Accepting Help In Stopping Smoking

[Dr_Hurt]

Unfortunately, too often we feel that there is ‘shame’ in asking for help or accepting help from another. According to Garret Keizer, author of "Help: The Original Human Dilemma" (HarperCollins, 2004) there is a tendency for people to believe that asking for help is a deficiency. It is not. In human families and society, people need others, and for the most part, healthy individuals enjoy helping others.

The tendency to avoid asking for help can complicate efforts to stop smoking. Help that can truly enhance the likelihood of stopping smoking can come in many forms. Your health care provider can help by prescribing medication and recommending strategies that are proven to boost success. Medication itself can be extremely helpful. Go to BecomeAnEX.org to see recommended medications. Friends, co-workers, family members all may be able to share their experiences or provide support that will help in stopping smoking. Counselors who specialize in treating tobacco dependence via the telephone or in-person are also proven to increase success.

Help works!!! There is no shame in asking for help. Be direct, get what you need, and realize that there is strength in numbers. Ask for help today to stop smoking, and in the future you can help another.

Dr. Richard D. Hurt is an internationally recognized expert on tobacco dependence. A native of Murray, Kentucky, he joined Mayo Clinic in 1976 and is now a Professor of Medicine at its College of Medicine. In 1988, he founded the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center and since then its staff has treated over 33,000 patients for tobacco dependence. Send your questions directly to Dr. Hurt at AskTheExpert@becomeanex.org