Contents
Understand Your Smoking Habit
Reasons to Quit Smoking
How to Get Emotional Support Before Quitting Smoking
How to Get Medical Support Before Quitting Smoking
Alternative Methods for Quitting Smoking
How to Choose a Quit Date
How to Stay Quit
How to Deal with Regression
|
 |
 |
 |
|
How to Deal with Regression
As time passes and you stay quit, you’ll experience cravings only rarely and will feel confident in your ability to stay smoke-free. You’ve survived the hardest part of quitting, but there are still a couple of situations to watch out for:
- The “just one” temptation: Because you’ve succeeded in staying quit for a while and because your cravings are no longer as intense, you may decide you’re capable of smoking the occasional cigarette. Don’t fool yourself. A few innocent drags will almost certainly lead back to a full-blown habit. The momentary pleasure you’ll get from the cigarette is hardly worth the guilt you’ll feel and the health risks you’ll face if you start smoking again.
- The stressful situation danger: When faced with a difficult situation such as a breakup, a death in the family, or an illness, it can be tempting to turn to cigarettes as a fast, easy way to deal with the stress. Try to remind yourself that smoking will only add to your problems. You’ll feel guilty about relapsing and will put your body under strain.
Don’t Let a Slip Turn Into a Slide
If you do slip up and take a drag from a friend’s cigarette or smoke a whole cigarette yourself, don’t decide, “That’s it—I’ve failed,” and resume smoking. A brief slip-up is not ideal, but it doesn’t mean you’ve doomed your effort to stay quit. The key is not to give up. You can get yourself back on track in a few simple steps:
- Stop smoking right away.
- Leave the place where you were when you smoked.
- Get rid of any cigarettes you have.
- Review your reasons for quitting.
After you’ve nipped the slip-up in the bud, review what went wrong. Were you angry or sleepy when you smoked? Where were you? Who were you with? What could you do differently next time?
Don’t Despair If You Relapse
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your attempt to quit will not work. This doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person or that you lack willpower. Many people try to quit five times or more before they finally succeed. Don’t look on your attempt as a failure. Instead, try to learn from it. Analyze which techniques were useful and which weren’t. Think about what you’ll change the next time you try to quit.
Counseling and Emotional Support
If you find yourself tempted to start smoking again, don’t try to get through the temptation alone. Just as support from people around you helped you to quit smoking, outside help can help you stay quit. Lean on your support network and ask for help from:
- Your friends
- Your family
- Your physician
- A mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist
Even years after your original quit date, the people in your life who care about you can be your best resource in helping you stay quit.
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
