So if I “slip”, and have a cigarette, do I change my quit date?

[jlp5564]

Im a new quitter! Had a slip with two smokes. Do I need to set a new quit date due to “slippage”?

[marciem]

Ok, jlp5564‌ ... this will sound harsh, but it is honest and from my heart that cares that you quit smoking permanently...

What did you slip on?  A banana peel?  Black ice?  Newly waxed floors?

If none of the above, it wasn't a slip.  It was a deliberate act of throwing away your quit.  It took several conscious and deliberate steps to find a cigarette, put it in your mouth, find a lighter, light it, and inhale the smoke.  You did it not once but twice.

Part of overcoming addiction is self-honesty.  Words like "slip" or "ooopsie" or "no big deal"  or "only two puffs/cigarettes/packs/cartons" minimize and trivialize the importance of NOT smoking, and the effort it takes to NOT do something.  NOPE means "not one puff ever", it doesn't mean "not one puff, except  (for those two, etc. etc.)"

Yes, your quit date needs to be honest and therefore reset, IMO.  That said, It is YOUR quit tool, so its just my opinion that sure you had a nice trial quit but it isn't a quit.  You smoked.  Your ticker should reflect NOT smoking.  You can't smoke and be quit at the same time.  There just aren't any loopholes.  This is life and death.

Again, I'm sorry to be harsh.  Please take what helps you learn from this experience, and leave the rest.

[anaussiemom]

No one has the right answer but the author, of this topic!






jlp5564
You do what is right for you.

There is no one here better than another.   We are all addicts, for the rest of our lives!!

Kudos for honesty!

Thank you for sharing.
Hugs Kim

[jlp5564]

Thank you

Sent from my iPhone

[jlp5564]

I absolutely love your “harsh”, honest reply. Thank you.

Sent from my iPhone

[TriGirl]

Definitely some tough love, but didn't you laugh about the banana peel??? That was quite good. Reset your date jlp5564‌. Forgive yourself and move it along. You CAN do this. Just remember if you give into the Nicodemon, you bring it back to life. It gets better the longer you tell it no and discover that you are WAY more powerful than you ever knew!

[jlp5564]

Thank you, Thomas! I did laugh at banana peel! Very creative! I sincerely appreciated the tough love!

Sent from my iPhone

[marciem]

I'm so glad you took it in the spirit intended, jlp5564‌ !  I do try to slip a little humor in when I can, but I am also really concerned that people quit and stay quit, and I know how very difficult it is.  I spent too many years "slipping" and smoking and now I'm recovering from lung cancer and severely limited by COPD ...

I don't know you're age, but no matter your age, it is better for you to quit now and stay quit, than wait until later.  

It is way easier to hold on to whatever quit you have going, than it is to start a new one.  Keep that in mind when urges/cravings wear on your last nerve, as they can and will in the upcoming short term.

Best to you going forward.

And don't make me bring out the DIY Tough Love video instruction!   

Unfortunately EX is telling me that video service is currently unavailable, but that link will get you there for now.  If you need it, which you should NOT!~

[jlp5564]

You’re awesome! I’m almost 65.

Here’s to your health. I did reset!

Thanks again!

Sent from my iPhone

[avian3]

I LOVED the banana peel! I couldn't stop laughing after reading it. People need to lighten up sometimes. If you know Marcie, she is anything but harsh. She is very caring and concerned when it comes to quitting smoking. She is straight forward. Quitting smoking is serious business but sometimes laughing helps.