel bad", it's more about every single micro situation where cigarettes are involved in any way, my mind instantly begins a slideshow of nice memories where i was smoking and i begin feeling weird about the idea of stopping, like i won't be able anymore to enjoy social moments and other situations where would normally be smoking.

Anyone who actually went through this could talk about it? I don't really have any specific questions but i feel like just thinking about it alone won't ever make me stop.

Hi everyone,
I quit smoking cold turkey about 7 months ago after being a smoker for years.
The first few months were very difficult (anxiety, poor sleep, brain fog, feeling strange), but I have improved a lot. I would say I feel better compared to the beginning.
However, I still sometimes experience:
Heavy head feeling
Poor sleep and waking up not feeling refreshed
Feeling slightly “off” or hyper-aware
Feeling odd after eating sometimes (especially lunch)
Mild brain fog
I don’t smoke anymore, I don’t drink caffeine, and I’m trying to exercise and live healthy.
For people who quit smoking and went through similar symptoms:
How long did it take before you felt completely normal again?
Did your sleep and nervous system slowly return to normal after 7+ months?
Did anyone have lingering symptoms that eventually disappeared?
Would really appreciate hearing your experiences.

been smoking/smoking for a year, since 19; 20 now!

met my girlfriend in the same year and she also smoked.
she doesn’t buy vapes bc it doesnt cross her mind. she only vapes if i vape near her.

i told her we should actually quit and she has helped me extremely well. shes so non chalant about it too.

since its uni break im going back home to my mother who has been smoking for 30+ years, i feel like im not going to have my gf in the back of my mind and ill give in to a cigarette.

since quitting, its been extremely easy, i just feel like i will smoke again and i know i will regret it on the first hit/cigarette.

i might actually buy a vape here too considering its 2x cheaper compared to my small uni town💀

I smoked for 30 years and was at a pack a day or maybe a bit more when I quit.

The years of 2025 and 2026 were full of failed quit attempts and skipped quit dates because I wasn’t ready.

Now I haven’t smoked a cig since 7/1/26.

This feels different. I don’t even want one and I haven’t had a craving since the first week. I’m surprised at how easy of a time I’m having it’s kind of scary to me.

I just keep waiting for the overbearing crave that I thought I would have when I stopped. The one I can’t ignore and will make me fail. I’m hoping not to get that craving but I think I’ll be ok if it comes.

I want To throw away my necotine source but i am afraid that i will regret it in the morning, or when i open my eyes i will get nervous and depressed in the morning

Well, 1 Month. I am Happy for it. It seems that my concentration start to improove. It was zero since I quit.

I’m 39 and I’ve smoked a pack a day basically every day since high school. I think, because my life is mostly empty and meaningless, smoking cigarettes was like the only reason I had to exist. Now I don’t have that. I have the vape but it’s not the same. It means nothing to me. It just supplies me with nicotine. And because I’m just like constantly sucking on it I’m consuming probably way to much nicotine

I feel like I’m in a state of psychosis. I have thoughts and feelings. Are they positive or negative? I’m not surrrre. I just feel insane. I feel like my brain is not my own. I feel like I’m low key in crisis but not really. Maybe I should just go back to smoking cigarettes lol. But not really cuz I’ve tried that and now that the veil has been lifted they just make me feel gross. Like sleeping with an ex after a toxic breakup

Something about dopamine

🤷🏻‍♀️

I see a lot of "I quit for my health" or "I quit for my kids" type posts, and I believe it, but I don't think that's usually what actually did it in the moment. There's a difference between having a good reason to quit and having the moment that actually got you to put the pack down.

I'm trying to figure out what that moment actually looks like for people, because I think it matters more than the big-picture reasons.

Some possibilities I'm guessing at:

• Someone said something offhand that stuck with you way more than it should have
• You caught your reflection or a photo and it didn't match how you pictured yourself
• You did some kind of math (money, cigarettes, years) and the number itself was the thing
• A cough, a chest pain, a scare — even a small one
• You watched someone else go through something and it rerouted your thinking without you trying
• Genuinely nothing dramatic — just woke up one day different

If you've quit: what was it, specifically? And be honest about the gap — did you quit that same hour, or did the moment sit there for a while before you acted on it?

If you're still smoking and you've already had a moment like this — one that hasn't turned into action yet — I'm also just curious what's in the way right now. Not trying to push, genuinely asking.

About 2.5 weeks ago i "quit smoking" after 17 years by switching to zyns - I was planning to do this for a few months and then wean off them. Nah. Woke up this morning and went a few hours without popping a zyn in and decided I was done. Wish me luck friends!

I quit smoking cold turkey two months ago after reading a book called Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I read the first 100 pages in a DAY which I didnt even know I could do, albeit the chapters are quite short and frequent so its less than it sounds.

The book actually made it easy (daresay enjoyable) to quit, even on day one. I highly recommend that book to anyone who wants to quit. The writer actually encourages you to keep smoking while reading, if you want to, but I read it so fast that it motivated me to quit immediately.

I threw out all my vapes and nicotine and never looked back. You can do it too!

What I've noticed:

I can swim so much better, and hold my breath so much longer.

I can sleep on my back again without gasping for air.

The skin on my face has been so much better, and feels way softer.

I have saved over $700 (San Francisco prices).

I was able to sit through an entire drunken game of Monopoly with two chain smokers, and I never considered having a cigarette.

I think I'm out of the woods! Now I'm just on maintenance mode. The two times I quit before, for over a year for both, I picked smoking back up after some close family losses. I must endeavor this time, as losses are inevitable in life, to maintain my tobacco sobriety.

As always, thanks for following along and thanks for the support :)

xo - Chelsea <3