My smoking background
In February 1992, I had my first surgery on my right carotid artery. It was 90 percent closed. I came home from the hospital and did not smoke for the next five months. I was so frightened about smoking. The triggers and craves to smoke were there, but not as bad as I thought they would be. I had smoked for 35 years, and was a heavy smoker.
How I relapsed
I had a high stress job (property management) at the time and smoked a lot when I was stressed...which was most of the time. I got very little sleep, had a poor diet and ate too much too.
I was working with a lady work buddy (she is a heavy smoker). I bummed a smoke from her, thinking it would be OK. I would just smoke one once in a while. I had a lot of stress and anger built up in my life.
I did not see a problem coming because I was totally ignorant of what I should do to protect my “Quit.” Smoking just woke up the nicotine monster in me and I was off again. I had no clue that smoking just one, or once in awhile was a no-no, and that I was playing with fire.
I was not educated enough regarding nicotine addiction to see the smoking relapse coming.
It would be another 15 years before I would try to quit smoking again. I figured I could not do it. I thought I would die smoking.
Lessons learned
- You can never take one puff ever. (NOPE)
- You need to have a good quit plan and be determined to quit or you will never do it.
- Make a list about why you are quitting. Read it every day.
- Eliminate as much stress as possible.
- Don't try quitting smoking while you are a practicing workaholic.
- Learn about nicotine addiction before you even try to quit smoking.
