5 Steps That Lead to a Smoking Relapse

"I quit smoking a month ago and I'm still craving cigarettes! I think I'm going to miss smoking forever."

I quit smoking three times before I finally hit on the right mix of determination, education and support to quit smoking for good. I can remember thinking that if I could just quit for two weeks, I'd be through the worst of it and would be free of this addiction. Knowing what I know now, I realize how faulty this thinking was and how I set myself up for relapse by putting rigid expectations on how my quit program should go ahead of time. When things didn't go as quickly as I'd expected, or I hit some other bump in the road, I got discouraged and gave up.

The fact is, your smoke-free journey is unique to you, and takes as long as it takes. Not a minute more or less. Quitting tobacco is a process of gradual release from an addiction that has been developed over a period of years. Don't expect to be over your smoking habit in a week or two, and don't gauge your success by how others have done when they quit smoking.

Be patient with yourself and use time as a quit buddy. Think of the work you're doing to quit smoking as the foundation of a new smoke free home you're building. Each smoke-free day you complete represents a block of that foundation. Lay each block down as carefully as you can, and before you know it, you'll have a strong foundation upon which to build your smoke-free life. Take your time and practice patience ... primarily with self! You'll be rewarded a thousand times over with a freedom that is beyond compare.

More

• Patience with the Process

• Will I Miss Smoking Forever?