You Can Quit

By Diane Goldberg

No one wants to smoke. Despite the bravado of smokers who state, "Well, you have to die of something," most have tried to quit. Each attempt to quit improves your chances of living a smoke-free life.

The standard smoking cessation advice -- take walks, exercise, eat low fat snacks, reward yourself for quitting -- is based on the assumption that "one size fits all" smokers. Smokers have different abilities, stressors, limitations and support systems. The key to successful quitting is to find the path that is right for you.

Hearing about someone’s uncle who got up one morning, threw away his pack of cigarettes and never smoked again infuriates most would-be quitters. Smoking cessation is a challenge, a war between an individual and one of the most addictive substances known to humankind -- nicotine. To win the war, you’ll need knowledge of the arsenal of weapons available to fight the nicodemon.

Make It YOUR Fight.
Often, people with physical or mental health disabilities use a personal attendant or assistance with shopping, transportation or other life arrangements. Some service providers want their clients to stay on an even emotional keel -- the process of quitting smoking is an emotional roller coaster. Well-meaning attendants or service providers, particularly those who are smokers, may offer cigarettes at the first sign of an emotional outburst.

Let Others Know You Intend to Stop Smoking. Even if you’ve said it before, and even if they’re sceptical, let them know you are girding up for battle. Before you put out your last cigarette, let attendants, family and friends know you’ve chosen a quit date and that you don’t want them to provide you with cigarettes beyond that date.

Get All the Information You Can. You are changing your lifestyle. Everything from how you take a break to how you end a meal or start the day will be different. Learn everything you can about the effects of smoking on mind, mood and metabolism. Smokers do benefit from an increased ability to focus and concentrate, a higher metabolic rate and the illusion of a reduction in social isolation.

To ease the route to freedom from smoking, consider use of the patch, nicotine replacement gum or an antidepressant. Discuss the
advisability of Zyban or another antidepressant with your physician. Nicotine replacement aids are available without a prescription in Canada. If you have a heart condition or other circumstance that may affect your use of these aids, speak with your health-care provider. Discuss use of the gum with your dentist if you’ve ever had periodontal disease or any unusual dental conditions.

Examine Your Smoking Behaviour. Do you smoke to gather your thoughts, when you are anxious, or when others around you light up? Start making plans for handling "smoking situations" before you quit. Physical exercise is a big portion of most quitters’ game plans. If that isn’t an option for you because of your disability, find alternatives. Some ex-smokers find that putting together puzzles, doing craft work or reading distracts them during the early portion of smoking cessation. Several days before your quit date, start separating a few enjoyable activities from smoking. Try telephoning friends or surfing the Internet sans cigarette.

Help on the Internet. If you have Internet access, you are never alone in the battle against tobacco addiction. QuitNet, at www.quitnet.org, is always open. "A central mission of QuitNet is providing support to anyone who needs it, anytime they need it," says Eric Helmuth, Outreach Coordinator of QuitNet.

"QuitNet combines proven scientific strategies for helping people quit with the unique ability of web technology to reach deeper and wider than bricks-and-mortar support programs. We started QuitNet precisely to make it much easier for anyone to find support and information, especially if that support is not readily available where they live, for whatever reason."

QuitNet offers information, live chat, and multiple message forums. Because the members of the virtual community span the globe, the chat room runs around the clock. Among the forums you’ll find message boards covering depression, weight gain and other areas.

Health Canada online maintains an information-packed website at hwcweb.hwc.ca/english/tobacco.htm. Among other tools, you’ll find
portions of a workbook created by DAWN Canada (DisAbled Woman’s Network Canada). The sample of the workbook contains quit-tips
and charts for assessing progress. The site also contains information on nicotine replacement and other aspects of smoking cessation.

At www.cancer.ca/tobacco/ the Canadian Cancer Society offers online booklets, including one for smokers who don’t want to quit yet. The booklet advises the smoker on how to deal with nagging from non-smokers and helps the smoker understand why smoking is seductive. The Canadian Cancer Society has offices in every province and is accessible toll-free at 1-888-939-3333.

Good luck, and may victory be yours.

(Diane Goldberg is a mental health professional who smoked over three packs a day for 33 years before she quit. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.)