Do’s and Don’ts When Helping Someone Quit Smoking
January 14th, 2009
When you are helping someone to quit smoking, there are things you need to keep in mind regarding what you should do and what you shouldn’t do. This is because helping someone quit smoking is a tough job.
You will need to make sure that everything is in proper order to make sure the process is a success. Otherwise, you might waste your effort and in return cause the person to return to the old habit.
Do’s
Do respect the quitter. This is their lifestyle change and their challenge, not yours.
Do ask the person whether he or she wants you to call or visit regularly to see how he or she is doing. Let the person know that it’s okay to call you when they need you.
Do help the quitter get what she or he needs, such as hard candy to suck on, straws to chew on, and fresh veggies cut up.
Do spend time doing things with the quitter to keep his or her mind off smoking like going out for a movie and similar actions.
Do try to see it from the smoker’s point of view.
Do help the quitter with a few chores.
Do celebrate along the way as quitting is a big deal and it takes a long time to achieve.
If you can do these then they will be well on their way to success in quit smoking.
However, problems arise when the quitter suddenly slips. After a long time in the quit process, you find the quitter is going back to the old habit of smoking.
Generally, the most usual reaction would be "oh, no!" but you have to remember that it is the quitter’s journey of quit smoking and there are things you cannot control. If the quitter has gone back to smoking, you can still help out.
One thing in mind is, the don’ts.
Don’t judge, nag, preach, or scold.
Don’t offer advice. Just ask how you can help with the plan or program they are using.
Don’t assume that he or she will start back smoking like before. A "slip" (taking a puff or smoking a cigarette or two) is pretty common when a person is quitting.
Of course, one slip doesn’t mean that the quitter will go back to the old habit definitely, but you need to be there to help remind the quitter about the purpose of quit smoking and how long the quitter has gone and a slip would just ruin everything including the hopes and dreams from the loved ones.
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