My smoking background
In May of 2008 I decided to quit smoking because of poor breathing. At this point, I had smoked for a little over 13 years. I relapsed in July of 2008.
How I relapsed
I had a confrontation with someone and thought that a cigarette would help me cope with all of the hurt I was feeling. I know now that was junkie thinking, because a cigarette can not solve conflict or soothe hurt. If I knew then what I know now, I would have seen my relapse coming because I can now recognize junkie thinking.
Lessons learned
- I learned that when I relapsed it did not solve my problem. I still felt hurt and the only thing that healed that pain was time.
- I learned that during my quit issues are bound to come up, and that I needed to learn how to cope without reaching for a cigarette. (and I did)
- I learned that I needed to take responsibility for my own actions. For me to be successful, I had to stop finding excuses to light up a cigarette.
- I learned that I can never learn enough about nicotine addiction -- that knowledge is your weapon against this addiction.
