There are two reasons why smokers relapse: Intense nicotine cravings, physical withdrawal symptoms, the overwhelming feeling that everything would be just a little bit better if you smoked a cigarette; all of these contribute to people giving up and smoking a cigarette again.
Relapse of smoking after attempting to quit most frequently occurs within the first few weeks [2]. Approximately 75% of smokers experience relapse within 6 months [3].
After one full year of abstinence the risk of relapse was 47%, which decreased to 36% after two years of abstinence and to 25% after 5 years. The risk of relapse decreased more slowly in later years, and stabilized around 10% after 30 years of abstinence.
Higher levels of nicotine dependence (Japuntich et al., 2011), more intense nicotine withdrawal symptoms (Berlin et al., 2013), experiencing cravings (Garey et al., 2019), and having a lower motivation to quit (Piñeiro et al., 2016) also increase the risk of relapse.
Dangerous Places – these include places where you frequently used or acquired substances. Dangerous People – the same people you used to drink or get high with, or anyone who pressures you to give up your recovery. Dangerous Thoughts – those thoughts that allow you to justify using again.
Studies reflect that about 40-60% of individuals relapse within 30 days of leaving an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, and up to 85% relapse within the first year.
Life expectancy decreases by 13 years on average for heavy smokers compared to people who have never smoked. Moderate smokers (fewer than twenty cigarettes a day) lose an estimated 9 years, while light (intermittent) smokers lose 5 years.
Resisting triggers and avoiding relapse
Write down all of your triggers, and have a plan for your two or three main triggers. Either avoid the triggers for a while or find a way to cope with them. Stay focused on quitting smoking. Don't try to achieve other goals while you are in the process of quitting.
One cigarette may seem harmless, but it can quickly lead to resuming your regular smoking habit, even if you've gone a long time without smoking. Nine out of 10 people return to smoking after having just one cigarette.
After you quit, cravings develop when your body wants nicotine. This may occur long after your body is no longer addicted to nicotine. In addition to this physical craving, you may experience a psychological craving to use a tobacco product when you see people smoking or are around other triggers.
A slip is when a smoker who has quit smokes one or two cigarettes. A relapse is when a smoker who has quit returns to regular smoking. It is hard to quit smoking. The temptation can be very strong.
If you are a long-term smoker, on average, your life expectancy is about 10 years less than a non-smoker. Put another way, in the UK about 8 in 10 non-smokers live past the age of 70, but only about half of long-term smokers live past 70.
Background: Heavy smokers (those who smoke greater than or equal to 25 or more cigarettes a day) are a subgroup who place themselves and others at risk for harmful health consequences and also are those least likely to achieve cessation.
Young adults are more likely than older adults to quit smoking successfully, partly because they are more likely to make a serious effort to quit, say researchers. The study also found that young adults, aged 18 to 24, are more likely to have tried to quit smoking than older adults, aged 50 to 64.
The genetic sequences identified in healthy older smokers may have a protective effect, which is why they have survived despite the significant ill effects of their habit.
Smoking one cigarette per day carries around 40-50% of the excess risk for developing coronary heart disease and stroke of smoking 20 cigarettes per day, and smoking five cigarettes per day has around 55-65% of the excess risk (particularly when we focused on studies that reported relative risks adjusted for multiple ...
Age-specific death rates calculated at the attained ages (females). At age 40 years, the life expectancy was 38.5 years (95% CI: 38.3 and 38.7) for male smokers, 40.8 years (95% CI: 40.6 and 41.0) for ex-smokers, and 43.2 years (95% CI: 42.2 and 42.7) for never-smokers (Table 3).
Contrary to popular beliefs, that relapse is a quick, almost situational occurrence, it is actually a slow process that occurs in 3 stages: emotional, mental, and physical. Being aware of these three stages can help prevent relapse before it occurs.
You may start engaging in behaviors that you know are relapse triggers. This can include talking to or seeing old friends who still abuse drugs and alcohol. Hanging out in places where you used substances or where you're likely to run into your old friends is also a red flag.
Stress tends to be the main reason that people keep relapsing. Chances are, you used drugs or alcohol in an effort to cope with the stress that you feel in everyday life. This can include issues at work, problems with relationships, or even adjusting back to life after treatment.
Approximately 18% of recovering alcoholics achieved low-risk drinking after a year. About 18% of recovering alcoholics were able to abstain from drinking completely one year later. Recovery rates are less than 36% for people with a severe or lifetime alcohol dependence.
These “stages” represent the chief turning points that a once afflicted individual passes through. These three critical stages are: Resentments, Relief, and Relapse Prevention. This is the earliest stage that a recovering individual passes through on the journey of recovery.