Studies have shown that these five steps will help you quit
and quit for good. You have the best chances of quitting if
you use them together.
1 - Get ready;
2 - Get Support;
3 - Learn new skills and behaviors;
4 - Get medication and use it correctly;
5 - Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.
1. Get Ready: Set a quit date. Change your environments;
get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car,
and place of work....and, DON'T let people smoke in your
home. Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what
worked and what did not. Once you quit, don't smoke - Not
even a PUFF!
2. Get Support and Encouragement: Studies have shown that
you have a better chance of being successful if you have
help. You can get support in many ways; tell your family,
friends, and co-workers that you are going to quit and want
their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or leave
cigarettes out. Talk to your health care provider (for
example: doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, psychologist,
or smoking counselor). Get individual, group, or telephone
counseling. The more counseling you have, the better your
chances are of quitting. Programs are given at local
hospitals and health centers. Call your local health
department for information about programs in your area.
3. Learn New Skills and Behaviors: Try to distract yourself
from urges to smoke. Talk to someone, go for a walk, or get
busy with a task. When you first try to quit, change your
routine; use a different route to work, drink tea instead
of coffee, eat breakfast in a different place. Do something
to reduce your stress; take a hot bath, exercise, or read a
book. Plan something enjoyable to do every day. Drink a lot
of water. Educate yourself about why you smoke and ways to
quit.
4. Get Medication and Use It Correctly: Medication can help
you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as of January 2006, has
approved five medications to help you quit smoking:
- Bupropion SR: available by prescription - Nicotine gum:
available over-the-counter - Nicotine inhaler: available by
prescription - Nicotine nasal spray: available by
prescription - Nicotine patch: available by prescription
and over-the-counter There is also all-natural nicotine
replacement (herps - not medicine).
Ask your health care provider for advice and carefully read
the information on the package. All of these will more or
less double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.
Everyone who is trying to quit may benefit from using a
medication. If you are pregnant or trying to become
pregnant, nursing, under age 18, smoking fewer than 10
cigarettes per day, or have a medical condition, talk to
your doctor or other health care provider before taking
medications. It is always best to consult with a health
care professional under any circumstances.
5. Be Prepared For Relapse or Difficult Situations: Most
relapses occur within the first 3 months after quitting.
Don't be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember,
most people try several times before they finally quit.
Here are some difficult situations to watch for:
- Alcohol. Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your
chances of success.
- Other Smokers. Being around smoking can make you want to
smoke.
- Weight Gain. Many smokers will gain weight when they
quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and
stay active. Don't let weight gain distract you from your
main goal; quitting smoking. Some quit-smoking medications
may help delay weight gain.
- Bad Mood or Depression. There are a lot of ways to
improve your mood other than smoking. If you are having
problems with any of these situations, talk to your doctor
or other health care provider.
Questions To Think About: Think about the following
questions. You may want to talk about your answers with
your health care provider.
Why do you want to quit? When you tried to quit in the
past, what helped and what didn't? What will be the most
difficult situations for you after you quit? How will you
plan to handle them? Who can help you through the tough
times? Your family? Friends? Health care provider? What
pleasures do you get from smoking? What ways can you still
get pleasure if you quit?
You CAN Quit!
----------------------------------------------------
Frank Andrews is the author of two self-help books. This
developed as the result of being a student of personal
development for over 25 years. Having worked through many
of his own personal struggles, he now provides information
to help others. You can find free quit-smoking information
on his website at: http://www.AnswersToQuitSmoking.com
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