Vault: She had a cigarette setback

Summary

The Bert Show: "Vault: She had a cigarette setback"

Date: July 3, 2026
Main Cast: Jen, Jeff, Melissa, John

Episode Overview

This episode centers around Jen's honest confession about her recent setback in quitting cigarettes. The cast discusses the ups and downs of nicotine addiction, the complexities of recovery, and the reality of relapses—even after long stretches of success. There’s solidarity, supportive humor, and relatable stories, with both cast members and a listener sharing their own struggles with smoking. The tone remains candid, empathetic, and distinctly lighthearted, mixing vulnerability with laughter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jen's Confession & Setback

Timestamp: 01:02 – 01:45

• Jen opens up about a recent setback in her journey to quit smoking.

• She had previously quit in January after hypnosis but smoked again on vacation.

• Admits she didn’t keep up with post-hypnosis “homework” (re-listening to her session), which was part of the protocol to maintain progress.

  "I need your support because I had a setback, and I'm talking about cigarettes." — Jen (01:06)

  "You're supposed to put yourself back into that state by listening. And I didn't do the homework." — Jen (01:45)

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The Vacation Lapse

Timestamp: 01:43 – 02:51

• Jen describes smoking alone on vacation, rationalizing it as a contained, out-of-province "indulgence."

• The act was separated from her regular life in her mind—she “left it on vacation” and hasn’t smoked since returning.

  "I compartmentalized it in that way...I wasn't in the country." — Jen (02:27)

  "What happens in El Salvador stays in El Salvador." — Jen, joking about her mindset (03:04)

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Triggers, Temptation, and Getting Sick

Timestamp: 03:16 – 04:26

• Upon returning home, Jen was busy with travel and then became ill—so much so that cravings for cigarettes disappeared.

• She and the cast muse on whether her illness was the result of resuming smoking, withdrawal, or coincidence.

• Jen reflects on her sickness as possibly part of a “purge” her body needed.

  "I've been sick for almost two weeks now. So... there's certainly been no cravings there." — Jen (03:31)

  "I wonder if the sickness was worse because I'm also sort of cleansing from all of that." — Jen (04:12)

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The Long-Term Challenge of Quitting

Timestamp: 04:40 – 05:54

• Jen discusses the lasting struggle of nicotine addiction—how it can remain dormant but surface with triggers like stressful moments or certain social circles.

• She previously quit for over three years but notes how the thought of smoking can still arise unexpectedly.

• The cast likens this persistence to other forms of addiction.

  "I think it's something I'll always struggle with, you know? I don't know why that is, but..." — Jen (04:50)

  "I think anybody that struggles with addiction would know that...nicotine's a drug. It just happens to be legal." — Jen (05:38)

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Hypnosis as a Tool

Timestamp: 05:54 – 06:11

• Jen discusses the difficulty of accessing her hypnotist now; he is highly booked.

• She acknowledges hypnosis helped her but stresses it’s an ongoing process, and setbacks are part of the journey.

  "I think it'll be always a struggle for me." — Jen (06:11)

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Listener John Calls In: More Stories of Quitting

Timestamp: 06:23 – 07:51

• Listener John shares his own story: after 10 years of smoking, he quit in October but admits to occasional slips when socializing.

• John encourages Jen: some slips are normal and don’t mean a total loss of progress.

• They compare experiences, noting everyone's triggers and ability to “compartmentalize” are different.

  "You're going to slip every now and then... But it's when it starts to be every day that it starts to compound into a health problem." — John (06:37)

  "For me, like if I pick one up, I might as well go, you know, just sign up all over again." — Jen (06:58)

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Social Pressure and Coach Humor

Timestamp: 07:51 – 08:38

• John notes being around friends who smoke remains a challenge, even as time passes.

• Cast jokes about the idea of a “smoking coach”—like a sobriety coach, but with a water gun to stop Jen from lighting up.

• Shared laughter about how quitting, like other habits, often needs a little extra help (or comic intervention).

  "You need a smoking coach. Somebody who's with you 24/7... just shoots you in the face with it every time you want one." — Jeff (08:17, 08:28)

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Notable Quotes

• On Resilience:

  "It's more worth it not to smoke every day. You'll get through it fine. One day you probably won't even think about smoking anymore, but it'll just be a while."
  — John (07:25)

• On Triggers:

  "When you’re hanging out with friends that you typically smoked with, that's the hardest part."
  — Jen (05:15)

• On Support:

  "I felt like I needed to admit my setbacks, and, you know, I'm certainly not perfect."
  — Jen (06:11)

• On Self-Awareness:

  "What happens in El Salvador stays in El Salvador."
  — Jen, humorous take (03:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | 01:02 | Jen’s confession: cigarette setback | | 01:43 | Reasons behind the lapse and vacation context | | 03:16 | Coping with returning home and illness | | 04:40 | Discussing the ongoing challenge of staying quit | | 05:54 | Hypnosis reflections and accessibility issues | | 06:23 | Listener John’s story and advice for Jen | | 07:51 | Social triggers, support systems, and coach jokes | | 08:38 | Segment wraps up with continued supportive banter |

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Memorable Moments

• Jen’s quip about “what happens in El Salvador stays in El Salvador”—injecting humor into her confession about relapsing (03:04).
• The group discussing the “smoking coach” idea, picturing someone with a water gun ready to intervene, bringing levity to the struggles of addiction (08:17–08:36).
• Listener John’s candid sharing of his journey, making Jen (and listeners) realize they’re not alone in setbacks (06:23).

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Conclusion

This episode provides an authentic, humorous, and supportive look at real-life struggles with smoking addiction. Jen’s vulnerability invites empathy, while input from the cast and listener John broadens the discussion, normalizing both progress and setbacks. Listeners are reminded that recovery isn’t linear, and camaraderie, candor, and a sense of humor are vital companions on the journey.

Transcript

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[Jen]

All right, so I have a confession to make to all of you guys.

[John]

Okay?

[Jen]

I followed my progress. You supported me when I was winning, and I need your support because I had a setback, and I'm talking about cigarettes. Yeah, so. So y' all followed me in January when I did the hypnosis.

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Jen]

And did really well. Stop smoking all the way through till, like, end of February.

[Jeff]

Okay.

[Jen]

End of February.

[Melissa]

Does the hypnosis guy want you to talk about him since you're smoking again?

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Jen]

No, he wants me to come back, and I will say that I haven't done the homework like I was supposed to because you're supposed to re. Listen to the hypnosis over and over again, and I have not done that. And then you're also.

[Jeff]

You mean re. Listen to it. Like, he recorded.

[Jen]

He records the whole thing. And it's sort of like a meditative process or whatever. So you're supposed to put yourself back into that state by listening. And I didn't do the homework. Yeah. And then. And then when I was on vacation, and this is sort of delayed because I was sick last week and whatever, but yeah, when I was on vacation, I caved and I smoked some cigarettes. On vacation?

[Melissa]

Were the people on vacation you were with, did they smoke?

[Jen]

No.

[Melissa]

So you did this by yourself?

[Jen]

Yeah, I had been surfing all day, and it was like, in the afternoon, and I was just, like, having a beer with dinner, and I was like, yeah, I wanna smoke. I'm on vacation.

[Jeff]

Nothing like sucking in gallons of Seawater that make you say, what can I do to constrict my breathing further.

[Jen]

Yeah. I don't know why, but I caved. And I had some on vacation, but I left it on vacation, and I haven't had any since. So I don't know why that was like, I compartmentalized it in that way. And it was like, okay, because it was like, I wasn't in the country.

[Melissa]

The rules don't apply.

[Jen]

I was in, like, a weird. I don't know. I don't know where my mind went with that, but I was able to leave it on vacation.

[Melissa]

And so it's like, guys in high school, when we were on spring break in Panama City beach, and they said, you don't lose. You lose your virginity when you're out of the state of Tennessee. That's what they kept telling the girls.

[Jen]

They were telling you.

[Melissa]

Yeah. So when it's out of the state, it don't count.

[Jen]

And that common phrase, what happens in El Salvador stays in El Salvador. I know. It really is that. It is that phrase they have there. I don't know why that. That was the mentality for me, but I haven't smoked since I've been back.

[Jeff]

Was there any challenge to you when you came back to. Was there any temptation for you, rather, when you came back in a challenge to avoid that?

[Jen]

I don't think I had time because I was only back for 48 hours and then went to Los Angeles for American Idol and then got sick.

[Jeff]

Right.

[Jen]

And I've been sick for almost two weeks now. So there's been obviously. I mean, maybe I got sick for a reason to sort of, like, help me, because there's certainly been no cravings there.

[Jeff]

Do you think the sickness is directly related to the cigarettes?

[Jen]

It could be. It definitely could be.

[Jeff]

Because, like, don't you start coughing up all sorts of gross stuff and everything when you stop smoking?

[Jen]

I was actually thinking about that this weekend. As I was coughing up, you know, disgusting things, I was thinking, I wonder if. Because when I quit in January, I didn't get sick. And usually, typically when you stop smoking, you get sick because your body's adjusting to being healthy again. You're, like, clearing out a whole bunch of stuff. And I didn't in January. Somehow I, like, bypassed that for six weeks. And then I think this time I. I was thinking about that, like, yesterday or day before. I was like, I wonder if the sickness was worse because I'm also sort of cleansing from all of that. I don't know.

[Jeff]

So it's The Purge, the Smoking Purge, and Just a Cold all rolled into One.

[Jen]

All rolled into one or something, I don't know. But I haven't been this sick really, ever as an adult. I don't think I was talking to my mom about it. I was like, I think it's been since high school since I've felt this bad, you know, So I think that's part of it. But anyway, just had to share my setbacks with you guys. Just be honest.

[Melissa]

I think it's good when you get well. Do you think you'll be in the same habit of not smoking when you're in Atlanta? Or can you say you just. It's like one day at a time.

[Jen]

It's better than one day at a time because I don't think about it every day anymore. But I think it's something I'll always struggle with, you know? I don't know why that is, but

[Jeff]

when you quit the first time, how long did you quit for?

[Jen]

Three and a half years and maybe almost four.

[Jeff]

Would you say at any point in that, three and a half years, you were like, it was just completely out of your mind, or did it occasionally just so it'll go away?

[Jen]

It can go, like, completely out of your mind. But I think, like Melissa said, when you're hanging out with friends that you typically smoked with, that's the hardest part. That's, I think, really hard. Or you go through moments of really extreme stress or whatever. I mean, I think it's an addiction. And anybody that's dealt with any sort of addiction can fall back on.

[Jeff]

Like, Tiger Woods.

[Jen]

Right, Right.

[Jeff]

Like, look at what you have in common with Tiger Woods.

[Jen]

I never thought about it that way, but thank you, Jeff. I'm really glad that you're putting me in that category. No, I just think. I think anybody that struggles with addiction would know that anybody that's a former alcoholic, anybody that's a former drug abuser or, you know, because really, nicotine's a drug. It just happens to be legal.

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Right.

[Jen]

Are you gonna go back and do more hypnosis now? I should. He's really hard to get in to see now, though. I'm not sure. Pure hypnosis. Shaun Wheeler, he's really, really booked these days since we talked about it.

[Jeff]

Well, now that you've just said it doesn'. Probably won't.

[Jen]

It definitely does. I mean, it definitely got my. It definitely got it started for me, but I just. I felt like I needed to admit my setbacks, and, you know, I'm certainly not perfect, so. I, I think it'll be always a struggle for me.

[Jeff]

Hey, John, welcome to the bird show.

[John]

Hey guys, how you doing? What's going on, Jen? You know, I'm a 10 year smoker. I just quit back in October. I think it was good for you. And you're going to flip every now and then, you know.

[Jen]

Have you slept?

[John]

Oh, sure, yeah. I mean, every now and then I'll be out drinking or whatever, have a smoke or two with friends, but it's not an everyday thing. That's kind of the big deal, right? Because one every month or two, you know, a couple every here and there, your body can deal with that. But it's when it starts to be every day that it starts to compound into a health problem.

[Jen]

But see my problem, and I don't know if you're like this or not, but I'm, I was never, I was never able to do it casually. You know, it's like for me, like if I pick one up, I might as well go, you know, just sign up all over again. That's why I sort of surprised myself that I was able to kind of keep it contained on vacation and sort of like it felt like an indulgence. Just like everything on vacation is just like you have a beer at 2 o' clock in the afternoon on vacation. That's an indulgence, you know, like, oh,

[John]

that's not every day. Oh, okay, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But now, yeah, it's. If you've gotten in the mindset where you don't want to be an everyday smoker, you'll work yourself to that. And like I said, you may every now and then have a slip. Just as long as you remind yourself that it's not, it's more worth it not to smoke every day. You'll get through it fine. One day you probably won't even think about smoking anymore, but it'll just be a while.

[Jen]

I hope so. Are you.

[Jeff]

Oh yeah, I'm sorry, go ahead. He's there.

[Jen]

Are you. I was going to say, are you at that stage from October till now.

[John]

I'm starting to get to the point where now I just don't even think about it. Except for when I around my friends who do still smoke. And I'm kind of like, I'll just go five feet over here and have another beer.

[Jen]

Yeah, that is definitely hard when you're with friends.

[Jeff]

But who is it that we were talking about last week that has the sober coach, like the person that's with them?

[Jen]

Charlie Sheen?

[Jeff]

Charlie Sheen, you need a smoking coach.

[Jen]

It's just follow you around.

[Jeff]

Somebody who's with you 24, 7 and like carries a fire extinguisher or a squirt gun or something, just shoots you

[Jen]

in the face with it. Every time I want one.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

Sees you light up, put it in your mouth and y out squirt, squirt, squirt.

[Melissa]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

And they just twer everywhere you are. Everywhere.

[Melissa]

It was like a cat on furniture. Just have a water gun.

[Jen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I definitely need that.

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[Jen]

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