[stolenmerch]

I was in the same exact boat as you but have been free of it for 10 years now. I was terrified because I NEEDED cigarettes to concentrate and do my job. I couldn't envision doing challenging technical work without regular smoke breaks. I tried to quit several times and always relapsed.

The only thing that worked for me was to slowly cut back and let my brain adjust. Finally, when I was down to 1-2 cigs per day, I set a cold turkey date. I still had to white knuckle it through the first 3 weeks of zero cigarettes but the cravings eventually began to die down. For maybe the first year after that I had triggers every month or so I had to manage, but I didn't want to stumble so I just powered through them. Finally, I stopped having cravings.

I know some people say they still have cravings 20 years later but I don't. I stand outside with smoker friends and don't feel any need to join them. All the good things about not smoking have come true for me. It's so worth the up-front struggle. Please try your hardest and it WILL work!