My Smoker’s Journal – Cold Turkey: Fight the Cravings

Of all the methods I’ve tried to quit smoking—and believe me, I’ve tried more than the number of puffs in a pack—two methods consistently come up in the stories of people who’ve successfully quit: a spiritual awakening… and cold turkey.

Sometimes, it’s both at once. They hit their knees, say a prayer, see a flash of divine light (or maybe just the kitchen bulb flickering), and boom—they’re done. No more cigarettes, no more urge. Like the Marlboro Man got replaced by Saint Nicotine-Free. Sounds great, right?

But here’s the thing—how do you make a spiritual awakening happen? You can’t just schedule one like a dentist appointment. It’s not exactly an Amazon Prime delivery: “Your soul transformation will arrive tomorrow between 2 and 4 PM.” Spiritual awakenings are rare, deeply personal, and almost as controversial as a UFO abduction. Try explaining that one to your group home counselor: “Yeah, I quit smoking after Jesus rode a unicorn through my living room.”

So back to something a little more grounded—cold turkey. It’s not glamorous, but according to every online forum, support group, and nicotine-quitting ninja I’ve ever come across, it’s the method with the highest success rate. No tapering, no patches, no “just one a day.” It’s a full-on, nicotine-stained battlefield.

And on that battlefield, cravings are the enemy. They come fast, unpredictable, and often. But here’s the good news: they pass. Whether I smoke or not, the craving will go away. It might last five minutes, ten, maybe twenty at most. But it willfade. That’s a promise I can cling to like a nicotine-free life raft.

Even better—every craving I fight off now means fewer to face tomorrow. It’s like training a dog: the more consistent you are, the better it listens. And in this case, my brain is the dog. (Let’s hope it’s not a beagle with separation anxiety.)

So today, I’m going cold turkey. No cigarettes. No lies to myself. No “I’ll just have one to calm down.” I’m gearing up for the fight. It’s not easy, but neither is waking up every morning wheezing like an old accordion.

Today’s goal: Not a single smoke. Not even a puff. Just pure willpower and maybe a little gum.

If I can make it through today, that’s one day down, one victory earned. And who knows—maybe my spiritual awakening will show up once it sees I’m finally serious.

But until then? It’s me vs. the cravings. And I’m not backing down.

by Dan and Bonkers

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