What are the signs of a relapse cycle?

A relapse is a temporary episode of returning to smoking. I emphasize the word temporary because, once you have a desire to quit, you will never return to the bliss of guilt-free smoking again. It is usually only a matter of time and effort before you are finally successful. A slip or two along the quitting path does not make you a failure. The only real failure occurs when you give up trying. The average smoker tries numerous times before they are successful. The average number of times that smokers try to quit is six to eight times, but some try as many as fifteen times before they successfully quit their smoking. Quitting is a learning process and not a one-time event.

In order for a relapse to occur, two things have to happen: you have to be in a situation that triggers a craving to smoke, and have an inadequate coping response to the craving. A relapse cycle often begins with feelings of inadequacy, self-pity, irritability, depression, anxiety, or thinking a lot about the pleasures of smoking. You may experience sudden changes in mood, physical aches and pains, or emotional confusion. Your behavior may be irrational, emotional, or forgetful.

Chemical dependency researchers have identified certain times as being "high relapse periods" in the recovery process. During these times, quitting smokers often experience more frequent and intense cravings, depression, irritability, and a lessening of their motivation to quit. The greatest number of relapse cycles occur in the first three or four months, and then drop significantly after that. From the first moment of abstinence from smoking, common peaks in relapse occur:

--     After the first day,
--     After the first week,
--     After the first two weeks,
--     At the end of the first month,
--     At the third or fourth month,
--     After six months,
--     After one year,
--     After two years,
--     After five years, and
--     After eleven years.

You can see that as you gain smoke-free time, and as you successfully cope with each craving cycle, you are highly likely to double the time until the next relapse cycle occurs!

Remember to be gentle with yourself as you go through the quitting process. Relapse cycles are normal, and they are just part of an important learning process. If you have developed a well-prepared plan, you can keep your relapses short and your smoke-free times will get longer and longer. Every successful smoke-free day is a victory, and every lapse is only a temporary setback. When you have a lapse, stop the process as soon as possible and regain control of your life. If you make the commitment to keep on quitting until you are successful, you will become a successful ex-smoker!