Managing a Lapse

    You may find yourself sometime in a situation that is high-risk without a plan of action. You may have once dealt with this situation by smoking or using spit tobacco. In this situation you may find that the urge is strong and think that “just one” won’t hurt.

     Lapses may happen but it is important to realize that these are just mistakes that can be corrected. A lapse becomes a relapse only if you stop trying and return to smoking regularly. This is why it is important to plan ahead for situations.

   Here are some tips on what to do if a lapse occurs:

• Stop smoking or chewing immediately. Throw away whatever tobacco products you have. Leave the situation that the lapse occurred in and substitute a coping action. Remember why you wanted to quit in the first place.
• Think about what happened that led up to a lapse. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you feeling? Were you stressed? Were you in an uncomfortable situation?
• Think about what you can do the next time you might be in this situation.
• Finally, don’t feel guilty. Everyone makes mistakes and it’s important not to get down on yourself.