Have you heard of Allen Carr’s book an Easy Way to Stop Smoking? The approach developed by an accountant turned addiction guru may be the single most profitable addiction treatment intervention ever developed. His stop smoking books have sold over 10 million copies in 57 countries, and his organization now offers treatment seminars in 150 cities in 45 countries. While Allen died in 2006, his method lives on and is also marketed to those in need of help with alcohol, drug, and food addiction problems.
So what’s the Easyway®? In a nutshell it’s the idea that we all have the power within ourselves to decide our own fate. So the solution to addiction is quite easy on the surface; you just need to make the decision to stop engaging in addictive behaviors and then stick with that decision. Allen’s contribution to this process appears to be his way with words, which really is a sales pitch to get you to stop. No question he had an ability to get through to some people, because what else explains his phenomenal business success?
How many people have actually overcome their addictions permanently using his method? It’s unknown, which puts him into the same category as most treatment programs. Absent reliable addiction treatment outcomes, those who sell solutions are free to say whatever they want about their methods. And sadly, buyers who so badly want to end their addictions, will try most anything even if the chances are small that it will work.
Now I am not saying that his method is snake oil or does not work. In truth, it has worked for some people. But the more important question is how well does it work compared to other methods? This is where science, randomized clinical trials, and research can guide you to make wise choices about how you spend your time and money on solutions to addiction.
So when it comes to stop smoking, what does the science say?
Among the most reliable sources for answers consolidated from peer-reviewed research is the Cochrane Collaboration. If you spend just a few minutes reviewing the findings from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group you will be armed with knowledge to decide what method may work best for you.
We are a society obsessed with quick fixes and simple solutions. While it’s a nice idea that overcoming addiction can be easy – and maybe for some it is – for most it’s a challenging problem that requires hard work, work that goes beyond just addressing the addiction.
Stated in the article Allan Carr sold almost 10 million copies of his book “Easy way to quit smoking” in 57 countries, but knowing how many people actually quit smoking by reading it, is a number we will never know. Just like his blog stated people with addictions who want to stop will try just about anything. This is an article that hits home with me being a smoker myself and wanting to quit but knowing I do not have the mind power to. You get to reading articles, and books, ect, that talk to you about quitting but not all of them really work, its you and only you who can help yourself. Smoking is an addiction just like drugs is the only difference is it’s just like alcohol you can buy it anywhere, it’s not illegal. Mind of power is all what will help you through the addictions. Just like he states in the article “we are a society obsessed with quick fixes”, but as I would say quick fixes are not always the outcome of success.
After trying multiple avenues to quit, including patches, electronic cigarettes and just trying to ween myself off, I found the method that worked for me. After finding out I was pregnant, I quit smoking because of the little life growing inside me and the fact that it made me nauseous. My husband quit a month later because he was tired of hearing from me how stinky he was! We are so happy we quit and don’t think about cigarettes at all.
I believe that, “different things work for different people”, when it comes to quitting any type of habit/addiction. These books can sell a lot because there are desperate people out there wanting to quit smoking or lose weight, whatever it is. I believe that most of the time they don’t work. The small amount of times it does work for people I believe it is more just because that person was really ready to change, so at that point anything inspiration have worked. Plus, I do think that it is just easier for some people to quit things than it is for others.
Well said. Thanks for the feedback.
J
Rachel, I have a friend who smokes and said the only time she quit was when she was pregnant. Months after her son was born, she became stressed, and went back to smoking. She of course smoked outside of the house, but has continued to be a smoker decades later. While I know many quit smoking while pregnant – and this is great – staying quit means you ultimately have to do it for yourself. I asked my friend why she felt it was OK to hurt herself but not her son?
Addictive behavior is usually fueled by underlying unresolved issues. If you find that you (or your husband) slip and return to smoking at some point, then know that it may be time to seek therapy and explore what early life experiences may still be playing a role in your present behavior. This work takes effort, but ultimately staying quit means you do it for yourself.
J
Jenny, how do you know that you can’t stop? Maybe it’s less about mind power and more about something else? Our minds – or our ego – often keep us trapped in a world where the idea of change seems impossible. Our egos tell us all sorts of things, but most of what goes on in our heads is mindless chatter. I encourage you to read the book The Untethered Soul. It has nothing to do with smoking and addiction, and everything to do with smoking and addiction. You can end smoking with effort, but your energy needs to be put into doing the right things: How to Quit
Good luck – J
I recently had realized that I am a bit of a hypocrite. I am a criminal justice student at Portland State University. I was talking to my psychologist one day and some how drug and alcohol addictions came up in our conversation. As a criminal justice student and someone interested in that type of field, I don’t have much sympathy for people when it comes to drug and alcohol addictions. So I was voicing my opinion to my psychologist of how people put themselves in that type of position and they have no one to blame but themselves etc etc. Then I said to my psychologist “I might be a cigarette smoker and yes I am addicted to nicotine but at least I am not an alcoholic or a druggy.” Then I suddenly stopped and thought for a minute. Then I looked at my psychologist and I said “oh my gosh, I really have a lot of room to talk now don’t I?” And then I laughed at myself for making such a stupid comment. As stupid as it may seem, I truly never looked at myself as having an addiction as badly as an alcoholic or a drug addict. Even though cigarettes are legal and I don’t commit crimes to feed my nicotine habit, I am still an addict.
Life is about waking up to our true nature, a process we all experience in our own way. Sounds like you are on the right track :) Thanks for sharing your insight.
J
I enjoyed reading your post. My uncle was addicted to cigarettes. He tried everything he could to stop smoking, gum, patches, counseling and so forth. He was trying to stop because everyone around him wanted him to stop, he knew it was an addiction that he could not get rid of. They had been trying to force him to stop for years. Finally after sometime and pressure he agreed and attempted to stop. It did not work. I think I remember him saying it worked for a week. About a month later, he decided to buy suckers. Every time he had a “cigarette craving” he would eat a sucker. Believe it or not, he was able to stop smoking within a few weeks. I remember him telling me that the reason he gave it another shot was because he did not feel pressured the second time around. I think this goes back to life in general it is a lot harder to do something when you feel pressured then when you don’t feel pressured.
I feel that the first part to ending and addiction is being strong mentally. Its true Dr. Carr’s book may have sold 10 million copies, but I am pretty sure his method only worked for less than half of those people wanting to end theirs addictions. If you are already weak mentally, odds are you most likely are not going to be able to beat your addiction because the temptation is going to be to strong as well as the urges for you to say no. Example people that quit “Cold Turkey”, already have it set forth in their minds that they can beat whatever type addictions they have and they do.
MF
Maurice, I am not entirely sure what you mean by “being mentally strong” or “weak mentally”, but assume you mean willpower. No question someone’s “will” or motivation to end addiction is an important factor in outcomes, but its an oversimplification to say that it’s all about mind power or will power. The idea that weak-minded people are those who succumb to addiction is incorrect. Addiction for most beings in early adolescence, before the age of 15. Many factors including the genes one is born with, early life trauma, early exposure to alcohol and drugs, and community poverty all have been shown to influence whether someone struggles with addiction later in life.
You do raise a point about the mind that is important to mention. Young kids today are overexposed to technology and as a group struggle with being able to remain calm, focused, and able to self-regulate their emotions. This in turn is creating a new generation of addicts that will require significant developmental therapy if they are to successfully find their way out of addiction. Thanks for the feedback.
J
Keith, great story about your uncle. Research suggests it often takes up to seven attempts before smokers stop smoking, so perseverance is a good quality to have when it comes to ending addiction. It’s also a good point you make that external motivation usually fails at helping those who struggle with addiction. Internal motivation – the idea that your uncle did it for himself when no one was pressuring him – is key. Thanks for the comment.
J
Thanks for the feedback Fitzgerald, for the sake of my two year old son I do not want him to see me doing this, so I need to quit. My friends have quit off using the new E Cigarettes out there and lowering the dosage as the days go by, I was thinking about trying that because it’s all mental.
Thank you for the resources in this article. As someone who is struggling to quit (and has been for some time), it’s hard not to see this book and hope there’s an easier way than everything I’ve tried. Because I’m epileptic, and have PCOS, I don’t dare take any of the cessation drugs like patches, gums, or Chantix due to the potential effect on my already unstable system. Yet, I know that smoking makes me more prone to the myoclonic jerks I still have on occasion.
The psychology surrounding addiction is interesting because I know I have a much harder time with that aspect of my addiction than the actual physical addiction to the substance itself. I’ve quit several times for varying periods, and the only real problem I had with the withdrawals was the way it affected my sleep–I’ve never had the moodiness I’ve heard some people suffer, or the insane cravings when quitting. What brings me back, then? The things that upset my balance in a psychological sense. High stress or depression, and then when I turn to nicotine for “comfort,” I feed that depression because I get mad or disappointed with myself for caving and going back to cigarettes, and so the unhealthy cycle renews itself. I think the discussion on “mood management” and alternate ways to combat depression (in addition to other standard cessation treatment) would be more beneficial for someone such as myself.
Reference: http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD006102/TOBACCO_are-there-any-effective-interventions-to-help-individuals-with-depression-to-quit-smoking
This article brought up a topic that I had not thought about in regards to the addiction of smoking or any similar activity that can be considered addictive. Allen Carr’s statement that a person needs to stop engaging in addictive behaviors and just stick with them seems like a good idea but only a small part of the issue. This statement could be true before the addiction has already taken a hold of the person, but for the smoker of 5, 10 or 25 years I do not see this working long term.
When talking about a person that engages in addictive behavior this could include being a sex addict, drug addiction or even gambling. Some people have addictive personalities but the person may not understand this about themselves. This could be small part for a person to stop smoking but does it really have long last affects? It just seems that after engaging in any type of addictive behavior, it then become psychologically and chemically addictive.
Rene, I agree that just deciding to stop an addiction is a nice idea, but if it were easy, addiction would not be among our most significant public health challenges. You also bring up a good point that most have multiple addictions, so just stopping often means that another becomes more active. I do want to correct you one point, there is no such thing as an addictive personality. In order for this to be true, researchers would have to find a specific personality type where addiction is the dominate characteristic. Instead, what we know is that addiction is found across all personality types know matter how you slice and dice personality. What is more accurate, is that people become addicted to a package of behavior – to multiple addictions – which can seem like it relates to personalty, but instead is really just the nature of addiction. Thanks for your comment.
J
Jenn, for many the psychological aspects can be more challenging than the physical. Given your other medical issues, have you investigated mindfulness practices such as those espoused by Jon Kabat-Zinn? Change always happens in the NOW, and learning to be present with the body in all its fullness is critical for overcoming addiction and many other ills in life. Good luck.
J
I found this very interesting. I am a current smoker for about 15 years now. I have tried on several occasions to quit smoking and have failed. I start out strong and then cave in. I have a strong will to quit but for some reason I do not have the ability. I feel that I have the power within myself to do it, but for some reason I am weak and cannot stop. I do have to say that I disagree that it is only the power within yourself that causes you to quit. Because if that was the case then most of the current smokers would not continue to smoke.
Amanda, check out this blog entry as well: http://addictionmanagement.org/how-can-people-stop-smoking/
You can stop – permanently – but I agree with you, it requires more than just will power. Be sure to review the practices research has shown to be most effective, and know that often combining interventions will give you the best outcomes.
J
I am not addicted to tobacco and never have been. However, many people I know are. I think, even with lack of experience, it is safe to say that quitting is not easy, and not something most likely to happen over night. Becoming addicted did not happen over night, so why would quitting? I’m sure many people have had different success with an array of programs. However, I think the leading proponent to quitting is going to be will power. With will power these programs have something to build on. Without will power, there is no structure for the programs to latch onto and work. I believe its a combination of efforts.
I think this makes an important differentiation between people. There are those who have the willpower to achieve something and those who do not. I like to think that when it boils down to the core, everything in life is an outcome of your personal desire to achieve that goal. There are ways to strengthen your mind, yes, but most people want that “quick fix” described. Unfortunately, I think that the majority of “quick fixes” are shams put together by people who want to prey on the weakness of others for a quick financial gain. I have friends who have tried and failed to quit smoking and the only thing I ever say is that the end result should be enough to get you through.
Alex, I am not so sure I agree with your division of will. We all have willpower – or the ability to use our consciousness to act in a way to get something we want. But our ability to harness our will for some ends depends on many factors. Here is a wonderful summary about willpower put out by the American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower.pdf
I do agree we live in a society that embraces quick fixes, and sadly, it’s why we as a country are falling so far from our peer countries in so many areas: http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2013/US-Health-International-Perspective/USHealth_Intl_PerspectiveRB.pdf
Thanks for the feedback!
J
This is unrelated to this current blog information, yet I am posting here because of the photo attached. I have passed on your website to many people that came to mind within the last month after hearing your lecture. When trying to share your website to a private facebook page, the photo that pops up in correlation with the URL is this photo, a cigarette burning. It is very off-putting when trying to discuss a family trauma scenario, or a friend going through a bi-polar episode or a teenager dealing with a father addicted to alcohol. Your photography is powerful; I hope you take my advice to connect one of your photos that encompasses the holistic approach to addiction to your website sharing.
It would work if we work it. It’s not magic. I think the book gives us a cognitive reset that can help us quit if we are ready to quit and if we are willing to keep up the inner talk to stay quit. However, if we start undermining ourselves, secretly harboring cravings and telling yourself how great smoking is, you can set yourself up for a relapse. The most reason they can’t quit is because of their habit. The book could take people several attempts with their will before they finally quit it, but it would be much easier when they break their habit and then nicotine addiction.
Please share this link to FB: https://www.facebook.com/AddictionManage
Thanks!
J
When a person develops an addictions such as smoking, smoking has become a habit for them, and it will take new habits to change that. Although you may have cravings to smoke weeks or even months after quitting, and in my fathers case,years after quitting, but as time goes on, these urges will diminish in strength and how often you get them. If you are used to going outside to join your friends for a smoke, it’s probably best once you decide to stop smoking, not even to join them outside. Quitting something as addictive as nicotine means changing more habits than just one.
The post “Is there an easy way to stop smoking?” draws my attention. A main chemical in tobacco is nicotine, a stimulant drug that causes many of the health problems not only for smokers but also for passive smokers. In fact, there is not easy to quit smoking. Researchers try to find different methods to help addicted smokers, such as gum, patches, electronic cigarettes, counseling and so forth. However, it seems that there hasn’t been any method that really has a high effect perhaps because smokers’ will and determination play a primary role in quitting smoking successfully. The help from the method and people around them may play secondary roles.
I’ve never suffered from addiction of anything, but I know many people who have. I’ve tried to also help people quit smoking. My ex boyfriend was addicted to smoking, and because I cared about his health and well being, I tried to help him out. At one point, I thought he actually stopped, but sooner than later I found out that he was lying and doing it behind my back. I believe that there’s no such a thing as an “easy way” to quit/stop anything, or an “easy way” to reach a goal. Just like people who try to lose weight, it’s never easy, and those easy ways are usually unhealthy as well. People want to reach their goals easily which is why whenever there’s a new diet book or new “easy way” to quit smoking, they go right for it, and fail because it’s not that simple. The key I think to achieving any goal, whether it is to quit smoking or losing weight, we need to look in long term perspective. Quitting smoking cold turkey for most people won’t work because they’ve been addicted to smoking for so long, the body will crave the drug and go into withdrawal. The person starts smoking again, tries to stop, goes into withdrawal, starts smoking again… and the cycle never stops. Same as losing weight; someone who wants to lose weight cut all of their carbohydrate intake to lose weight in short period at first may be successful and lose weight, but after awhile when they stop, they rebound and gain back all the weight they lost. In order to quit addiction, the person has to see things in long term perspective, cut down little by little, and be dedicate to the plan.
Maria, thanks for the comment. Agree that simple solutions to complex problems usually never work, particularly in the case of addiction.
J
Smoking is such a horrible condition, and so incredibly addicting. I remember sitting with my grandfather at the pulmonologist’s office when she told him that he had extensive staged small cell lung cancer. For clarity, it’s the “most aggressive” and fastest growing type of lung cancer. We talked about chemo and radiation, and my grandfather’s VERY first question to her was, is there a smoking section in the chemo room? And he wasn’t being cheeky. He really wanted to know. It wasn’t two months later and he was dead from the cancer. I’ve tried time and time again to get my family members to quit smoking, but they just all say they either can’t, are too stressed “right now” or don’t want to. I thought for sure after seeing my grandfather die, that my mom would immediately quit, as she had to help take care of him those last two months. However, she hasn’t even slowed down.
Terry, your feedback says it better than I did – there is no easy way to stop smoking. But…people do quit and we must not give up on those we love and care about. Often people don’t want to quit because they feel they will fail. Why even attempt if you believe you will fail? Our job is to help them see a path to success. Help them understand why their methods in the past have failed, and why a more scientifically valid approach will work. My 5 Actions intervention model begins with Motivation because if someone has no motivation to quit, then change will not happen. Our interventions must focus first on increasing motivation for change, which we can do. Don’t give up.
J
I haven’t ever read or heard of the book Easy Way to Stop Smoking, but I was blown away by the major success in sales that it had. Selling that many copies worldwide is a huge accomplishment, and he had to of been doing something right, either the marketing or the actual content. The books idea seems so simple that we all have the power within ourselves to quit any habit if we really want to quit for whatever reason. It’s a long process that requires willpower and patience, but I think that a person could get clean rehab free if they wanted to badly enough. I would be very interest to see some studies as to how many people who read this book and/or went to his seminars that are now free of their addiction.
Bobby, it would be interesting to know how many people really were helped by the book, but one reason for the incredible sales was due to “not knowing the outcomes.” It is much easier to sell something when there is no evidence that it does not work. We have a gullible populous that wants to believe in easy and quick fixes. We have a 35B a year rehab industry that for the most part does not measure outcomes. Why? Because acute treatment for most usually leads to relapse. And outcomes showing that most relapse following treatment is not good for business.
J
“We are a society obsessed with quick fixes and simple solutions” well said
when it comes to quit smoking or any habit it challenging . i remember my father was trying so many times to quite smoking but he could not. the hardest part was changing his friends. all of his friends are smoker so when ever he try to quit there is some really hard challenges. in deed, i books are business and nor always a good solution for many people. books might give people the courage to start the process but not all people would follow the info. so the quantitate data are not important as the qualitative data. it not easy thing but people needs motivation and help together in order to success.
There are 2 main ideas for the post. The first idea is makes a change of people’s behavior and keep going with it in a long term. But it is not easy because I saw a lot of people who failed to make a change on the first weeks. How to keep your new behavior work in a long time? Well, human’s behaviors are coming from their knowledge, family, and culture. The best way we can help them to improve is increasing their motivation and think about the positive consequences of that change. For example, my uncle who used to smoke in 5 years, and someday, he decided to reduce his cigarette. He made a limit for himself was 5 cigarette a day, and he kept do it in 3 months. After a year and half, he could stay away from smoking. The reason was he did not want to waste his money and he loved his family. He did not want his lovers worry about his health.
The second idea is about personal’s methods vs Science’s methods. In the science ways, they need to show the specific data and the specific steps to running the progress. If the progress is good, the number would be go on the way scientist expect it to be. If the data going to what they unexpected; scientists need to work on it. In the personal’s method, it is just the idea from a person; who think that change could be good for himself and he is going to work on it. He might not need a specific data, but he does need a specific steps. For example, if a person who want to decrease the cigarette in a day; first, he needs to stop to buy it. Second, he needs to make a limit for a day. Third, he needs to do something fun to stop think about it.
A few of my friends who wanted to quit smoking went out and bought the book Easy Way to Stop Smoking, before that I had never heard of this book. By the success the book has had you would think that people are quitting smoking faster than ever. I do not believe that the success of the book reflects on the number of people who are actually having success quitting smoking. Everyone wants to buy in to the quick fix solution, weather it be for weight loss, smoking, drinking, etc. There is no quick fix for anything but for some reason people refuse to accept that. I think if this book was really having a lot of success that they would have released some statistics showing that their book actually is working.
The notion that every one can overcome addiction as easily as just making “the decision to stop engaging in addictive behaviors and then stick with that decision,” doesn’t take into account the varied range of individual differences. How much a person smokes, how long a person has smoked, perhaps their genetic make up, and the effectiveness of how smoking has been reinforced through their life all contribute to one’s battle against quitting. If Allen Carr’s book has helped even just a single person, then that is wonderful that his program was effective for that individual. However, to make an un-tested blanket statement such as this without providing creditable data seems as though he is more concerned with marketing his book in way that will attract the most amount of consumers rather then actually providing the most effective treatments. If there is an “easy way” to quit smoking, I’m not too sure one would have to buy an entire book on it. I appreciated this post, thank you for the information.
Prior to reading this blog post, I have never heard of Allen Carr’s book. It sounds like it resonated very well considering how many people purchased the book. From the brief description, it does seem like Carr’s treatment solution works well, although it is extremely difficult to rid addiction. Stating the people have “the power within themselves” to overcome addiction does sound accurate. In order for one to overcome addiction, he/she would have to decide that that’s what they want for themselves. I don’t think anyone can follow through with their treatment process is they aren’t determined to do it for themselves on their own. As the blog states, the effectiveness for addiction treatment facilities are hard keep count of. It might not work for many people, but regardless, Carr’s approach does sound beneficial.
Saul, I agree, there are no quick fixes in life, but pursuing them will never cease to be part of the human condition.
J
There is always a way to stop an addiction, as long as he/she is willing to stop, understanding why they need to stop, and the benefits they will get after.
My father is a heavy smoker and drinker, he smokes like 1.5 packs a day which is extremely bad for him. And yet he doesn’t wanna stop. I have been bugging him to quit smoking since I was 5, but nothing change.
On the other hand, his father (my grandfather) had been smoking for like 40 years, and he quitted within a year after my cousin asked him to. He quitted just like that, and he never smoked again after.
I think motivation is very important for people who have addiction, and it is also the best way to help them to stop.
The disappointment in your father for not quitting smoking is understandable. But I would encourage you not to make comparisons because each person’s situation is unique to them. If ending addiction was about willpower alone that would be one thing, but it’s not. There are many factors at play that go beyond just a willingness to stop doing something. I do agree, motivation is very important, but it is just the fuel in the tank of behavior change…the real work comes when you apply motivation to taking action. Most people who have struggled with addiction for decades don’t just quit like your grandfather. Many give up one addiction – like smoking – but often pick up another addiction, or continue in another addiction that others may not be aware of. Addiction comes in packages, so quitting one means little if another addiction replaces it. That said, we should never give up on those we love.
J
Dear Dr. Fitzgerald,
I know many people who smoke and say that they want to quit smoking by following their words like “this is my last smoke”, “I will start tomorrow.” How does the method of sticking to your words and having the ability to quit and stop smoking?
So I believe that there is another and better solution in people quitting to smoke. Sticking to what you say is the cheapest route but I believe that through therapy or some sort of training that one can quit smoking whether it is patches, gum, or even other replacements foods to make them stop.
I think that through more science research that there can be ways to prevent smoking and have people quit smoking instead of following what they say because it takes a real dedicated individual to stick by what they say and to stop smoking.
Everyone has some sort of an addiction that they are trying to overcome. Some will be worse then other’s and some will not. But like you mention in your blog, some methods will take time, money, treatments, etc. in order to see results. I have never heard of Allen Car nor his book, but that book sounds very informational. I wish that I have read that book for the sake of my father’s health and his life.
My father had been a smoker for 55 years, he had died from liver cancer and failure lung collapse. It is hard to see a person that had been along-term smoker to quit. No matter how hard they tried to quit, it’s somehow very hard for them unless they know they are dying.
I am one of those people that will try anything, almost, to stop smoking. I have tried so many different things from medication, willpower (or lack there of), patches, gum, nicotine gum, walking, staying busy, etc etc. I would love for there to be some way, that’s proven and scientific, to stop. I have been smoking, off and on, since I was in the fifth grade and starting to feel that I will never be able to be smoke free.
I do like the idea that is proposed by Mr. Carr, “we all have the power within ourselves to decide our own fate”. I do believe that there is a lot of truth in that small statement. I am an addict to many things and have been blessed enough to not be in active addiction to many things today. The things that I have over come was, looking back on it, me just saying I’m done. I did have all the power that I needed to stop within myself. Smoking, though, seems to be harder and has much more of a hold on me mentally then ANY drug I have done in my life.
I like the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group link and will really have to look more into that. I will be trying the hypnotherapy for the first time to see if I can “unlock” that same type of will to stop I once had in the past and be able to apply that to smoking. The motivational interviewing for smoking cessation is an interesting idea that I have never heard of. I would like to try that.
I have always heard that it takes the “average” person eight to ten times of trying to quite before they are able. I wonder why it is just so hard for people to stop once they become addicted to tobacco products. Really doesn’t seem hard to stop if it is just one chemical that gets people addicted yet the reality is so very different.
Smoking is a tough addiction, but not impossible. For most it does take a number of attempts before change holds, so keep at it. Remember that alcohol and nicotine reinforce each other in the brain, so if you stop smoking but keep drinking alcohol, the likelihood for relapse is much greater.
Thanks for the comment
J
I think it’s great that we identified smoking as an addiction and are trying to help people to stop smoking, especially heavy smokers. In Vietnam, where I was born, smoking seems to be very normal and commonly seen everywhere. Many people, especially male, had a cigarette on their hand no matter what time of the day. The shocking thing was that even teenagers were smoking, and it brought concern to me. There were little to almost no restrict laws on smokers so they can smoke almost everywhere. It was sad to see those who were inhaling second hand smoke. Besides self-motivation, I think smokers also need to be constantly remind that they are causing harm to their bodies as well as the surrounding. Whether it’s one cigarette or one pack of cigarette, they are still inhaling and giving out toxin.
I think as you stated that to quit smoking depends on someone decision. Even if there are some programs to help someone stop smoking the whole thing will depend if the smoker is willing to stop. We have covered how caffeine is addictive in class and i feel that reading useful books such as the one you stated can help when someone has a concrete information. We spend a lot of time such as smoking then we expect a radical solution that will work all of a sudden. mostly we think that something will work out first. smoking is dangerous and its consequences are severe.
Years ago, after several failed attempts I “quit” smoking through sheer willpower in combination with an interruption of my routine -a camping trip. I entertained my self isolated in the woods for more than a week, and I broke the cycle of ‘needing a smoke’ every time I turn around and managed not to return to smoking after I returned home.
Two years later, after a big fight with my girlfriend of that time I decided to leave home and indulge my self with a pack of cigarettes and a trip to the bar (I wasn’t drinking during that time either). Before going in to the bar I lit up a smoke and immediately began regretting the choices I had just made. Without finishing the cigarette I climbed in my car and set off to see a close (non-smoking) friend as an alternative. In a snap decision I threw the pack I bought out the window and promised myself I’d never smoke again. When it was time to leave I was very glad I threw the pack out because I was craving another cigarette. Unfortunately, I discovered I threw out an empty pack someone had left in my car and my nearly full pack was still waiting for me. That was enough to get me started again.
I’ve tried to quit repeatedly since, it’s been a couple years now. I’ve smoked for five out of the last seven years. For the past six months I’ve used the patch to replace smoking. It’s nice to be able to breathe well, as well as taste and smell things again. I still smoke sometimes but the patch has helped me reduce the amount I smoke very significantly.
The good news is I have plans for another camping trip this summer and again I will not be bringing any kind of nicotine products.
For the longest time, after starting again, I felt like I had given up on not smoking, like I was destine to remain a smoker. I don’t see it that way now. The two years I spent not smoking was a huge success. I can use my relapse experience as an example for me to understand where my vulnerabilities are; particularly highly emotional and stressful situations.
Given that I’ll be successful in quitting when the time comes, do you have any advise on how to safely navigate situations that could trigger a relapse?
Nate, thanks for the reply and the summary of your relationship with smoking. Hats off to you for continuing to engage the part of you that knows smoking is not good for you. As to how to strengthen the part of you that will keep you away from smoking, the best advise I can give you is to develop a practice of mindfulness and self-compassion. By practicing being the moment, through meditation, yoga, tai-chi, or some other practice, you strengthen your awareness to act “in the moment” in your best interest. If you become overtaken by shame, fear, anger or some other powerful emotion that take you out of the present, and have little tolerance for these emotions in the present, then you will remain vulnerable to relapse. Smoking will become an easy antidote to the pain of the emotion in the present. But if you practice each day sitting with emotions – whatever they are – then when stress hits you will have done your exercises and be ready to sit with whatever comes up. Another important skill to cultivate – again with mindfulness – is connecting with your underlying shame. We all have shame – a belief that we are broken in some way, unlovable, unworthy, un…. and shame is at the root of relapse. So the antidote is again to cultivate the awareness of when shame arises, and develop skills of self-compassion to counter-act the feelings of shame. This is not easy work, but important work. And one final suggestion, read the book “The wild edge of sorrow” by Francis Weller, it will help you…
Best
J