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Closet smoking and relapsing

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 54

I was a closet smoker for months after my last failed quit. (Or so I thought -- I think everyone around me knew and they were just humoring me to be nice.) I was also a closet smoker at work. It was just awful. The scurrying around, making excuses for why I just disappeared for ten minutes, trying desperately to wash my hands and eat a mint before I saw anyone. Not a lifestyle I'm in a hurry to go back to.

I've done it both ways and in my experience it doesn't really matter whether you tell people or not. This is a battle you have to fight -- if it makes you feel better to have to be accountable to others, then go for it, just know that in those crappy dark moments when you're dying to smoke, it's still going to be you versus yourself. I noticed you commented on the junkie thinking thread. I just about memorized that thing. I think of it every time I have a killer craving (way less often now, but they happen) and it reminds me that my addicted brain is lying to me.

You sound really motivated which is a good thing. YOU CAN DO IT!

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hi again,

I was a closet smoker for a very long time after one of my many quit attempts!

I thought I was getting away with it for months, but wasn't and finally came out of that closet. The only person I was fooling was myself. I told everyone I associated with I was quitting on this quit. I wanted this quit to be successful and by telling my friends and associates at work that I was quitting, I knew that I would do better by being accountable.

Remember that quitting is one of the hardest things that you will ever do! The survey says that most people average 7 attempts before we succeed! If you happen to slip or relapse, don't beat yourself up about it! Get right back up on the horse and continue the journey! The key is that you never quit quitting!!! Of course, no one wants to go through Hell Week and Heck Week time after time... Another reason to just get 'er done and live by N.O.P.E.!!!

You CAN do this!!!

Jim

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12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 96

Was anybody else here a closet smoker? I have been trying to tell people that I'm quitting... The first few times I tried to quit (which I don't even really count as tries because I don't think I knew what quitting meant back then) I didn't tell anybody and felt completely unaccountable. One of the reasons I am quitting is because I'm so tired of hiding it, which gets hard when you need to disappear every few hours for a cigarette and come back smelling like smoke. Lol. However now that I'm telling people I'm worried about relapsing BECAUSE it would no longer be something I'd have to hide. I mean I'm not planning on relapsing but it's something I've worried about.

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Closet smoking and relapsing