The Relapse

You are at a new job and everyone seems to smoke. A loved one past and you are having trouble dealing with the loss, now more than ever a cigarette looks really good. You’ve had a drastic lifestyle change and you now feel the need to reconnect with old friends, or find new ones, and smoking is a part of that lifestyle.

Sometimes you’ve successfully quit smoking, even for months or years, and then find yourself in the midst of starting up again. No matter what the reason, a relapse is a setback. A change from a non-smoking to a smoking lifestyle brings back all the health risks it did the first time around. This can leave you feeling defeated and possibly depressed.

The way back to non-smoker status is to acknowledge the situation, forgive yourself and let it go, then develop a plan of action with your doctor. If your situation merits it, get some counseling. This can help you identify what exactly triggered you to start up again and help you deal with the emotional side of the smoking habit.

Take heart in knowing that when you quit and start again, quitting the second time is easier than the first. Even though quitting is hard, try again. You are certainly worth the effort.