Stop Smoking Support
Studies have shown that, compared to willpower alone, methods such as NRT, hypnotherapy and pills show only a small improvement in quit success rates. However, it is also well known that if you have a support network that the success rates will increase. Let’s take a look at some of the common support structures that you can use.
Local Smoking Cessation Groups
These have a very similar model to the original Alcoholics Anonymous groups - a group of smokers or new ex-smokers gather together for moral support and friendship. By coming together, a person will also not want to let his fellow attendees down by starting to smoke again so this also is effective.
Many health authorities will run smoking cessation groups and if you think you would like the help of one, you should contact your doctor. Otherwise, contact your local government office who should also have a list. The other alternative is to simply search for smoking cessation groups or clinics on the internet and making sure to include your local town or city.
Internet Forums
With more and more people getting online, internet forums are able to connect smokers from all over the world in a place where they can congregate despite long distances. The best thing about forums is that they are an archive, a record of all activities that have taken place and even just reading them can have a good supportive effect on someone who has newly quit of wants to quit.
You can also write and participate on these forums (they would not exist without participation) but some people find it a bit more laboured to have to think about how to write and to wait up to a day or more for a response. However, some people actually prefer it.
Family and Friends
One of your most powerful support groups is your family and friends. It’s important that you tell everyone that is close to you about your quitting smoking and make it an early topic of conversation before someone might offer you a cigarette accidentally!
Family and friends will keep you away from distracting influences but they also care about you and are a great sounding board for discussions and thoughts.
Why Do We Need Support Anyway?
The entire multi-billion dollar industry that is smoking cessation is so long established now that a smoker, possibly you, might never even have thought to themselves “why do I need stop smoking support?”
The simple reason is that most people try to quit using willpower combined with a variety of methods to try and minimise the cravings as much as possible.
But is this a necessary part of addiction? Do you have to go through the horrors of withdrawal to get over cigarettes? Most people assume so but fewer people question this. But for those few who do, they discover that there are better methods to quit that do not involve willpower or cravings.
Probably you find this too good to be true - if you want to learn more about these methods, click here.