Facing a relapse after quitting smoking can be one of the most painful experiences on your journey to a healthier life. It often happens when we least expect it—during those ‘soul-breaking’ moments when life gets tough and we desperately need an escape. However, returning to cigarettes during a crisis doesn’t mean you have failed; it means you’re human. Understanding why you went back is the first step to regaining control and trying again with better tools
“It was a while after that,” you say with a serious expression. “You know when you get news that just breaks your soul? That’s how I went back to smoking…”
“I understand. Those are extreme situations, and it’s hard to stay in control.”
“And I was doing so well,” you lament.
“Hold on to that, then. You tried to quit, and you succeeded.”
“But I started again…”
“You started again, yes, but you lived without tobacco for a good long while. You went about your daily life without putting a cigarette to your lips, even though you used to need them. That is what quitting smoking is. And… I ask this with the utmost respect: did going back to smoking actually help you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did it solve the problem or take away your pain?”
“No, the pain was still there. But you know how it is… it was an impulse, a need. I was sad, I was looking for a way out, any way to disconnect from that pain, and the urge to smoke came back stronger than ever.”
“That’s exactly it. In those moments, we’re all looking for an escape. Something to help us disconnect or forget, even if just for a second, everything that’s happening to us.”
“Exactly,” you say. “I just don’t know what to do in those moments…”
“Well, you have to do exactly what your body is asking for: find an escape route.”
“Smoking.”
“Smoking is one of them, but as we’ve said, you know it’s not going to solve anything.” She sighs and opens her arms wide. “Unfortunately, life has moments of suffering. And they can come at any time. I’d recommend what they told my husband—it worked wonders for him. They told him to make a list of everything that could help him forget, even for just a little while, in the middle of that pain.”
“And do you know what he put on that list?”
“Wait, he told me… let me think, it was…”
“Just tell me two or three.”
“He wrote things like calling or texting a friend to vent, listening to music, playing a game on his phone, reading a book, or taking eight deep breaths to relax…”
“That’s not bad, but I don’t know…”
“Of course, because that was his list. You have to make your own. Like we said, you already managed to quit once. Why not try again?”
Navigation Options
- If you want to quit smoking.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking because you feel you enjoy it.
- If you believe now is not the best time to quit smoking.
- If you think smoking doesn’t affect you and therefore there’s no need to quit now.
- If you think it’s already too late to quit smoking.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking (general).
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If everything falls apart in moments like this, maybe start from the beginning and see why.