Are You Ready To Quit Smoking?
Is there a bad time to quit smoking?
The only people I would recommend to not trying to quit smoking, is when a major life crisis is going on. When that occurs, you need to focus on that. Get the things in your life calmed down. When you can take a deep breathe and feel that you can handle one more change in your life, then come back and talk to your doctor, but don't let that go on for years.
What steps do I need to take before I stop smoking?
There are probably three phases to the process of putting tobacco out of your life. The first one is changing your whole environment: the habits, rituals and routines that you have incorporated to make cigarette smoking convenient, enjoyable and pleasant. The second step is changing the way you think about smoking. You think cigarettes calm you down, make you feel good, make you feel relaxed, help you when you are stressed, but you know cigarettes are really killing you. And start figuring out the reasons why you smoke. But work on those two areas first; get rid of your habits, your rituals and routines, and start thinking more realistically about the risks and the benefits of cigarettes in your life.
Why is it important to have a support system to quit smoking?
In any recovery plan for addiction, whether it's Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, no one says, "Oh, here's a nice little brochure of the ten steps. Do it by yourself, and you don't even need to tell anyone about it." We know that changing behavior, especially changing addictive behavior, requires a connection, often with a friend, a sponsor, a community, the people who have been affected by your addition before, and a health professional. If you are someone who has tried to quit smoking and had difficulty on your own, I would really encourage you to say, "Who have I not included before in my plan, who holds me accountable?" It's really the accountability of others that makes you stick to a plan that otherwise might be difficult.
