Can Smoking Weed Cause Relapse? My Unexpected Struggle

When I first quit smoking cigarettes, I thought I had it all figured out. I quit cold turkey and stayed smoke-free for almost a year. The cravings were tough at first, but I powered through them, and after a few months, I felt like I was in the clear. I even found support in online communities like Reddit, where others shared their stories of quitting smoking and going cold turkey. But what I didn’t expect was how a seemingly harmless decision would lead me right back to where I started. I had been smoking weed on and off for years, and after quitting cigarettes, I figured it was okay to continue. I thought it wouldn’t affect my progress since weed and cigarettes were different. But after a while, I noticed something unsettling. The act of smoking weed started bringing back those old habits, and before I knew it, I found myself craving cigarettes again. I didn’t want to admit it, but I had to ask myself, “Can smoking weed cause relapse?” The answer, at least in my case, was yes. It wasn’t immediate, but gradually, the line between smoking weed and wanting a cigarette blurred. At first, I told myself it was just a slip, not a relapse. But deep down, I knew I was on dangerous ground. The occasional joint turned into a nightly ritual, and soon enough, the thought of lighting up a cigarette didn’t seem so far-fetched. I started wondering, “Is one cigarette a relapse?” Technically, yes, but I didn’t want to believe it. I convinced myself that having just one wouldn’t hurt, that I could keep it under control. But that’s the tricky thing about addiction—it doesn’t take much to slip back into old habits. What started as one cigarette here and there quickly escalated into a full-blown relapse. At this point, I had to confront the reality of my situation. I had worked so hard to quit smoking, and now I was right back where I started. It was a hard pill to swallow, but I knew I had to take action. I started reading about the difference between a slip vs. a relapse and realized that what I was experiencing was more than just a slip. It was a relapse, and I needed to treat it as such. I also had to consider how this relapse was affecting my body. The timeline of body recovery after quitting smoking was something I had been so proud of. My lungs were healing, my stamina was improving, and I was finally starting to feel healthy again. But with each cigarette, I felt like I was undoing all that progress. I knew that if I didn’t stop now, I’d be setting myself back even further. One of the hardest parts was dealing with the guilt. I kept asking myself, “Is it okay to relapse smoking?” Rationally, I knew that relapses happen and that they don’t erase all the progress I’ve made. But emotionally, it felt like a failure. I had to remind myself that quitting smoking is a journey, and setbacks are part of that journey. The important thing was to get back on track as soon as possible. I also found myself thinking about the concept of tertiary prevention—the idea of managing a disease after it’s already developed. In many ways, quitting smoking and dealing with a relapse felt like this. I wasn’t just trying to prevent smoking; I was trying to manage the long-term effects of having smoked for so many years. This perspective helped me see my relapse in a different light—not as a failure, but as part of the ongoing process of healing. Finally, I turned to the online community again, this time looking for advice on dealing with a relapse after quitting smoking weed. I found comfort in reading other people’s stories, realizing that I wasn’t alone in this struggle. It was reassuring to know that others had faced the same challenges and come out the other side. In the end, I decided to quit smoking again—this time for good. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew that I couldn’t let one relapse define my entire journey. I’ve learned that quitting smoking isn’t just about putting down the cigarettes; it’s about staying vigilant, understanding your triggers, and being kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned. If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this experience, it’s that a relapse isn’t the end of the road. It’s a detour, but you can always find your way back. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.