How do you encourage a person to quit smoking that has been smoking since the age of 16?

I took my wife hiking with me. Half way through when she needed to sit down because she couldn't catch her breath and I wasn't sweating yet she realized that she needed to quit.

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Jeff
Diagnosed In 2002 with RTL Seizures
Mostly SP and CP's only 3 TC's
Currently taking 600mg Tegretol CR
and 300mg Lamictal

1) tell them they are showing their ignorance/stupidity

2) tell them they stink

3) tell them they will wrinkle twice as fast

4) tell them they will be responsible for the pain their loved ones are put through, as they watch a slow painful death of someone they love

I'm kinda kidding here. There really is no way to help someone else quit smoking - it's hard and has to be that person's decision. I smoked two packs a day for twenty years. I nursed my mom as she died a slow, painful death while I cared for her in my home. I didn't even quite then - it was two years later.

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Mom to Christopher (26), Keith (24) and Lindsey (21). Oh! And now I'm MIL to DIL, Rheannon. E came into our lives 8 years ago, as Chris began his senior year in high school. Currently on 1600mg tegretol XR and 300mg Lyrica. ~*~ Forgive them all, let God sort it out. ~*~

Unfortunately you can enourage someone all you want to quit smoking but unless THEY are ready to, it won't do much except get on their nerves(if you do it too often). Ultimately they are the ones that have to want it and be willing to stick with it through withdrawl symptoms etc.

Keep in mind (As weird as it sounds) -- quitting smoking is harder than getting off heroin.

I have smoked from around the same age as your friend (or bf/husband/gf/wife) and I'm now 36. I have tried quitting a few times(using the patch) but it didn't really help. Using the patch I suppose can be helpful for some however, the hardest part wasn't the "actual" smoking part and taking in the nicotine - it was the behavioral factor (lighting one up, the hand to mouth action etc) and the habitual factor (with coffee,after eating, etc). Also in my case (as with others), I live with someone who also smokes which can make it even harder to quit being that its basically "in your face" day after day all the time.

I still hope to quit eventually...I just haven't found the right time. (course truely i know there's never a right time, there will always be some excuse not to quit). Will still continue to try and hope that one time I actually will do it! :)

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age: 36 - diagnosed with E at age 9.
Currently taking 1400mg Tegretol XR.

also suffer from migraines,anxiety and mild depression.

Had a lumbar microdiscectomy(low back surgery) in Nov. 2007 and am looking at another one sooon from a fall (courtesy of a sz) that caused the disc to re-herniate.


<><>Weathering the Storm Within.<><>

Making someone quit smoking is a very difficult thing. It is completely up to the person to quit the habit. One requires a strong will and desire to quit. These are not the only factors. You may find very interesting tips to quit smoking, do follow the link http://www.stop-smoking-guru.com . This site is completely dedicated to stop smoking and I personally think it will certainly help.
All the Best

I quit smoking a year ago, at 24, having started when I was 18. For the most part, advice or encouragement to quit from other people did no good at all. I suppose I kind of thought they were boring, goody-goody types, people who didn't understand. Any time they mentioned quitting or said something negative about my smoking, I was just annoyed and angry.

But what made me quit, in the end, was not the really serious health risks, but just the fact that I didn't want to smell like cigarettes anymore. I started seeing a non-smoker seriously, and at some point got a whiff of someone who must have smoked several packs a day and realized how awful and unattractive it was.

My partner and friends were, of course, very supportive in my effort to quit, without which I wouldn't have kept with it. The most helpful was that she bought the patch for me when I was about to give up--a two-week supply is about $50, too much for my tiny pay check (especially when a pack is ten times less.)

For the most part, you cannot convince anyone to quit, no matter how long they've been smoking. Generally they'll find your attempts to do so rude and offensive. I'd say just let them know, as subtly as possible, that you wish they would, for their health and happiness, and do your best not to sound judgmental, but understanding instead. And maybe if you can find a way to do it covertly, you can drop hints about the other negative effects of smoking, too. Like saying something like, "Jee, you can really tell by Sarah Jessica Parker's skin that she's a chainsmoker." With that, you're talking about a different person, which is key--if you insult the person you're talking about, they're more likely to blow smoke in your face and decide you're not worth listening to anymore than they are to take your advice.

Personally, I didn't care about the health risks. I quit for vanity reasons. And I think that's likely to be the case with other people, too. After all, we've been aware of the risks for many years. Hasn't stopped us yet.

Always remember that if you've never been addicted to cigarettes or any other substance, you can't really know exactly what it's like, or what it's like to try to fight that addiction. Just know that it's really, really hard. And if they've been smoking for a lifetime, they might never--or at least not for years--totally lose the urge to smoke. I'm lucky that I quit early enough that I'm not much different than someone who's never smoked now, but my father still feels cravings for cigarettes all the time, even though he quit years ago. To have to fight that forever must be extremely unpleasant--and depressing. Enough to make you think there's no point in quitting.

If they do decide to quit, a lot of people insist on doing it without the patch, gum, or anything at all to help them. They probably think using those aids is weak. But actually, I don't think I've ever seen anyone succeed without one of those. I personally used half a patch a day for six days--that's it. It doesn't have to be an eight-week thing, it can just be there when you're about to pick up a cigarette. Try to convince them to use a cessation device.

If most of the person's friends or whoever they spend time with are smokers, they're unlikely to quit. Having people close to you who are nonsmokers is key. If there's any way to increase the number of nonsmokers they hang around with, that'd be probably the best help you can get. Unless you can convince their friends to quit. (Sneak the patch on them in their sleep? Kidding.)

No offense, but in my experience, this frequently-quoted "fact" is not really true. People don't live on the streets for cigarette addictions. It's very hard, but the incidence of people successfully quitting smoking is much higher than heroin addicts getting clean. Most who get into a heroin habit never get out.

But my advice for you would be that it's going to be nearly impossible to quit if you live with a smoker. You should try to get your spouse to quit with you. It's also sometimes necessary to quit things like coffee and alcohol that really make you want a smoke. And clean your house and especially your car, get a good air freshener, to make the smoke smell as minimal as possible. Good luck, and if you do succeed, you really deserve a medal.

Also, keep in mind that it takes an average of 7 attempts before a person successfully quits. Failing doesn't make you weak; it's normal.

guess I will move the spam of the main page by bumping up a few things....

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Brian

Epilepsy Video

Apples of Gold

Heros Page

Pushin spammers off screen is kinda fun!!!

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Brian

Epilepsy Video

Apples of Gold

Heros Page