Most people who have a relapse have one within the first three months of quitting smoking. Although this may make you want to give up and think you are a failure, do not get discouraged by the small relapse. Remember that more often than not people who quit have to try several times before quitting for good. Although it is difficult to stop, there are some situations that make it much harder. Some things that make it easier to relapse include other smokers, drinking alcohol, mood swings or depression, and weight gain. However, if you do have a relapse, then be certain to learn from your mistakes. Ask yourself what worked last time and what didn’t? Also what was the major factor that caused you to give into temptation?

Mind The Company You Keep

Being around other people who smoke is one of the worst things you can do if you are trying to quit smoking. The smell and second hand smoke can cause your cravings to get more severe and the habit is difficult enough to kick without constantly having to avoid temptations. Having friends, family, or co workers who smoke around you will be one of the most difficult situations to deal with, but it is important that you keep far away from these people while they are smoking, during the time when you are trying to quit. Ask people to not smoke in your home or your vehicle, and be sure to get the smell of smoke out of these places before you quit as well. It may be annoying for your friends who smoke to have to do it outside, but your health and well being are well worth the sacrifice. You never know, you may inspire your friends and family to try to quit with you as support, which will benefit all of you.

Social Drinking And Smoking

Drinking alcohol is another factor in causing a smoker who has quit to have a relapse. Although whether you should avoid alcohol altogether when trying to quit smoking differs regarding the amount and way you drank alcohol before you quit. If you never drink, well of course you don’t have to worry. However, if you were a social drinker there are precautions you should take to prevent relapse. Most social drinkers have a cigarette with there drink, so it may be difficult to go out and get a drink without relapsing and having a smoke. Even if you throw away all your cigarettes there will surely be someone there to offer you a smoke with your martini. Each time you do go out for a drink after you quit, be certain to remember you are a recovering addict and need to refrain from smoking at all. Even second hand smoke could cause you to relapse. Some people find it best to avoid drinking at all while quitting smoking and to very seldom drink after they quit unless a good friend is with you to help support and motivate you to not smoke.

The Stress Factor

Some people use smoking to regulate their moods and keep them feeling normal. This is a huge problem when attempting to quit for good and avoid a relapse. Many things from medication, to deep breathing, can all help elevate your mood and keep you from needing cigarettes to keep from mood swings and depression. If you have difficulties with depression then keep doing what your doctor suggests and tell them you will be quitting smoking soon. See if they have any suggestions for things to do to keep the mood problems from getting worse due to the nicotine withdrawal. It is also good to ask your friends and family from causing you undue stress during the first couple of weeks after quitting, which is when you are most likely to have a relapse.

Weight Gain And Quitting Smoking

When you gain a little weight from quitting you might be tempted to start up again to lose it but there are many ways to lose the weight besides smoking. It is also a bad idea to try to lose the weight while in the middle of quitting. Try your best to worry about losing weight after you have a good handle on quitting. Not dieting is a good way to keep your focus strictly on quitting.

When you are trying to quit it is best to not take even one puff off a cigarette. Even taking one puff will inevitably lead to another and another until you are back at a pack a day. Think about what will be some of the most difficult times for you after quitting, and make a solid plan for how to handle them. It is always best to recognize the situations that may cause you to slip up and relapse, and either avoid them altogether or have a plan of action ready when going into the situations. Some of these times include parties, work, and at a bar. These times and places differ for everyone so talk to people who are there to support you about what is best for you.

Falling Off The Wagon

Now you know how to prevent relapse but, what about when you do relapse as many people do several times before quitting for good. Well there are many ways to recover once you have a relapse, first of all do not beat yourself up about it. Everyone makes mistakes it is how we deal with the mistakes that will decide if we can get back up. Many of the people who slip up and have a smoke still end up quitting for good it just takes a good plan of action and learning from your mistakes. It is best to treat a slip up like a fire or another type of emergency and STOP immediately! Then immediately start to think where you were, who you were with, and exactly what you were doing when you had a slip up, so you can then plan what to do next time you are faced with this same situation.

You are now prepared for this situation next time it happens and are quite ready to quit again and hopefully this time for good. Although remember if you slip up, it is not the end of the world. Simply assess the situation that caused it and take care of a plan before quitting again.

In addition to the various nicotine replacement therapies available through prescription, you can also get many different medicines that help to get you through the process of quitting. Some of these medicines include Zyban and Chantix. It is always best to research the medicines you might be considering and also have a long talk with your doctor before you decide which of the medicines available will be of the most help to you when quitting. With patience and a little help from medication and therapies you will have a much better chance of quitting and staying that way for good.

ZYBAN

Zyban is a pill prescribed by your doctor to aid in the cessation of smoking. This pill doesn’t contain nicotine, which can be an advantage to some smokers trying to quit. It was found out that the medicine in the pill Zyban, while being used to treat depression, worked to greatly lessen the desire for cigarettes. After much testing the drug was approved for use in helping people quit smoking. Zyban is a very slow release anti depressant drug that takes its time to go through your system helping to lessen the severity of your withdrawal symptoms.

Benefits

Some advantages of Zyban over nicotine substitutes are that the drug contains no nicotine which will stop adding any more to your blood stream. With all nicotine substitutes you must stop smoking before you begin treatment, with the Zyban pill this is not the case. People who still smoke while trying to use a nicotine substitute have a chance over overdosing on nicotine and getting very sick, Zyban has none of those risks. When you are going to begin Zyban you can do it before you quit smoking up until your set quit date and for a designated time after quitting to help lessen the need for cigarettes.

In some cases when patients are heavily addicted to smoking, doctors will recommend a combination of Zyban and nicotine substitutes like the gum or lozenge. Be honest with your doctor about how severe your smoking addiction really is so he or she can prescribe the very best solution to help you quit. So the Zyban has an advantage because it can be used alone or in conjunction with nicotine substitutes.

Side Effects

There are some minor side effects to be aware of when taking Zyban that include dry mouth, sleeping trouble, nausea, vomiting, so it is best to discuss these with your doctor before getting on the pill. Another thing to be aware of is that Zyban contains the same ingredients as a dug called Wellbutrin, which is commonly used to treat depression, and Zyban should never be taken in conjunction with this drug or the drug called Wellbutrin SR. 

CHANTIX

There is available another prescription called Chantix that is used to help smokers quit. The Chantix pill is also like Zyban a non nicotine pill that uses other ways to help you quit. Chantix unlike Zyban is not an antidepressant but is supposed to help you quit by targeting the same receptors in your brain that the drug nicotine does and keeping the nicotine from effecting them.

Benefits

Unlike nicotine replacement if you do relapse or slip up while taking Chantix you can continue taking the pills and make another attempt to quit smoking. This is possible because the pill contains no nicotine so it will not do extra harm to smoke while taking it.

Side Effects

Like with most pills there is a chance of side effects including nausea, vomiting, and trouble sleeping, which you should definitely discuss with your doctor prior to starting the medicine Chantix.

Medicine can be a very important help for smokers who are trying to quit and is easily used in conjunction with stop smoking programs, hypnosis and a number of other aids. Be certain to discuss your goals with your doctor before deciding with them which of the stop smoking medicines, if any, are right for you to meet your goals.

The reality is that most people who try to quit smoking relapse eventually. Most heavy smokers often make two, three or even more attempts before they finally get rid of their bad habit. These facts alone should convince you not to despair if you started smoking again after you had stayed away from tobacco for some time. Here are some practical tips on what to do if you have returned to your habit.

Do not consider relapsing as a failure that cannot be overcome. It is wrong to think that you did not manage to quit smoking because you are weak. Similarly, you must not get into the misconception that your addiction is stronger than you. You may have lost the battle, but this does not mean that you will lose the war. Quite the opposite, your chances of winning are now higher. You just need to know how to exploit them to the fullest.

Learning from your experience is the key to quitting smoking for good. Try to figure out what forced you to relapse. Was it an episode of extremely high stress? Was it the cup of coffee that you enjoy in the morning? Was it getting in the company of friends who smoke? By finding the trigger, you can make sure to stay away from it the next time when you try to quit for good.

Try to find any mistakes that you made during the time when you attempted to quit smoking. Common mistakes include not having a precise plan, not using stress-relief methods, leaving triggers that can force you to go back to your habit again and going without nicotine replacement therapy. You have the chance to fix things and get the desired result in the future.

You should attempt to quit smoking again soon after the relapse. It is best to set a date within next month. Otherwise you may lose your motivation. In general, now you have a stronger weapon for motivating yourself that you should not hesitate to use. You lived without smoking for at least a couple of days so you must have enjoyed the beneficial effects. Many people do not know this, but these appear as early as 24 to 48 hours after the last cigarette is smoked.

You will see that when you try to quit smoking the next time, things will be a lot easier for you. Keep in mind that your chances of success are much higher than before.

It has been estimated that it takes around one year for smoking to turn from something occasional into a habit. You are psychologically addicted to lighting up and holding a cigarette in your hand as well as addicted to the nicotine it contains. In order to quit smoking effectively, you need to remove the physical triggers that literally force you to stick to your habit.

You will find that there are many more smoking triggers in your home and office than you think. It is your job to get rid of them as soon as you decide to quit for good. You must throw away all ashtrays and lighters. It is not a good idea to just place them in the closet or a place that is hard to reach. They must be out of your life for good.

Consider your smoking habits in order to get rid of the other physical triggers that may pose a risk to your endeavor to quit. If you have a cigarette with your morning coffee, you may want to replace your favorite cup with another one. The idea behind this is not to associate the drinking of coffee with lighting up.

You should clean your house thoroughly right after you have your last cigarette. The cigarette smoke gets into literally every object with absorbent properties around you. The list includes carpets, curtains and upholstered furniture. It is a good idea to clean all such items with a steam-producing vacuum cleaner so that you do not feel the smell of tobacco anymore. Take any clothes that are not cleaned frequently such as coats to the drycleaner’s so that the smell is removed from them as well.

It is natural for the rooms which you have smoked in to smell like smoke. You will sense this smell more strongly when you experience nicotine cravings. That is why doctors recommend using an air freshener to get rid of the scent. You may want to use a system for automatic dispersing of the fresh pleasant scent so that things are easier for you during the hard times of quitting smoking. Choose an air freshener with a scent that is relaxing and soothing. Lavender is one of the best options.

The first few weeks of quitting smoking are generally very stressful. That is why you may want to replace the old objects that trigger your habit with new ones that make you feel happy. In the place of each ashtray, you can put a vase with flowers or a picture of your family.