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Volume 1, Number 1
05-27-98

TIM'S TOP TEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT QUITTING SMOKING

Because of increased awareness of the health risks of smoking and ever-increasing regulation of public smoking behavior, more and more people are taking on the challenge
of quitting. This Tim's Top Ten List is designed to provide some insight into that challenge for the 50 million people in this country who continue to smoke, those who will
soon try to quit, and for those who will support and encourage quitters in their quest.

1. GOOD NEWS: You Don't Need A Lot Of Willpower To Be Successful.
   What is willpower anyway? Some notion that tells you to pump up that elbow grease, put your nose to the grind stone, your shoulder to the wheel, and to just push through anything that gets in your way. Nonsense! It doesn't have to be that hard. If you wished to dig a foundation for a new home and you went to the field without a blueprint and only a teaspoon in your hand, all the "willpower" in the world would not likely be enough. While still a notable undertaking, a personalized plan (blueprint) and the right tools (surveying equipment, power backhoe, etc.) would minimize the need for such bravado. In fact when it comes to quitting smoking it's SKILLPOWER, not willpower, that enables one to quit for good.
   
   
2. Willpower Is Like A Muscle: It Will Fatigue In Time.
   If you had to hold a bowling ball up over your head, you could probably do it - for a while. In time; however, even the arms of an Olympic power lifter would fatigue and the ball would drop. OUCH! And face it, life would not be much fun before the ball dropped either! That's what it's like to quit smoking using willpower as a sole strategy. In time it will fatigue and fail. And who wants to live life under the constant torment of urges and cravings to smoke? Yuck! Better to do something to get rid of them instead.
   
   
3. Smoking Is A Complex Behavior.
   It's true: nicotine addiction plays an important role in keeping smokers hooked. But it's also true that many smokers do not respond to the addictive properties of nicotine; yet are no more successful at quitting. How so? Because nicotine addiction is only one of three powerful ways people get hooked on cigarettes. Habit behaviors and psychological dependencies (i.e. using cigarettes as a crutch) often present more significant barriers to quitting than addiction. Furthermore, each smoker will be influenced by a unique combination of these three aspects. Since different strategies are required to overcome each of these barriers, quitting plans must be tailored to the needs of each individual smoker. Understanding the true nature of one's smoking behavior allows for developing a quitting "blueprint" that will work.
   
   
4. SORRY! There Is No "Magic Bullet" For Quitting Smoking.
   Many products are available to help, but no medication on the market can make a person quit. If a smoker is truly addicted to nicotine; however, medication (typically nicotine replacement therapy) can help. How? Once an individual becomes addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes, he/ she will experience any of several unpleasant symptoms if the supply of nicotine is cut off. These nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety, impatience, restlessness, and more. While the number and severity of these symptoms vary from smoker to smoker, the majority of nicotine withdrawal symptoms disappear on their own within a week to ten days. When these symptoms are few and mild, new ex-smokers are able to overcome the addictive aspect of smoking by merely waiting them out. For withdrawal symptoms that are more severe in nature there is a variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications (patches, gum, inhalers, Zyban, etc.) that can significantly reduce or even eliminate the majority of these symptoms. Remember, however, that many people relapse to smoking weeks, months, and even years after quitting; long after withdrawal symptoms cease to be relevant. Why? Because these individuals never fully develop the tools (coping skills) required to manage the habit and psychological aspects of their smoking behavior.
   
   
5. The Key To Quitting Is Coping.
   If smokers become accustomed to lighting up whenever they get in their car or on the phone, the mere act of driving or talking on the phone can trigger an urge to smoke. This speaks to the habit aspect of smoking, and smokers develop many such "triggers" which pervade their lives. Likewise, smokers who frequently reach for a cigarette during stressful situations often lose confidence in their ability to handle such situations without smoking. In fact, these individuals may come to believe that they simply would not be able to function if they gave up cigarettes. This is a prime example of a psychological aspect of smoking behavior, using smoking as a crutch to put off or avoid coping with life's challenges. When smokers become aware of their triggers (remember that these differ from smoker to smoker) and apply effective coping strategies, the towering mountain that is quitting smoking becomes a manageable bump on the road of life.
   
   
6. MORE GOOD NEWS! Coping Is Easy As "Think And Do."
   Whether it's having a cup of coffee or confronting your boss, the key to avoiding smoking is to apply some basic coping strategies. Some of these strategies can be used to prevent smoking urges from occurring while others can diminish or eliminate urges as they occur.Regardless, all of these coping skills involve learning new ways of thinking and behaving. For example, many quitters squelch urges to smoke in stressful situations by stepping away, taking a few deep breaths, and mentally reviewing their reasons for quitting smoking. While simple and straightforward, make no mistake about it, these are very powerful techniques and they work. Like any other skill; however, these techniques must be planned, practiced, and applied consistently if they are to produce the desired outcome. Bottom line: the only way to get free from cigarettes is to learn the skills necessary to cope with triggers and cravings to smoke. Period.
   
   
7. Awareness + Action = Success.
   The process of quitting starts long before the actual day someone quits. It begins when the smoker starts weighing up the pros and cons of quitting. And the process continues well beyond the quit day as the quitter encounters unexpected challenges and temptations along the path to permanent abstinence. This, because many triggers for smoking are hidden or disguised and reveal themselves to the smoker only after he/ she attempts to face life without cigarettes. Trigger awareness is essential. Also, coping techniques that work well for one individual may not be as useful for another. To the inexperienced, quitting involves a lot of trial-and-error. Patience and persistence is required.
   
   
8. If At First You Don't Succeed, Try And Try Again.
   There is quite possibly no other time when this is more important than when quitting smoking. Because of #7 above, smokers typically require several serious attempts to quit before becoming aware of all of their triggers and then learning which coping strategies work best for each. Just as in learning the skills required to ride a bike, one must be willing to get back in the saddle after a "fall" if he/ she is going to become a competent rider. The willingness to learn from one's mistakes and the perseverance to not give up will make the difference between failure and success (AND your health status and quality of life!).
   
   
9. Don't Despair - Be Prepared For Unexpected Payoffs.
   Most smokers quit with the expectation of improved health and higher quality of life. While there will always be some exceptions, medical research demonstrates that these expectations are well founded. Improved health outcomes are predictable regardless of how long a person has smoked, how much they have smoked, or even how old the are when the quit. Health benefits can actually be measured within the first full day of quitting, and they grow in number and magnitude over time! While most quitters expect to have lowered their risks for lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, many are surprised to learn that they will also lower their risk for many other health problems like oral, stomach, and pancreatic cancers; hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, and strokes. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Other health benefits may be even more surprising, like improved vision, improved sexual functioning in men, and increased fertility in women. Many new quitters are thrilled with more simple benefits, like being able to really taste and smell food again, or being able to cut the lawn without stopping to catch their breath. And here's a real perk: once learned the same strategies and coping skills used to quit smoking can be used to make positive changes in other areas of one's life, like losing weight or sticking to an exercise
   regiment.
   
   
10. To Complete The Journey As Painlessly As Possible, Enlist The Services Of A Seasoned Guide.
    It's true: the majority of smokers who have quit to date have done so on their own. And it's also true that most who have quit have tried several times before being able to quit for good! Given the elusive nature of many smoking triggers and the trial and-error process of developing a complete set of effective coping skills, the assistance of an expert guide can be well worth the while. One who knows well the pitfalls and detours on the path to quitting can make all the difference to the would be quitter. A smoking cessation expert can reduce the learning curve by: designing individually tailored, step-by-step quitting plans; preparing smokers mentally and emotionally for the journey; predicting challenges before they occur and equipping quitters with the skills necessary to handle them effectively; helping quitters stay motivated and focused; coaching quitters through the unexpected snafus; supporting their victories while helping them learn quickly from any setbacks; holding quitters accountable for progress until abstinence is achieved; and preparing them with strategies and skills needed to prevent relapse, ensuring long term success. (See SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Below.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Tim Cline is a success coach who works with clients who are ready to go beyond the ordinary to have truly extraordinary personal and professional lives. Tim coaches
individuals and groups around the country via telephone. His services also include motivational speaking, workshops, seminars, and retreats. Tim is a known expert in the area of smoking cessation with over 13 years of clinical and research experience. He has designed and provided quit smoking programs for thousands of individuals and has conducted a variety of training programs for health care and health education professionals, in this country and abroad, who want to help smokers quit. Among his many coaching-related activities Tim is currently on a national tour, conducting training programs for pharmacists who wish to become certified smoking cessation specialists.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: A unique opportunity to work with the best!

Is this the first time you are feeling that it is really time to quit smoking? Or have you tried several times to quit in the past but haven't kicked it yet? No matter, success can be
as close as your phone! Dr. Cline coaches smokers to Quit Smart ™ through his unique one-on-one or group TeleTraining ™ programs. For more information or to sign up,
e-mail Dr. Tim Cline at tim@coachtim.com or call him at (323) 654-9721.

Copyright 1998 by T. R. Cline. All rights reserved