Relapse & Those Around Me
Wow...It seems lately, many who have been quit for a couple or even 3 months or more are relapsing on the forum I visit quite often (a link to the website is on the right here - it's the About website and the forum there).
It's almost like there is something in the air these days. Maybe it is the current state of the world and all the stress that goes along with headlines like 'Terror Plot Stopped'. Many people who do relapse use the excuse of stress. Now keep in mind, I call it an excuse not to be hurtful to those that relapse, but anyone who stops smoking and starts again, usually has a 'reason' as to why they did so, and really, it IS an excuse.
My current updated stats:
I have been smoke free for 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 15 hours and 52 minutes (81 days). I have saved $1,469.90 by not smoking 4,083 cigarettes.
There have been times during these two and a half months that I thought about having a cigarette. Mostly those times happened when I had someone around me that was smoking. Not in my house or in a restaurant or bar (as those places here in Alberta (Canada) have banned smoking), but just someone outside by a bus stop as I walk by or outside a bar when I walk inside or even last night, when a friend of mine came over and brought cigars with him. He KNOWS I stopped smoking, but brought cigars with him so we could duck outside during halftime (we were watching a preseason NFL game) and have a smoke. What is with smokers and this need to have someone smoke with you??? I told him that I would come outside and talk with him while he had his cigar, but I wasn't having one. He says "It's only a cigar. It's not a cigarette."
Man oh man...I had to explain to him that I was an addict. I am addicted to nicotine. There is TWICE the amount if not more in that little cigar than there is in any cigarette I ever smoked. I told him, as an addict, I cannot have nicotine in any form. I finally got it to hit home when I said "Would you offer just one shot of something to an alcoholic?" It's still alcohol idiot...sheesh.
Anyway, enough about that. The key thing here to remember is N.O.P.E. An explanation of this can be found in:
~ Stop Smoking Tip #2 ~
N.O.P.E. - Remember this. It stands for Not One Puff Ever. If you have made the decision to stop smoking, you must stand by this acronym. There is no such thing as one puff or one cigarette. If you have stopped smoking, this means ALL cigarettes and ALL puffs. Do not be fooled by your subconscious trying to trick you into thinking you can have just one. You can't. There is no such thing as just one cigarette. It will always lead to more and more. We are addicted to nicotine and can no longer have a single puff. One puff in most cases, will simply start the horrible chain of events rolling once again.
Until next time...
It's almost like there is something in the air these days. Maybe it is the current state of the world and all the stress that goes along with headlines like 'Terror Plot Stopped'. Many people who do relapse use the excuse of stress. Now keep in mind, I call it an excuse not to be hurtful to those that relapse, but anyone who stops smoking and starts again, usually has a 'reason' as to why they did so, and really, it IS an excuse.
My current updated stats:
I have been smoke free for 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 15 hours and 52 minutes (81 days). I have saved $1,469.90 by not smoking 4,083 cigarettes.
There have been times during these two and a half months that I thought about having a cigarette. Mostly those times happened when I had someone around me that was smoking. Not in my house or in a restaurant or bar (as those places here in Alberta (Canada) have banned smoking), but just someone outside by a bus stop as I walk by or outside a bar when I walk inside or even last night, when a friend of mine came over and brought cigars with him. He KNOWS I stopped smoking, but brought cigars with him so we could duck outside during halftime (we were watching a preseason NFL game) and have a smoke. What is with smokers and this need to have someone smoke with you??? I told him that I would come outside and talk with him while he had his cigar, but I wasn't having one. He says "It's only a cigar. It's not a cigarette."
Man oh man...I had to explain to him that I was an addict. I am addicted to nicotine. There is TWICE the amount if not more in that little cigar than there is in any cigarette I ever smoked. I told him, as an addict, I cannot have nicotine in any form. I finally got it to hit home when I said "Would you offer just one shot of something to an alcoholic?" It's still alcohol idiot...sheesh.
Anyway, enough about that. The key thing here to remember is N.O.P.E. An explanation of this can be found in:
~ Stop Smoking Tip #2 ~
N.O.P.E. - Remember this. It stands for Not One Puff Ever. If you have made the decision to stop smoking, you must stand by this acronym. There is no such thing as one puff or one cigarette. If you have stopped smoking, this means ALL cigarettes and ALL puffs. Do not be fooled by your subconscious trying to trick you into thinking you can have just one. You can't. There is no such thing as just one cigarette. It will always lead to more and more. We are addicted to nicotine and can no longer have a single puff. One puff in most cases, will simply start the horrible chain of events rolling once again.
Until next time...
posted by Jim at
2:53 PM
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