I caved....my quits gone

[Britt228]

After almost 2 months of not smoking.....I got a call from my boss, I got the promotion. It was like I was in auto pilot, first thing I did was tell everyone, and run to the corner store for just one. Well now I'm screwed. 1 turned into 5. That's no where near what I used to smoke (a pack a day) but I can already feel that pull for another. I have to quit again. I refuse to be in a new position and be the smoker.......I'm so beyond angry with myself.....I've had a breakup since I quit, car troubles, didn't smoke. A job promotion and that was my downfall, doesn't make sense. Anyways, hopefully I'm able to quit again.

[Lisaml]

Not “hopefully”.... just do it! Congrats on your promotion, but I’m sorry about your quit. 

From what I’ve read, please quit again ASAP- the longer you smoke, you are just reinforcing the addictive behaviour. 

You CAN do it! You’ve proven that already. 

Now, just do it again!!;-) xoxo

[Britt228]

Thank you. I will quit.

[Giulia]

Some tough love coming atcha.   Take what you like and leave the rest, as we say here.  We're all on the same team. 

"It was like I was in auto pilot"  Really?  There wasn't one itty bitty thought about giving up your two month quit?  Not one?  Not one passing thought of this community and the people who care about you and have supported you?  Not one thought? Not one thought about what it feels like to go back to another Day One and all the effort you've put into your quit?  Not one thought after you bought that pack of cigarettes before you found a lighter or match and lit up?  Not one? 

If that's true then you were truly mesmerized by the addict within.  No warning bells sounded.  You just blindly followed the siren's call.  So then the question you must ask yourself is why?  My guess is :  1) you haven't done enough homework 2) you didn't come to the site every day to reinforce your quit mindset 3) that was kind of a perfect excuse to allow yourself quit forgetfulness.  

Don't be angry with yourself, unless it helps.  Rather, figure out WHY you chose to smoke instead of remaining free.  Perhaps it's not troubles that trigger you to break your commitment, but rather success and the need for that reward cigarette.  The reward trigger is a big one.  Many of us still have a pang with that one.

You have a choice now.  Get right back into your quit, toss the remaining cigarettes you have - or - continue smoking until - who knows when.  The longer you wait, the more the nicotine receptors get their hooks back into you.  

What do you want to do?

[Britt228]

I threw my remaining smokes out yesterday, just pissed off I'm going to have to go through the withdrawal again, I can already feel it. Thanks for the support

[Barbscloud]

This makes total sense to me.  The reward cigarettes are still the one's I miss the most.  I really crave one when I taking break from projects inside and outside.  Especially when doing yard work - a beer and some smokes!  Don't let feeling bad about yourself hold you back from quitting again.  The sooner the better.  You've already proven to yourself your strong enough to do it. And congrats on the promotion.

73DOF

[Bonnie]

I get it, I felt really good last weekend and had a moment when I THOUGHT I wanted a cig to "celebrate".  The addict's brain is a cunning, baffling and powerful thing.  SO GLAD YOU THREW THE REST AWAY.  Just get through the next 3 days and carry on...watch out for the threes:  3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months (in my experience these have been the toughest times, don't know why, and the times when I caved IN THE PAST)...GET BACK ON THAT HORSE AND RIDE..

And...Congratulations on the promotion!  

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Onward And Upward

Step around the cowpies.

[Roller831]

Congrats on the promotion!  Remember the withdrawal.  Blog about it.  Then....make sure you don't EVER have to re-do Day 1 again!  Sometimes, that is the single thing that keeps me from having 1.  I don't ever want to go through Day 1 (or 2 or 3....)again!

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2017/09/20/a-slip-is-not-a-fall?sr=search&...‌  <===Read it. 

[Giulia]

I am SO GLAD you jumped right back into the fold!  "just pissed off I'm going to have to go through the withdrawal again,"  Yup, that's the penalty.  It's a hard lesson.  Eventually we learn that it's easier to stay free than to begin anew.  

[Sandy-9-17-17]

Don't wait.....get up, dust yourself off, and reset your date and start again as soon as possible.  You already know you want to be a quitter!  Waiting to start again could put you down the road 20 years and then you will be suffering all the adverse effects of being a smoker!  You can do it!

[Britt228]

I was prepared for the intense moments when things weren't going my way, totally left field when I caved because I was being promoted. I'll have to look out of that next time, thank you