Some words of encouragement from my Committed Quitters Plan:

Dealing with Relapse

Withdrawal symptoms or weight gain shouldn’t be used as an excuse to start smoking again. Staying completely smoke free is your best chance to prevent a relapse. But if you slip and smoke a cigarette or two, don’t be discouraged. Your first cigarette did not make you a smoker to start with, and a slip does not make you a smoker again. Stop immediately and get back to the program.

If you have already relapsed and started smoking heavily again, remember that it sometimes takes a few attempts to quit for good. And remember, one slip or relapse doesn’t mean that you can’t be a nonsmoker. Learn from the attempt and try again.

Done. Forgotten. No excuses. Time to move on.

It’s easy to feel bad when you screw up, but I’m not going to. I’ve ridded myself of the remaining cigarettes that we had in the house (remember, I didn’t throw them out because Jonna was going to take them to work?) and I’m starting over.

I am calling this ‘Iteration 2’.

What I realized after this is that I really do want to quit. I’m still not sure its for the right reasons, but now I’m kinda digging being a non-smoker. The shitty thing is that no matter what your resolve, the habit still nags at you and for some reason you still think you want to smoke.

So here’s the way I’m going to treat this little infraction. I went back and it winds up that I feel even stronger afterwards that I should quit – no matter what the discomfort. Given this – I don’t feel bad. I’ve confirmed to myself that I want to move forward.

One thing I have to reconcile with myself from talking to friends who have quit – is that deep down that urge will always be there and I’ll probably always miss the way I think it makes me feel. The reality is much different than the imagined effect.

So this afternoon was another day – tomorrow will be another one. The chain is broken and I’ll just have to start a brand new one. I think I’m up for it.

Keep those fingers crossed.