Let's hope nobody rains on me for replying to you but here goes.

I think we can all agree that you're suffering nicotine withdrawals. There are some folk who would suggest you take a nicotine patch, to help with that, but of course you're TRYING to withdraw from nicotine so that's less than helpful. That's like giving heroin to someone trying to quit heroin.

What I did, and what worked a TREAT for me? Well, There are 2 aspects of smoking aren't there. There's the social or emotional crutch of puffing on a silly white thing, flicking off the ash, fiddling with it in your hand, and then there's the overwhelming yanking pull of the need for nicotine.

Some say the silly social crutch of having a white thing in your hand is the evil demon part of the exercise and you must stop yourself from going near that activity at all costs. It will immediately launch you into the need for nicotine.

But that belief comes from a lack of understanding of nicotine. Nicotine causes need for nicotine. NICOTINE causes addiction to nicotine. The cocaine addict doesn't care if he snorts, eats, or shoves it up his bum. It's the drug he wants, he doesn't care about the mode of transportation.

So it is with nicotine addiction. you can chew it, you can suck it into your lungs, you can eat it in a pie. it's the nicotine that keeps the nicotine addiction going.

So where am I going?

All the above was the preface for persons here who jump on me. The cure I found that worked so well it's obnoxious, was sucking on nicotine free cigarettes. It was on some level soothing. So it gave me a semi-crutch, a kind of half-crutch that helped me emotionally. My rule was to smoke as much as I bloody well wanted, so long as I didn't go near nicotine.

And I haven't.

I puffed away at those honeyrose cigarettes like a mad crazy thing for a couple of months. And then one day realised I hadn't had one for ages. So I went and had one. Did it revive my need for nicotine?

NO, because it wasn't nicotine, was it. Does the ex heroin user suddenly go into desperate nicotine cravings whenever he has his tetanus shots? No. Only the drug brings back the addiction. Only nicotine wakens the nicotine monster.

it just was soothing. And restful. I could allow myself a kind of staging post between the old normal, of a constant and ongoing nicotine drug dependency, and the new normal which was of no dependency at all. It was a hard adjustment. Having a fake fag softened that blow.

I could still have a honeyrose if I wanted, whenever I wanted, forever if I wanted. That was my deal with myself. I didn't ration myself, I didn't limit myself. That kind of mentality is addict mentality - it's not a winning way to operate. I could have as many of them as I wanted forever. No rationing. No moralising. No sneering down on myself.

However after a few months I bought another 3 packets and somehow, without any decision on my part, they stayed in the car glove box unopened, and sat there for years. I threw them away a little while ago.

Not only did I stop the addiction, but I also stopped the emotional crutch. I removed the link in the back of my mind between smoking on a little white stick, and getting any nicotine. So when I see someone smoke a cigarette I have no sudden urge to get one myself. I have no interest either way in cigarettes. I kind of like the smell, but I don't care either way. Certainly can't be bothered putting one in my mouth and lighting it. I just... can't be bothered. I have come out not so much an 'ex smoker' but in fact in teh same state as someone who has never smoked. There's no nostalgia. There's no sense of loss. I got away with it because I didn't quit smoking, I quit nicotine.

Hi That's an interesting question. I did have a successful quit but lost that quit some time ago. I have been told that champix ( quit smoking drug) makes cigarettes taste awful. My Dad quit by squeezing a lemon into his mouth every time he craved a cigarette.
Hope this helps is some way

Thank you all. Really good read here and awesome tips, will definitely follow that lemon thing.. I've attended 2 social gatherings and able to say NO to smoking :)

debraccc , I didn't know you were still here and smoking.
DoraBelle, just curious, where do you get honeyrose cigarettes? I never heard of them.
Luckily I quit 2 years ago, but almost died in the process.
Deb, try the Champix, if it works then you will be ahead, they make you nauseous.
Another person I know vaps, but you are inhaling chemicals, so I don't recommend that route.

I think I'm going to ask for Champix

jazzkey, i believe bridgie mentioned about the honeyrose cigarettes...

okay, sorry I'd just never heard of them.
Someone told me once sucking on cloves left a bad taste in your mouth if you smoked afterwards.
Cinnamon was also an alternative,chewing on them.
I know it's so hard, I cannot say a word because I was the most stubborn person when it came to quitting. I feel for all of you.