So I’m entering the second month of this purification process, and yes, I still have cravings and temptations—mostly in habit form. It’s not so much the physical withdrawal anymore, but the mental loops. I crave when I eat, when I wake up, and randomly throughout the day. This is important for anyone to note: just getting a little time away from the cigarette doesn’t cure me of the addiction entirely. What it does do, however, is strengthen me. Every day without one builds a kind of quiet confidence that I can do this for the long haul.
I’ve tried some Nicotine Anonymous online groups, but I left early because I find them as unhelpful as 12-step groups in general. There’s too much of the old-timer/newcomer divide—people talking down instead of lifting up. Others simply trade one addiction for another—cigarettes for candy, donuts, or self-righteousness. And honestly, all that talk about cigarettes just made me want to smoke more.
So instead, I did something different. I created my own supportive online network—a circle of people I communicate with regularly and who help hold me accountable. It’s a healthier social structure, built on encouragement and mutual respect rather than hierarchy or guilt. It’s what those anonymous groups should be but often aren’t.
And here I am: Day 32, still smoke-free, still human, still learning. The cravings come and go, but so does the wind—and I’m still standing.
I got this.
by Dan and Bonkers
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