Quitting tobacco is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Every January, countless people commit to a tobacco-free life, motivated by the promise of better health and more money in their pockets. To meet their goal, they try a variety of methods, from medication to hypnosis. Unfortunately, most attempts to quit tobacco are not successful. Nicotine addiction is so powerful it usually brings people back to smoking or dipping eventually.
However, when a tobacco user adds professional counseling to their quit plan, they are significantly more likely to quit for good. These are just a few of the benefits of working with a trained tobacco cessation coach.
1. Learn what will help—and what won’t!
People use tobacco for different reasons, at different times, and in different ways. They also have different experiences with quitting and starting again. A counselor can help you discover patterns to your smoking or dipping and suggest quitting methods and healthy alternatives based on your personal relationship with tobacco. A counselor can help you avoid wasting time on methods that may not be helpful.
2. Get educated about quitting.
A counselor can give you current, science-based information about a number of topics related to tobacco use, such as health risks, stress management, secondhand smoke, nicotine withdrawal, and more. Use the information you get from your counselor to design your quit plan and keep you motivated.
3. Get advice on medication.
In addition to a personal quit plan, many tobacco users benefit from using FDA-approved medication to help them be successful in their quit attempt.
A counselor can answer questions about these medicines and help you decide which ones may be helpful for you based on your lifestyle, preference, and previous experiences with quitting.
4. Find support and encouragement.
Everyone trying to quit tobacco should have at least one person who can encourage them when things get tough and celebrate their successes. Many tobacco users have friends or family members who seem supportive, but when the rubber hits the road, they are not so helpful. They hinder their loved one’s progress by nagging, enabling, or having unrealistic expectations about the process. For these people, a tobacco cessation counselor is their main source of consistent, constructive, and compassionate support throughout their quitting journey.
If you or someone you know is interested in quitting tobacco, you can get FREE counseling by enrolling with the Quit Tobacco Program at HealthNet. To learn more, call 317-957-2007 or click here.
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