It’s a common story: you make a plan, but then you find yourself saying, ‘I relapsed quickly after quitting.’ Whether it was the stress of a long wait or a sudden craving, understanding why that first attempt failed is the first step toward your final success
“No, I tried, but I relapsed pretty quickly.”
“What bad luck!” she responds. “But did you last long?”
“Ugh,” you sigh, “it was a while ago… days, weeks, what does it matter?”
“And why did you start smoking again?”
“The cravings—the withdrawal. I just couldn’t handle it.”
As you’re talking, a guy with wireless headphones blaring at full volume sits down near you. He doesn’t ask anything, doesn’t check for his turn; he just starts messing with his phone, waiting to be called and completely ignoring you.
“Well, he’s going to get tired of listening to music before they call him,” the woman says, as if she had read your mind. Just as she says this, the office door opens, and a man about 70 years old walks out carrying a folder stuffed with papers.
“There’s the reason for the long wait,” you say, pointing at the folder. “Well, it’s your turn. It was a pleasure talking to you.”
“Likewise,” the woman says, standing up and heading toward the office.
“No, I’m sorry, it’s not your turn,” the city official says. “It’s this young man’s turn.”
“This young man? But I’ve been waiting for a long time, and I was here before him…”
“No, it’s his turn. He’s just dropping off some papers.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m running behind. But he’s next on the list; he came in last week.” And with that, he goes into the office with the guy and shuts the door.
“So much for that… Just when I thought it was finally my turn. Lord, the patience one must have…” she says, sitting back down.
You both sit in silence for a while. You start looking at your phones, but even though you try to distract yourself by watching videos, the urge to smoke returns. You start getting restless, looking around to see if there’s someone you could ask for a cigarette.
“Urge to smoke again?” the woman asks.
“Yes!” you snap.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, no. Forgive me. It’s just… I’m very nervous,” you say, trying to apologize.
“I know, I know. It’s okay.”
“It’s this damn withdrawal. I wish I’d managed to quit when I tried.”
Why Many People Relapsed Quickly After Quitting Smoking
“I understand. But you can always try again. Out of everyone I know who quit, very few actually did it on their first try… Look, my husband was helped a lot by his nurse’s advice. Did you use any kind of help when you tried to quit?”
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- If you used medication to quit smoking.
- If you only received advice and monitoring from a professional (nurse, doctor, pharmacist, psychologist, etc.).
- If you tried to quit smoking without any help at all.
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If this is what stopped you, maybe it helps to understand what’s really happening from the start.