Rob,
I would like to say respectfully to you that until are in the situation where you are faced with the decision to reset your meter or not (and I hope you never are) then I respectfully have to say to you that you have no idea how hard of a decision that is to make! It's a nice thought to say "just don't slip" but if you do, then what? It's easy to say that you will reset it... but would you, REALLY???
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Clearly there's more to this if setting back the meter is somehow enough to stop someone from re-engaging the quit. That's just an excuse.
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Imagine you just smoked. You posted about it and everyone either hugged you or yelled at you or kicked you while you were down or offered advice or a combination of all of the above. You're feeling REALLY down on yourself for doing something that you swore you'd never do again. You're looking at all of your old posts that you made in support to people and thinking that you're a hypocrite because you did exactly what you told other people not to do. Something in your planning failed... either you DIDN'T plan, or if you did and your plan was to come here and post and wait for responses, or read on the site, or wait 10 minutes or whatever your plan was... you didn't do it. Then, add to that, people who looked up to you on the site are shocked, and some are posting "what's the use in even trying? Is this even possible?" And you feel like you've let EVERYONE down... not least of which is you! Your ego is bruised, your moral is low and your momentum to keep going is completely shot! You also wonder if you will EVER be able to quit successfully. You doubt your motivation, your reasons, your will-power and start to fear that you'll never be able to quit! You start to think, "am I just wasting my time here? Is this really possible for ME?!?! I mean, I know that others can do it, but can I REALLY do this?" You're depressed, feeling sad and in despair because you just ruined your quit! Plus, you now have nicotine BACK in your system and the junkie is SCREAMING at you! OK, now, add to all of this, you have to make a decision as to whether or not you will reset your meter. And you're telling me that, under these circumstances, the thought to just go back to smoking isn't going to cross your m