Is it okay to relapse smoking?

Quitting smoking is notoriously difficult. Even with the best of intentions and the strongest willpower, it’s common for people to relapse and start smoking again after a period of abstinence. This can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, and believing you lack the capability to quit for good. However, the reality is that relapse is an expected part of the quitting process for many people. The important thing is how you respond to it.

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Is relapsing common when quitting smoking?

Yes, it’s very common to relapse when trying to quit smoking. Relapse rates for smoking cessation are high. It’s estimated that around 85% to 90% of smokers relapse within their first year of quitting. Of those who make it a full year without smoking, around 35% end up relapsing at some point down the line.

So if you’ve tried quitting smoking before and started again, you’re definitely not alone. Slips and relapses are the norm, not the exception. This applies even for those who are highly motivated to quit.

Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

There are several reasons why smoking is a difficult addiction for many people to overcome:

– Nicotine – Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes and other tobacco products. It acts on the brain to release dopamine and trigger pleasurable feelings. Your brain and body become dependent on nicotine. When you try to stop smoking, you go through nicotine withdrawal, causing unpleasant symptoms like irritability, anxiety, difficulties concentrating, increased appetite, and cravings. This makes relapsing easier.

– Habit and behavioral cues – Smoking becomes tightly tied to certain times of day, situations, emotions, or activities through repetition. These triggers can spark strong urges to smoke even after the physical withdrawal symptoms fade. Things like having coffee, drinking alcohol, finishing a meal, driving, and feeling stressed all become connected to lighting up.

– Function of smoking – Many smokers use cigarettes to manage stress, concentrate, socialize, for an energy boost, or to cope with unpleasant feelings. When quitting, it’s necessary to replace both the physical and emotional aspects of smoking with healthier alternatives.

– Underestimating addiction – Nicotine addiction can be downplayed as more of a bad habit than a true drug dependence. But the difficulty of overcoming tobacco addiction proves it’s a serious medical disorder. Understanding that it’s not just a lack of willpower can help avoid self-blame.

With all these factors working against successfully quitting long-term, it’s no wonder that relapse is so prevalent.

Why do people relapse when quitting smoking?

There are many potential triggers and causes for going back to smoking after a period of abstinence. Common reasons people relapse include:

– Intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms
– High stress situations or negative emotions like anxiety, sadness, irritability
– Drinking alcohol or being around other smokers
– Weight gain concerns
– Telling yourself you can have “just one”
– Strongly associated habit triggers
– Hitting a milestone and letting your guard down
– Lack of support
– Assuming it’s easy since quitting wasn’t hard at first
– Fatigue and lack of sleep
– No replacement coping strategies
– Underestimating the power of addiction

Essentially, the extreme difficulty of breaking both the physical and mental grasp of tobacco addiction causes many well-intentioned quit attempts to fail. Relapsing does not mean you don’t have the willpower or motivation to quit. It simply indicates the challenges faced when overcoming this addiction.

Is relapsing a sign that quitting just isn’t possible?

No, relapsing does not mean quitting is impossible for you. The fact you were able to abstain from smoking for a period shows that you absolutely can quit.

Relapsing is simply part of the learning process – it provides vital information to set you up for success during the next quit attempt. You can reflect on what triggered it, what went wrong, and what you need to do differently. Each failed quit attempt gets you one step closer to your goal of permanent abstinence.

It’s also important to remember that quitting smoking is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t fall into the trap of “all or nothing” thinking. Lapses back to smoking are slip ups along the path to becoming smoke-free, not total failures. The ultimate goal is to keep reducing how much you smoke until you can stop for good.

With the right support, techniques, and mindset, permanent smoking cessation is absolutely achievable. Millions of ex-smokers prove it’s possible. Relapses show you where you need to improve – they do not define your capability to quit long-term. Be patient with yourself.

How to avoid relapsing when quitting smoking

To minimize your chances of relapsing, here are some tips:

– Get support – Tell friends and family you’re quitting. Join a stop smoking program or online community. Counseling or quitting medications can also help.

– Identify high risk situations – Note what triggers your urge to smoke, like specific activities, places, emotions, or times of day. Have a plan to avoid or manage them.

– Remove smoking reminders – Get rid of cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays so you aren’t tempted.

– Notice craving patterns – Cravings and withdrawal symptoms are usually worst in the first 1-2 weeks but can still pop up later. Being aware helps you get through them without giving in.

– Keep substitutes handy – Try toothpicks, straws, gum, hard candy, or sunflower seeds to occupy your mouth and hands when cravings hit.

– Stay busy and active – Boredom and feeling restless can make cravings worse. Have activities, hobbies, chores, or exercise planned to fill your time.

– Reward progress – Celebrate smoke-free milestones like one week, one month, 2 months etc. to keep motivated.

– Get back on track quickly – If you do slip up, don’t wait and smoke more. Recommit to quitting immediately rather than allowing a full blown relapse.

Preparation and vigilance are key to staying quit after those initial smoke-free days or weeks. Catching cravings early and having coping strategies ready prevents one cigarette from turning into a relapse.

How to respond to a smoking relapse

It’s understandable to feel disappointed, frustrated, angry at yourself or even hopeless if you slip up and smoke again while quitting. Here are constructive ways to respond:

– Forgive yourself – Be kind rather than critical of yourself. Relapses happen. Reflect on what you can change without self-blame.

– Reaffirm your motivation – Remind yourself why you wanted to quit and all the progress made so far. Reconnect to your inspirations.

– Analyze triggers – Don’t ignore what happened. Reflect on the circumstances, thoughts, feelings or triggers preceding the relapse. Learn from it.

– Adjust your plan – Strengthen quit techniques that work and try something new to address problem areas like persistent triggers or difficult times of day. Get outside help if needed.

– Limit damage – If you do relapse, avoid cascading into full blown smoking again. Declare it a temporary setback rather than thinking your effort is ruined.

– Get support – Lean on loved ones, join an online community, or contact a quitline to discuss slip ups without judgment and stay accountable.

– Try again ASAP – Write off the slip as an learning experience. Make a firm commitment not to smoke again starting now. You have all the tools to succeed.