I often wonder why so many seem to slip back into the addiction. I wonder this for a variety of reasons. One being the selfish one of course. I don’t want it to happen to me. I have to face reality all of the time and realize that any one of us can slip if we allow it to happen.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel weak or anything like that but at the same time one has to wonder. We’ve all been warned about the perils of no man’s land. We’ve all been told about the phantom memories that pop up and try to derail our quits. We all listen daily to the tips and warnings of others who have walked the path before us and yet the addiction still gets some of us.
Usually it seems to be stressful situations that cause this. Life changes can be a culprit as well. But I don’t understand how it translates into smoking. How do we end up listening to the whispers of the addict within and more importantly, how do some end up believing those lies. What is the catalyst that causes some to lose a quit. Sometimes years down the road?
I guess the reality of the matter is that it’s up to each of us to protect our quits. It’s up to each of us to keep our resolve strong and never, ever give in. This takes a bit of work I think. Along with patience and a belief in one’s self. Perhaps what happens is we become to confident in our quits and let our guard down. Perhaps it’s because we perceive life’s challenges a little differently when we quit and because of this we fool ourselves into believing that life’s challenges can be easier to deal with when we smoke. Or perhaps it’s because when some of us quit, we really don’t want to. Perhaps it’s because we didn’t prepare enough before our quits. We didn’t build that strong foundation before our quits.
The bottom line is that I will remain aware and vigilant throughout the course of my quit. I will always remind myself that the most important thing in my life right now is to stay quit. I will keep a wary watch on my addiction and I will never forget that though I’m recovering, I am still an addict and as such still vulnerable.
These are the things that I can do for myself. These are the things that I MUST do for myself for I will not allow an addiction that I have worked so hard to lose take me back to the drab and sad life that I once lived as a smoker.
I think the answer is that each one of us is responsible for our own quits. Each one of us must stick to our commitments. There is no amount of coaching that can keep us from losing our quits. Only we can keep it safe. We just have to remember that smoking does nothing to change a situation. Smoking does nothing to ease the mind. Smoking only tries to kill us and I will commit to myself that I will always remember why I quit. I will always remember that though it’s hard at times, it’s still worth it. I will always remember that so many have done this before me and shown us all that we can do it too.
I will never surrender. Never give in and never forget that the addict is still out there, waiting for that weak moment in our lives to pounce on us and try to make us lose our resolve. I think so long as we remember what those before us have told us then we have a fighting chance. We can succeed! And I for one intend to be another example of this.
NO FEAR!!!
