Long Term Quitting

  1. Smoking Cessation Worksheets
  2. Inventory Story Addiction Management
  3. Before Preparing to Quit                           Free Sample Guided Meditation
  4. Preparing to Quit
  5. Long Term Quitting 

  6. Behavior and Change

Successful quitting requires planning for withdrawal situations. Add these to the LONG TERM QUITTING worksheet as they arise.

You can get the feel of your withdrawal symptoms by creating and practicing alternate activities for your smoking behaviors. This practice may allow you to quit.

The decision to quit must be without reservation. It must be very important to you. It must involve an emotional commitment.

One resident recounted how his youngest daughter became sick one day as he drove her to school in his pickup truck; instead of his wife taking the two girls to school in her car. The older sister told her dad, “She always gets sick at school when you take us to school.” He never smoked another cigarette. This is a “significant emotional event”.

You are committing yourself to being a new person. Imagine that new person (more on why this is essential is on the next post).

Complete the “I am quitting because:” in one sentence. Then take from it a positive word or phrase for your mantra or prayer as: "I AM SMOKE FREE!!" Always be positive. Always be yours.

Date your commitment. Celebrate your commitment with friends and coworkers. Celebrate your weekly progress.

Make use of free smoking cessation programs and those covered by insurance. These tend to be marketed in 12-week periods. One size does not fit all.

You may quit by just reducing the number of cigarettes smoked. You may quit by practicing alternate activities (coffee or exercising). You may have a significant emotional event.

You may smoke a cigarette during the “12-week period”. No problem in Australia. This is a "relapse" for marketing purposes in the United States.

[The results from research and from actual application of research results are often different. Research results are based on a sample of many individuals expressed as the "average" non-existent individual. Application results are from how the program affects you as one individual. That is why the four worksheets progress from reducing your dosage of nicotine, to initial planning, to long term planning, to alternative nicotine sources.]

Long term quitting is until you no longer feel the need to smoke or have trusted alternate activities. This is something you can be proud of doing.

Smoking cessation aids (nicotine sources free of toxic tobacco smoke) can be helpful. They allow you (and those around you) to be free of tobacco smoke at work. You can use one each time you feel the need to smoke.