Had a lapse, do I need to go back to the beginning??

[nsd_user663_4240]

Hi guys,

I know what the answer probably is but I think I thought I could just socially smoke and I bought 10 cigs yesterday and actually lit 6 (!) but only actually had a few drags of each one and put them out. Then because I had 4 left in the pack, although I haven't been bothered all day, I have just lit up one more and had about half of it before putting it out. I've felt really down today and thought it would cheer me up. Obviously it didn't. I was quite poorly during my first few weeks of abstinence, i.e had a really sore throat and tummy problems. I'm thinking that I hopefully won't have to go through this again so I'm wondering if because it is a lapse rather than a relapse I can take this as a learned experience. It would have been 7 weeks on Saturday and I don't want to waste those weeks.

I feel really ashamed now but glad that I have just snapped the other 3 in the packet in half and really have no desire to smoke so that has got to be a good sign hasn't it!

Anyway I would welcome your thoughts,

Cheers

Steph x

[nsd_user663_3140]

Hi Steph, sorry to hear you had a bit of a relapse, I've also fallen into the trap of 'I'll just smoke socially' a few times in the past and unfortunately it doesn't work.. the occasional fag soon becomes 5 a day.. 10 a day and within a wee or 2 your back to where you started.

The best I can advise is to have a good read through the websites that Marg, Nic and the others recommend (here is my personal fav.. whyquit.com/) and learn more about what the monster inside is doing and all the little tricks he uses to get you smoking again!

And yes, you do already know the answer to your question

Good Luck!

[nsd_user663_4149]

Sorry to hear of your slip Steph, don't start beating yourself up about it, it'll do no good at all. Thanks to you and others who come back on here and give it another go, makes us realise how easy it is to pick up a fag again. We must be on our guard at all times.

I thought I could just socially smoke

Be like me Steph an anti-social B, then you wont be tempted. David xxxx

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi Steph

Sorry you had a lapse after going on 7 weeks and bought 10 of which you smoked some and have snapped the rest in half thats good but to be really sure you won't be tempted by them may I suggest you maybe drown them

You say you're ashamed now which is good but the main thing is that you have learnt a valuable lesson from this [at least I hope you have] and that is that smoking won't solve anything at all

I also think you need to read, read and then read some more having said that I see no reason not to carry on especially as you say you have no desire to smoke

But remember this episode should you be tempted again to have just one that

Just as an alcoholic can never have one drink so an ex smoker

CAN NEVER HAVE JUST ONE FAG

Right then lecture over and Good Luck with the rest of your quit

Love

Margxxxxxxx

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

Well what's done is done so there is no point dwelling on it, best to move on and make sure you don't repeat the incident, if you do it will likely become more frequent and before long it will be regular then you are back to square 1!

The question of whether you should go back the the beginning can only be answered by you!

This is your quit our role is just to support but everything you do is down to you.

Hang in there, stay tough and don't let it happen again!

[nsd_user663_4240]

Thanks guys

Thanks. Yeah I just needed to have a bit of a rant last night!! I felt really dirty and didn't get a buzz or anything from the cig. I think that for me total abstinence might be best because ones too many and a hundreds not enough. Its taken me this lapse to realise this, that I don't actually need to smoke. I've gone quite a few times while friends are smoking and rode it out and I definitely think this is better than joining them!

Thanks for the support everyone

[nsd_user663_1733]

Hi Steph

i can only agree with what the others have said. But i will say this if you stop now you will not feel as bad as you did stopping 7 weeks ago. if you smoke again now you will have all the bad stuff to deal with in week one. xxx

[nsd_user663_4240]

Yeah thats true. I feel that by not allowing myself to relapse I've done myself a favour. I've bought the Allan Carr book so have been having a read of that, even though I'm not smoking. I've got so many friends who don't smoke and never have so I'm trying to think how they would think and never even consider having a cig. Because we only wanted them because we got addicted to them.

Also, someone put, that at the end of the day we will all have to go down the road called "no smoking road" sooner or later, or something to that effect and it really stuck with me.

Steph