how do I get rid of chronic thoughts of smoking?

[Skittles]

I don't smoke now but I did for a long time; now I find that sometimes I have an overwhelming desire to buy a pack of cigs - I've been getting nicotine gum but I'm tired of it - how can I get rid of those thoughts?

[murielm99]

1. How long have you been quit?

Most of those cravings go away after a person has been quit for a long period of time.

I have not smoked since November 6, 2005. That is not a long-term quit, but I crave less all the time. Others who have been non-smokers longer tell me that they seldom crave at all. Most of the time when they think about smoking, it is just a memory, not an overwhelming urge to smoke.

I tell myself no, and find something else to do. I drink cold water, take deep breaths, or take my dog out for a walk. If I can't do those things, I find some other type of physical activity to take my mind off an urge to smoke.

I had to laugh at myself the other night. I was talking to my daughter on the phone. I kept digging in my purse and in the kitchen drawer. When it dawned on me that I was looking for a cigarette, I laughed. I was not even craving, just going through the motions of an old habit, because I used to smoke when I talked on the phone.

Ity will get better.