Relapse rates

[Sirius]

Two years seems to be the point were relapse rates fall off a cliff.  2% - 4%/year fall off the train after 2 years.

This falls even further to about 1%/year after ten years of not smoking.

 

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-02/cfta-srr022702.php

PUBLIC RELEASE: 27-FEB-2002

Smoking relapse rates drop off sharply after two years

CENTER FOR ADVANCING HEALTH

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The bad news for ex-smokers has always been that relapse rates are extremely high, but a new study suggests that staying away from cigarettes gets much easier after two years of abstinence, with more than 80 percent of former smokers achieving long-term success.

Relapse rates for smokers trying to quit have been estimated to range from 60 percent to 90 percent within the first year, but few studies have looked at the long-term relapse rates of formers smokers, according to the study published in the current issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

"Former cigarette smokers who remain abstinent for at least two years have a risk of relapse of 2 percent to 4 percent each year within the second through sixth years, but this risk decreases to less than 1 percent annually after 10 years of abstinence," says study author Elizabeth A. Krall, Ph.D., of Boston University School of Dental Medicine.

Among the ex-smokers who stayed away from cigarettes for two or more years, 19 percent eventually resumed smoking, the researchers found.

The study included 483 men enrolled in the ongoing VA Normative Aging Study, a Boston-based study begun in 1960. On average, the men started smoking at age 18, smoked about a pack and a half a day and smoked for more than three decades before trying to quit.

Relapsed smokers were most likely to report that they became too nervous or tense when not smoking; they felt they were addicted and couldn't stop; they missed the sensations of smoking; and they felt peer pressure to resume smoking.

The former smokers who relapsed after two or more years of abstinence were more likely to use cigars and pipes, and to drink five or more alcohol beverages a day and more than six cups of coffee a day.

"The relationship with alcohol appears more dependent on the amount of alcohol consumed than on the social situations in which it is consumed," says Krall. They found that men who didn't smoke while drinking socially were just as likely to relapse as men who did smoke while drinking modest amounts of alcohol.

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The study was supported with funding from the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Nicotine & Tobacco Research is the official peer-reviewed quarterly journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. For information about the journal, contact Gary E. Swan, Ph.D., at (650) 859-5322.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

[bakon]

Being a vet and knowing vets this study doesn't reflect general public. Vets are less likely to fear health risks. It's just part of the DNA of vets. They don't fear as much and don't care as much about risk. So to start again and worry about health is lower for them.

As for this group, most here that post Regularly will last. It's a fact we do better. 

Edited February 22, 2018 by bakon

[Doreensfree]

When I read folks who have a long quit relaspe...some have been over five years..

It starts me thinking of myself..of just how hard that would be...in terms of actually lighting that cigarette and taking that deep puff...

It would be so sickening...it would make to dizzy I'll...the stench would be over powering....

And  God knows what it would do to me mentally... Health wise...

I agree with Bakon ,sticking around here,helping others ,having some fun,helps make my own quit more solid...

Although I still take it day by day...and I never presume anything...I would like to think .I will never smoke again....

And only I can make sure this never  happens....NOPE !!!!!

 

[JB 883]

Who knows where they actually get their info.

of course they want ex-smokers to think they are gonna fail at quitting, that way they can try to sell meds or fancy doctors or whatever.

they also mention that the "good" news is if you stay off smoking for two years only THEN does it become "much easier".

 

Ok so for someone who is still trying to quit or only has maybe a few days under their belt, this is pretty daunting a thought. It would be like telling some 22 year old kid who hates working, "Just think, in 40 years you can retire".

A new quitter is not fighting craves two years from now, he is fighting it TODAY. he don't want to hear, "Oh just stick it out for two years then it gets easier".

No, bullcrap. It is true that craves come and go. I got hit hardest at three months. But they want people to believe it is gonna be harder than what quitting really is. Like they say it is harder than crack or meth or heroin etc... of course we have seen people flop around and scream on TV when being deprived of hard drugs. So supposedly giving up cigarettes is gonna be worse than THAT? Not even close.

 

They want you to have failure in mind ahead of time so you are ready to buy into some dumb crap like pills that will "help". TBH I myself did not expect to last almost four months so far because of this. But then when i wasn't acting like Spongebob on crack even during the worst of my craves, i knew I was gonna be OK.

 

15 hours ago, Sirius said:

Relapse rates for smokers trying to quit have been estimated to range from 60 percent to 90 percent within the first year, but few studies have looked at the long-term relapse rates of formers smokers, according to the study published in the current issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

 

60 to 90 percent? That is a hell of a guesstimation. That is about as spot-on as saying, "the world might end eventually". Or that the sky might fall.

If you want to quit smoking, the best you can do is concentrate on your own quit.

[Reciprocity]

Interesting read - thanks for sharing Sirius

 

Yeah the relapse percentage stated for people still early in their quit is a pretty large net they have cast there Based on what I have seen during my year paying attention to this kind of thing it's probably closer to the 90% than the 60% relapse rate. Sad but true in terms of what I have been exposed to and most of that is when people have reached out to a support group like this one too so it may even be higher for those going it alone?

 

The longer term relapse rate could very well be pretty accurate as I have seen a few falling off the wagon so to speak after multi year quits. I think we (newbies in particular) need to be careful how they interpret this data about longer term quitters relapsing though so they aren't put off trying to quit themselves because of this seeming to be such a daunting challenge for such a long period of time. It is not that way at all unless one gets careless or is uneducated about the addiction and just doesn't understand or doesn't take it seriously that "just one" won't hurt. The struggles that most newbies face do not last all that long - not the really tough part anyway.

 

Smoking is an addiction so there will always be "a risk" of falling back into the addiction but, once a smoker has built that solid foundation of a quit it is pretty easy to keep it. In fact, very easy to keep it. Just know that 1 smoke will destroy what you have built so, brush any mild thought of smoking away no matter what the circumstance - easy to do when you've got a year or more under your belt!

Romancing your memories of how great smoking was? - don't! Smoking was something you HAD to do not something you wanted to do every hour of every day. And, always remember WHY you quit in the first place. Doesn't matter what the reason was. It was important enough to YOU so, don't forget it or think that anything has changed to make that reason less important to you.

[Sirius]

I agree about the foundation.  It's difficult to build but once you have a foundation it can work in your favor.

 

 

 

 

[Whispers]

I blew a long quit over two years and it was over a very bad time in life and i had the F_IT mindset. The taste was terrible the first one but i kept doing it. I'm over two years again and i plan on using that relapse to making sure it never happens again, this is a very good read! Soon as i figure out this layout i'll update and post my quit date

[PeaceTrain]

8 hours ago, Whispers said:

 Soon as i figure out this layout i'll update and post my quit date

 

Click on the drop down next to your name in the upper right hand corner. Click on your profile and you can enter your quit date there as well as other information if you want to.

[Whispers]

5 minutes ago, PeaceTrain said:

 

Click on the drop down next to your name in the upper right hand corner. Click on your profile and you can enter your quit date there as well as other information if you want to.

Thank you

[Giveintowin]

On 22/02/2018 at 8:24 PM, Doreensfree said:

When I read folks who have a long quit relaspe...some have been over five years..

It starts me thinking of myself..of just how hard that would be...in terms of actually lighting that cigarette and taking that deep puff...

It would be so sickening...it would make to dizzy I'll...the stench would be over powering....

And  God knows what it would do to me mentally... Health wise...

I agree with Bakon ,sticking around here,helping others ,having some fun,helps make my own quit more solid...

Although I still take it day by day...and I never presume anything...I would like to think .I will never smoke again....

And only I can make sure this never  happens....NOPE !!!!!

 

Speaking from experience of this, no-one (or most people)  who relapses actually thinks they will ever become hooked again. It's like hey I would never smoke again but give me one just to see what it's like. It's been so long. 

 

This is also the same tra[ that happens when we first got hooked. We didn't decide we would be a smoker then have the first cigarette. We had that first one and then another and then another and before we knew it we were hooked. This is often the same with the relapser (who has been quit for a long time). They think they won't get hooked again because they are so happy not smoking.

[Reciprocity]

^^^ This is why I'm so glad I joined up with a social media "quit smoking" site!!!! I would probably have fallen into the same thought process BUT now I know better. Never Take Another Puff!!! That's the key to staying quit

[Doreensfree]

Before this sticky quit ,I had so many relapses ..impossible to count over a 52 year smoking career...

If I smoked now ..after nearly five years Quit..I know if I had one...I would be a smoker again...I'm a addict...I can never have one..

Never take another puff...but to be honest.. The thought of smoking now fills me with disgust...I hate them...

When I took my first puff at eleven years old...what did I know about addiction......... Nilch.......

Knowledge....now I have the knowledge...I know about addiction... NOPE !!!

 

 

[Whispers]

Giveintowin is correct, as ex smokers the difference becomes we learn how to replace the crutch. We just dont reach for them. When i blew my quit i thought just one wouldnt start me going again and i didnt just go back like that. I had quit on feb 9 2010 and i went back on sept 24th 2012. Basically what happened was i had taken my mother to the DR, she had MS but was in remission and i was told that day her MS was terminal and i was devastated. I wasn't thinking clear at all, i smoked one it made me sick. Smoked again a week later and again i didnt buy a pack just a couple at my friends. After a month of here and there i was back at it. After i tried quitting after moms passing and failed a good 15 times and i mean 3 weeks i smoked, 2 months i smoked etc. Mentally i wasnt myself and not ready to give my friend up. All it takes is that one, just like any addiction and these sites are great as we get reminded. I use a straw that i cut down to the size of a cigg if i ever have the feeling of anxiety and pull on that and it works for me. My mother was a smoker and a heavy smoker that after my father death was 3 packs a day until she turned 63 and was diagnosed with emphysema. Lung cancer is what got my mother and it took me over a year after her death to finally keep my quit again. I hope my story can help anyone in a difficult time to just not pick up that cigg, use the straw a blowpop or whatever works for you.

[Reciprocity]

^^^  This is what I take from these social media sites .... knowledge of others who have quit and stumbled along the way somewhere. Thank you Whispers for sharing your story of relapse. I know it must have been devastating to you but, it is helping people like me when you relate your experiences! I hope that gives you some comfort as it is important information to me and others who read your story. This is how we all learn which fork in the road to take

[beazel]

I think about a moment after a relapse that a thought crossed my mind something like - I wish I wouldn't have started to smoke again.

 

This didn't happen right away after a relapse, maybe a couple years later, maybe when I was smoking with strep throat, maybe when I forgot to buy a pack & I tossed and turned all night

 

because I couldn't stop thinking about needing to go get a pack first thing in the morning, maybe when I was counting change because I was broke and payday wasn't for 2 days.

 

I try to remember those moments & sometimes those thoughts are what gets me through a particularly hard day.

[Reciprocity]

4 minutes ago, beazel said:

I think about a moment after a relapse that a thought crossed my mind something like - I wish I wouldn't have started to smoke again.

 

This didn't happen right away after a relapse, maybe a couple years later, maybe when I was smoking with strep throat, maybe when I forgot to buy a pack & I tossed and turned all night

 

because I couldn't stop thinking about needing to go get a pack first thing in the morning, maybe when I was counting change because I was broke and payday wasn't for 2 days.

 

I try to remember those moments & sometimes those thoughts are what gets me through a particularly hard day.

We all have our own particular motivating moments and it's really important that we do!! That's what is the difference between quitting for good or relapsing because this addiction draws us back when we become indifferent to it!

[Whispers]

We self destruct, as soon as the mind is clear and we look back at what brought us back to what we knew was bad for us and after reflecting we realize. On the failed quits after, drinking was making me weak and was the reason for a lot of the failed attempts. On my first quit for 2 1/2 years, my friend told me before my quit just get passed a month and youre in the clear. I believed him and after the month poof 2 1/2 years and it really was easy(drinking wasnt an issue for the first ). Our minds really are our most powerful tool

[Martian5]

I am glad that this post is getting much attention.  Being on a short quit at this time (little over 7 weeks) I can see that we must never let our guard down.  The mind has a way of quietly deceiving us and we must learn ways to deal with thoughts and cravings that come up.  I feel that is why this forum is important to me.  I can see what pitfalls may lie ahead.  From the research materials on this site I have learned much, from all of your personal stories I have learned much more.  To me so very important to me in keeping my quit.  Also why I keep coming here everyday to take the "NOPE" pledge.  

[Lin-quitting]

All I have to remember - for the rest of my life - is NOPE. I stay close to my "quit smoking forum/support group" (thanks! QuitTrain for taking us in) just so that I never forget that one simple thing.

 

(My BFF is injured and in a sling right now and asked me to "light one" for her just this week. It horrified me that I was halfway to doing it - you know, I was only thinking to help her out - before I realized what I was doing! NOPE. I must remember I can't take that chance. Ever.)

[Reciprocity]

YES to both these replies!! I am not on any "social media platforms" aside from this one. I have never had any use for them but the association with other REAL people who are quitting has been invaluable to me in my own journey. Reading about other people and their struggles to be free of this addiction has been a huge plus for my own quit attempt

[Sirius]

When you quit there is no going back.  You're either a ex-smoker or you are still a smoker.  

 

I'm not here to say that the path of an ex-smoker is all roses and butterflies.  But the alternative as a continuing smoker is far, far worse.

 

For those just starting the journey of being an ex-smoker you have my full support.  Stay focused, renew the commitment every day, or every hour, or whatever it takes.

 

Don't lose sight that complete abstinence from smoking (now and forever) is the only way out of the nicotine trap.

 

It does get better.

 

 

[Reciprocity]

This is the path I have chosen - Complete abstinence! I have lived the alternative and now choose to make a change for my future

[despair not]

I saw somewhere

 

"A puff away from a Pack a day".

 

That always helps me to stay quit.

[Octain]

1 hour ago, despair not said:

 

 

"A puff away from a Pack a day”

 

Love it!!

[Doreensfree]

I faced...quit smoking or possible amputation...

For me to relape ..would be me saying...goodbye feet...you and I are to parted ....

Yes quitting can be uncomfortable.... But how uncomfortable is spending what time you have left ,knowing  you chose between a smoke or your feet...

Somethings are just worth fighting for......

Freedom !!!!!!