Do the cravings (for nicotine) ever stop?

A. has been quit for 6 months yet she still gets cravings just as strong as the first day she quit. She asks,

"Will it ever get better or will it a battle forever?"

You need to stay vigilant and work on changing your self talk. When a craving comes up--if you keep saying--"this is just like day one" and questioning if it will ever get better--that thought process can lead you back. Instead reframe it to: "I've made it 6 months and most of the time, it is easier but since I'm still having craving, maybe there is something more to learn about my addiction to nicotine." Then see if you can trace back your thoughts to what trigger it in the beginning. After 6 months, it's probably not a "habit" cigarette but one that is attached to strong emotions, (positive or negative) and/or stress. 
This is an activity from my book  How To Win at Quitting Smoking:

Activity: Five steps to train your brain to think of smoking in a different way.

You need to recondition your brain to stop the automatic thoughts that nicotine has planted. It takes time. If you only change your behavior and not your thinking, you may relapse or turn to something else such as food.
Write these five steps down on a card and carry them with you. Whenever a craving comes up use these steps to change what you tell yourself when you think about smoking or have a craving. You can use these steps when you first quit and at any time in the future:
1. “I’m having a desire to smoke right now.” Having a desire to smoke is normal and the craving will go away whether or not you smoke. Just let it run its course.
2. “I can smoke at any time, I’m not deprived.” Nobody is taking your cigarettes away from you. It is your choice and you are working towards what you really want and it’s not the cigarette. Remember what smoking is depriving you of that is more important: money, health, freedom.
3. “I’m a puff away from a pack a day.” It’s easy to fall into the trap of having “just one”. Do not kid yourself.
4. “Right now I have a choice to make for myself. Either I give in to this temporary discomfort and go back to the constant misery of smoking, or I can accept this temporary discomfort and work through it for (. . . name one of your Benefits of Becoming Smoke-Free).”
5. “At this moment, I willingly accept this temporary discomfort because I want (. . . then list your Benefits of Becoming Smoke-Free).” Focus on what you truly want.


You always have a choice! When a craving comes up, you will always have two choices:
• You work through it and remain smoke-free, or
• You slip and smoke a cigarette. 
If you choose the latter, again you have two choices:
• You resolve to remain smoke-free and learn from the slip, or
• You blame yourself, beat yourself up, feel guilty and smoke another cigarette.
If you choose the latter, your next two choices are:
• You renew your resolve to become smoke-free and start anew, or
• You relapse and become a smoker again. Realize you need to work on your motivation, make changes in your Action Plan and/or set another Quit Date when you’re ready.
You can choose to see a slip as a failure or as a learning experience. You can choose to let the events of your life control you, or you can take control of your life. The choices you make are determined by who you think you are, and the benefits and expectations you bring to the situation.

Are you Physically Addicted to Nicotine?

This will indicate whether you are dependent upon nicotine and may indicate whether you will need medicinal support for withdrawals when you quit.
Answer each question in the list below, giving yourself the appropriate points.

1. How soon after you wake up do you have your first cigarette?
a. within 5 minutes
b. 6-30 minutes
c. 31-60 minutes
d. After 60 minutes
2. Do you find it difficult to refrain from smoking in places where it is forbidden, such as the library, theater, or a doctor’s office?
a. yes
b. no
3. Which cigarette would you most hate to give up?
a. the first one in the morning
b. any other
4. How many cigarettes a day do you smoke?
a. 10 or less
b. 11-20
c. 21-30
d. 31 or more
5. Do you smoke more frequently during the first hours after waking than during the rest of the day?
a. yes
b. no
6. Do you smoke if you are so ill that you are in bed most of the day?
a. yes
b. no

Scoring:
1. a: 3 b: 2 c: 1 d: 0
2. a: 1 b: 0
3. a: 1 b: 0
4. a: 1 b: 2 c: 3 d: 4
5. a: 1 b: 0
6. a: 1 b:0

A total score of 7 or greater indicates that you are very dependent on nicotine and are likely to experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking. A score of 6 or less indicates low to moderate dependence.
For a highly addicted smoker, there are 7 firstline and 2 second line medications approved for nicotine dependence, so there are lots of choices to finding the right combination for you. If you choose not to use medications, then it is important to take care of yourself physically while you go through withdrawals. The tings that you can do to help is to drink more water, do deep breathing exercise, avoid alcohol, and exercise.

(The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence)

Making Smoking a Conscious Choice

Have you ever found a cigarette in your mouth and forgot that you had lite up or had a second one in the ashtray? Smoking becomes an unconscious, automatic habit. Most cigarettes are not conscious choices but a reflex. The brain triggers a want, desire or craving for a cigarette and the smoker automatically reaches for one without consciously thinking about it. The brain reflex continues after an individual decides to quit and these wants, desires or cravings become stronger and build on one another, especially during the first few weeks. Becoming aware of when, where and why you are reaching for a cigarette can help develop a successful plan for quitting. Before you light up, start a log of what time you smoke, what are you doing, and how you are feeling. Many of your triggers you know about, but there are many that you are not aware of and after quitting, it seems that these triggers come from out of the blue but actually it only seems that way since they were unconscious triggers that you just weren't aware of but your brain remembers every trigger. Every want, desire, or craving for a smoke is your brain saying, "I always get my nicotine when this (fill in the blank) happens, so I want my nicotine and I want it now!" By knowing your triggers, you can plan for alternatives for each trigger. Have a whole tool box of different strategies to deal with your different triggers and you are more likely to be successful than having just one strategy that only works with some of your triggers.