HELP! - I SLIPPED UP
You were doing so well and then you had a cigarette, or maybe two, or more..... what now?
1 DON'T PANIC - don't tell yourself that because you've smoked again you've blown it. Everyone is allowed one hiccup. The BIG mistake is to allow a hiccup to be the undoing of all your previous efforts.
2 Throw away any remaining cigarettes RIGHT NOW. Don't wait till you've finished the packet. Don't put them away somewhere "Just in case", or hang on to them to give them to a friend later. Never mind the cost - it will cost you FAR more to start smoking again.
3 LEARN from your mistake. Ask yourself what happened and how you might have avoided it and crucially, what will you do differently next time?
4 Make a solemn vow to yourself NEVER to have any nicotine again, whether in the form of a cigarette, a cigar, a pipe or whatever.
5 Don't be too hard on yourself. Remind yourself of what a fantastic achievement it is to have quit smoking, and that in overcoming this particular hurdle you deserve EXTRA congratulation, not self punishment.
Failure isn't falling down,
its not getting up again.
THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO is to tell yourself....
"I've blown it now so I may as well have a second cigarette (or a third, fourth...)"
"I'll just finish this packet then I won't buy any more."
OTHER DANGEROUS SELF-TALK....
"I will just smoke the odd one or two, and I won't let it get out of hand this time"
Just one cigarette can re-addict you. An addict craves his drug and will subtly contrive situations where he/she can smoke. For instance if you decide you will only smoke when you go to the pub, you find yourself going to the pub more. No matter how much you'd like it to be different, smoking ultimately controls YOU. An addictive substance causes you crave more of it - that's how addictions work.
"I will only smoke when I'm desperate"
The minute you give yourself permission to smoke AT ALL you are back on the slippery slope. Think about it; every time you get a slight craving, instead of just letting it pass you now have to look inside and see how bad it is, and focusing intently on a craving makes it 10 times worse. And then, in order to judge whether you feel bad enough to warrant having a cigarette you have to recall exactly how it felt to be really desperate. Recalling your worst craving is itself guaranteed to make you want a cigarette!
"I had a few puffs and didn't enjoy it much"
Don't be fooled into thinking you're safe because you don't enjoy smoking any more. As soon as you get re-addicted (VERY quickly - the first cigarette can do it) you'll begin to 'enjoy' smoking again.
TOP TIPS:
- Keep a FREE Cravings-Buster Wallet Card on you at all times.
- Have a packet of nicotine-free cigarettes for real emergencies. (It is VERY unusual to get dependent on them).
- Fall asleep to our relapse prevention CD at bedtime. (Re-kindle your motivation while you sleep)
- Cannabis smokers should use nicotine-free tobacco.
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