It's Not That Hard to Quit Smoking

It's really not that difficult for a smoker to quit and there are certain fundamental activities that will insure success.

First and foremost, the smoker must be ready to make this major change in his or her life. That means that they must have both the knowledge that the change is important, and the confidence that they can quit. The former is easy. Most smokers know that smoking is a dangerous habit. However, many have tried to quit repeatedly with little success and this only serves to erode their confidence. Also, most smokers have not had a crystal clear plan of quitting so when they get a concrete plan, their confidence will most likely improve.

Another important principle is that the smoker must learn new pleasure-pain associations. A smoker typically associates pleasure with smoking (satisfaction of a craving) and pain with the thought of not smoking (how hard it will be to quit). This can be reversed, however, by having the smoker make an exhaustive list of the real pain associated with smoking and the pleasure of being a non-smoker. Such a list would look like this (I've just included a small number of items):

Pain of Being a Smoker
-Cigarettes are expensive (put in annual cost)
-My breath smells bad
-My clothes have burn marks
-Complexion is poor
-I cough a lot
-Eventually I'll get cancer or emphysema
-I won't live long enough to see my kids grow up
-My teeth are stained
-There are a lot of places I can't smoke
-My family and friends are disgusted by my smoking
Pleasure of Being a Non-smoker
-I'd have more money (put in annual savings)
-I'd have better breath
-I'd have more energy
-I'd feel better, overall
-I'd be healthier
-I'd be far less likely to get cancer
-I'll live longer
-My clothing will last longer
-My friends and family will be proud of me
-I could go anywhere I want

This list should be read several times a day and the smoker should carry it with him or her for several weeks after quitting cigarettes.

Next, the smoker must become acutely aware of any and all triggers (people, places, time of day, situations) that typically precede smoking. In addition, the smoker must be aware of internal signals such as thoughts, behaviors and feelings that precede smoking. To do this the smoker needs a small daily journal to record these triggers and signals until the day that he stops smoking altogether.

The smoker must learn to combat the craving or urge to smoke with a relaxation response. Listening to a relaxation or hypnosis recording specifically for smoking will teach the smoker how to instantly relax. This is an invaluable tool that can be found at http://www.thehypnosisoasis.com/ for the cost of two pack of cigarettes!

The next step is for the smoker to identify thoughts associated with being a smoker (using the journal or diary) and replace those thoughts with "non-smoker" thoughts. An example might be changing "I really want a cigarette" with "I may have an urge now, and it will pass in a few minutes…I'll just stay calm". Also, when the smoker resists and urge, it's important that he or she congratulates themselves such as thinking, "Great job…I'm really doing it!"

When a smoker resists the urge to smoke it's important to have a substitute behavior , such as drinking a glass of water, going for a walk or some other healthy behavior . It's also a good idea for the smoker to take the money they would have spent for each cigarette and put it away so that after a few weeks of not smoking, they can reward themselves with something, such as new clothing or something else they value.

Thus, a well constructed plan will have the 1) a reformulated pleasure-pain association, 2) awareness of triggers and signals, 3) replacement thoughts and behaviors, 4) a relaxation response to combat urges and, 5) a reward system. The smoker should continue to smoke until the plan is developed and he or she is an expert about their smoking habit and select a "quit day." They should share their planned quit day with as many friend and family as possible. This increases the social pressure to quit. In the days leading up to the quit day, it's a good idea to take each cigarette butt and put it in a jar. On quit day the smoker puts about one-half cup of water in the jar and puts the lid on. Opening the jar and taking a sniff is a powerful response to an urge to smoke.

Finally, adjunctive therapies such as nicotine patches or gum are often helpful and can be purchased over the counter. The smoker should also realize that after quitting there will be a tendency to gain weight since metabolism will be slowed down. So, beginning an exercise regimen, in addition to closely monitoring caloric intake will combat weight gain. Always check with a physician before starting an exercise and diet regimen.

Wishing you the best of health.

Dr. D.