Quitting tobacco successfully tends to take a combination of factors. They can include such things as:
- Motivation
- Timing
- Cognitive-behavioral changes
- Medications
- Support
- Meeting with a trained tobacco treatment professional
However, quitting isn’t as simple as using a recipe like when you cook your favorite meal. This formula is individualized for each of us. The amount of each of these needed to successfully quit differs from person to person; but many of the components tend to be the same.
Here are some examples:
- Motivation – What is motivating you at this time? Perhaps, it is a significant health issue concerning yourself or a loved one; Reaching a special milestone in life (special birthday, anniversary); Feeling like it is just time to quit; Recognizing that you want things to be different in your life and feeling ready to take action.
- Timing – Reaching a particular age or stage of life, moving, starting a new job, getting married or divorced, retirement, or becoming an empty nester may be signaling you that now is the time.
- Cognitive-behavioral changes – Altering how we think about our tobacco use such as “I don’t need to use tobacco”, “I have accomplished many other difficult things in my life”, or “I have a good support system”; as well as changing our behavior such as “I stay inside during breaks at work now”, “I can chew on toothpicks or gum” or “Walking can help to distract me” can really curb those urges to use tobacco.
- Medications – Using FDA approved medications, under the supervision of a medical professional, has been shown to increase success rates.
- Support – Reaching out to your friends, engaging online support such as becomeanex.org, or talking with your family and loved ones about the type of support that you need can be very helpful.
- Meeting with a trained tobacco treatment professional – Connecting with someone in your community, or through your healthcare provider, who can provide support and guidance in a way that feels helpful to you.
There are many other factors that can be included in the formula; but for each of us, it is important to identify how much of which factors are needed to create that unique formula that will help each of us succeed.
What formula will work for you?
Tim Milbrandt, MS, LMFT
Addictions Coordinator /CTTS
Photo by Samuel Clara
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