SLIPS and STARTING OVER AND OVER...
REPOST From gummer
Date unknown
Slips and Starting Over... You do not get to say you slipped until a week after your last cigarette.
You see if you’ve smoked one, it will be a slip, and if you don’t smoke any more, a relapse if you continue.
Therefore, you have to prove you will smoke no more if you want to call it a slip.
The proof is in the “pudding”.
Pet peeve coming up…warning…warning…
People on the Q keep supporting “slipsters” with encouragements such as “It’s ok, you’ll learn from your slip”, or “It’s a good practice quit”.
Right!
For goodness sake! You don’t learn anything when you slip that you didn’t already know! You can’t smoke, plain and simple.
That’s the lesson, bonehead!
What else is there to learn? “It was the alcohol”. “Stress makes me smoke”. “I hate my boss”. All excuses.
If you smoke it is because you decide to light up and inhale. I don’t know why people hate to admit this… Slipping is unfortunate and not something to be condemned.
Not taking responsibility is another matter… Finding an excuse for having slipped means that you are shifting the responsibility away from yourself. “It wasn’t my fault…”
Again, only you can keep your quit. If you abrogate responsibility, who is going to keep your quit for you?
It is wonderful to see someone return to a quit after smoking. Don’t you think their chances for success are far greater if they took responsibility for the slip? “I decided to smoke. I cannot smoke, no matter what.” That is a lesson well learned.
One other thing… ignore the statistics. You have heard how it takes most smokers several quits until one sticks for good... Don’t take this as license to have a few slips… “Well… I haven’t slipped yet, so maybe I can have slip/relapse and quit again later...” (Yes, junkie thinking can convince you of almost anything.) There is no reason you should be on that side of the statistics. Aim to quit on your first try… you’ll thank yourself. Lest you think that I am holier than thou... I pray that I never succumb to the temptation to smoke. I thank God that I have not had to confront a major crisis since I quit. I only hope that the Q has prepared me to handle the smoking issue when the crisis hits me!
There are moments when we make decisions that have an impact on the rest of our lives. Sometimes we know we are making such a decision, and sometimes we don`t. When you have quit and you decide to smoke, please remember that you are at one of those moments… Lighting up could well alter the course of your life. Don`t make the decision lightly!