If you've had a cigarette or two - relax, you can still succeed.
You take a couple of drags. You smoke a cigarette. Is it a slip or a full smoking relapse? How worried should you be?
A slip is when you smoke one or two times after your quit date, but you still want to quit. A smoking relapse is when you go back to smoking the way you did before and give up your attempt to quit.
Fact: Many smokers try to quit several times before succeeding.
If you slip — and many ex-smokers do — it's natural to feel bad. The problem is that feeling bad can lead to the self-defeating conclusion that your plan isn't working. That's simply not true. A slip is a slip, nothing more, unless you let it become a full smoking relapse.
- Be positive. Forgive yourself. Get rid of all your cigarettes.
- Slips are learning opportunities — think about your triggers and how to change your behavior. Review your Trigger Solutions
- Remember, one cigarette does not make you a smoker. You haven't failed. You just need to adjust and stay with it. You can do it!
After a smoking cessation relapse:
- Don't panic — set a new quit date when you're ready to try again and make it soon.
- Try to figure out why you started smoking again and how to avoid the same situation.
- Think how successful you were. Review your strategies for handling all the temptations to smoke in your life. Make any necessary adjustments to what's not working and prepare to move on.
- If you have not taken advantage of an individualized quit plan from Nicorette®, you should give yourself every opportunity to succeed by trying it now. Learn more about Nicorette® Committed Quitters®.