How counseling helps a smoker to stop smoking.

[Dr_Hurt]

We frequently hear people say that they don’t see how counseling helps a smoker to stop smoking. It can. Counseling increases the success in quitting smoking, like good coaching can improve a team’s chances of winning. In fact, the more time or sessions a person spends in counseling for stopping smoking (up to 300 minutes or 8 sessions) the more likely a smoker will become and stay smoke free.

Counseling can help in many ways. A counselor can review a person’s tobacco use history and highlight past successes that might not be apparent. A counselor can encourage a person to elaborate on their reasons for stopping which can help strengthen a smoker’s resolve. Counselors can help develop a plan to manage danger situations and recognize ‘red flags’ that could lead to relapse to smoking. Counseling can help a smoker understand why it is so hard to stop, can help with the proper use of medications, and can refer a smoker to a healthcare provider to prescribe medication.

Counseling with a tobacco treatment specialist may be available in your area through your State Quit-line or through one of the local hospitals or clinics – for more information go to Resources at the bottom of the home page of www.BecomeAnEX.org.

When you decide to quit, use all the tools at your disposal, and don’t forget that counseling could be the key to relearning your life without cigarettes.

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

[linda41]

You are so right Dr. Hurt. I started witht eh American Lung Association program and give full credit to the group support in being able to finally kick this nasty habit good-bye. I am now 13 months smoke free and I still have contact with some of my "classmates". I have been invited back to the group to talk to another group about how it is staying smoke free. I no longer have the urges or even the desire to smoke. I know that does not happen for everyone, so I encourage the more support the better.
Linda

[linda41]

You are so right Dr. Hurt. I started with the American Lung Association program and give full credit to the group support in being able to finally kick this nasty habit good-bye. I am now 13 months smoke free and I still have contact with some of my "classmates". I have been invited back to the group to talk to another group about how it is staying smoke free. I no longer have the urges or even the desire to smoke. I know that does not happen for everyone, so I encourage the more support the better.
Linda

[historyteach]

They cut the smoke cessation counseling in RI. 😞
Now they are cutting the try to stop forums!
All of these programs cost the state NO money; it was from the tobacco settlement money.
It's criminal that the state is now cutting the programs that literally save peoples' lives.

I quit for over two years using those programs.
I relapsed in December. I'm quitting now again. But, there's no place to go. That's why I'm here.

So, it's great that counseling helps. Try telling that to the state governments that are cutting the programs so they can steal the money!

Shalom!