Heart Disease
Quit Smoking
What if I slip up and have a cigarette?
Do not be discouraged. Many former smokers have tried to stop several times before they finally succeeded. Here is what you should do:
- Acknowledge to yourself that you have slipped — that you have had a small setback and smoked a cigarette or two. Remember that your first cigarette did not make you a smoker to start with, and a small setback does not make you a smoker again.
- Do not be too hard on yourself. One slip does not mean that you are a failure, or that you cannot be a nonsmoker. But it is important to get yourself back on track immediately.
- Identify the trigger. Exactly what was it that prompted you to smoke? Decide now how you will cope the next time this situation occurs.
- Know and use the coping skills described in these pages. If you know at least one or two coping skills, it will be easier for you to remain a nonsmoker.
- Sign a contract with yourself to remain a nonsmoker.
- If you think you need professional help, see your doctor. He or she can provide extra motivation for you to stop smoking. Your doctor may also prescribe nicotine gum or a nicotine patch as an alternative source of nicotine while you break the habit of smoking.
