I suppose the same could be said for me, When I started smoking I told my self I will stop in a few weeks and of course the few weeks went by and then I told myself ah sure i'll stop in a couple of months on my birthday and this didn't happen either and this went on for years it was every other birthday or anniversary but it never happened because something in me would not admit to be addicted to nicotine I didn't like the idea of being considered an addict. Unfortunately this is what I am and for this reason I know I can never have one puff not one puff ever.
Lillyput
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 1/2/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 533 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 15,990 Amount Saved: �5,836.35 Life Gained: Days: 74 Hrs: 8 Mins: 2 Seconds: 3
I wasn't concentrating on your relapse. I was trying to put into my limited english knowledge what I learned from the Allen Carr Book Stop Smoking the Easy Way.
Sorry
Marivi
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 1/23/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 145 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,175 Amount Saved: $217.50 Life Gained: Days: 16 Hrs: 13 Mins: 50 Seconds: 50
Okay. People seem to want to concentrate on my relapse. I didn't think to address it. What I found happened in my relapse is I first got really stressed out. Secondly, I actually became convinced that because I had not smoked in so long I was no longer addicted. Third, the fight with Nicodemon turned into warfare the second time around. After all, I had quit before I could do it again I thought. Quitting became more gamey. But as I continued to slide, my self-esteem went into the sewer. I was fairly young when I quit the first time, and I don't think I truly understood addiction. As a matter of fact, I tell people that I clearly knew when I started smoking that smoking kills. What I didn't understand is that it makes you addicted.
Enough said. The article is not about me. It's about handling slips. Not psychological cravings, but actual smoking.
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 5/1/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 47 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,269 Amount Saved: $475.88 Life Gained: Days: 5 Hrs: 5 Mins: 24 Seconds: 46
I think that NRT can help you in a slip. But my personal point of view is that sometimes we quit smoking for a long time, but we are still in love with cigarrettes. We miss them, we suffer without them. So it is easier to relapse if we think like that.
If we get rid of the ilussion that cigarrettes are and we see them like they are, I guess we are less prone to succumb.
Nonsmokers don't long for cigarrettes and won't even think of having one. The closer we get to that frame of mind,the easier will be to stay smoke free.
Just my two cents
Marivi
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 1/23/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 145 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,175 Amount Saved: $217.50 Life Gained: Days: 16 Hrs: 13 Mins: 38 Seconds: 2
I think that's an interesting post you bring up. I for the life of me have always wondered how someone starts smoking again after so many years of not smoking. Here you had 3 years quit smoking and one turned into 20 more years of the addiction. I would love to see if there are any studies of people who have tried nrt after a slip and how many of them kept them smober? The only points I would say is that I think the nicodemon sneaks up on you when you have a cigarette after having quit for some time. I'm not sure someone would think of going on the patch because they might think one is not going to bring them down. But then the next week they have 2 which turnes into 4 etc. The other issue I might have with the concept is that it might make people think that one is safe down the road if they just follow your advice (or the advice of the article). It might make people not follow NOPE as carefully and if this backup doesn't work then it could be another serveral years of going back to smoking. Curious what others think.
Ron
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 6/17/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 365 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,570 Amount Saved: $2,299.50 Life Gained: Days: 56 Hrs: 6 Mins: 56 Seconds: 59
Members, what are your reactions to this article? What do you think the difference is between a slip and relapse? What has your experience been with slips and relapses?
Want to know what others think. I read an article today that discussed the difference between slips and relapses and how to keep a slip from turning into a relapse. Well, according to the article, you slip when you have one or two cigarettes, and then get back on the wagon. A relapse involves the presentation of many more old smoking behaviors, besides just a cigarette or two.
The article suggests that one way to keep a slip from progressing into a relapse is to use NRT as soon as possible after you slip. Now I had already come to that conclusion, for myself. Why I agree is because of my relapse. I quit smoking for three years twenty-two years ago. I relapsed and have had problems quitting ever since. When I think about how I could have handled the initial slip the only thing that makes sense to me is that I could have gone back on the gum then. I'm not sure, but I think (because I had been quit for so long) it would have halted the slide.
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 5/1/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 47 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,269 Amount Saved: $475.88 Life Gained: Days: 5 Hrs: 5 Mins: 13 Seconds: 35
