Common Rationalizations*
Rationalization: I'm under a lot of stress, and smoking relaxes me.
Response: Your body is used to nicotine, so you naturally feel more relaxed when you give your body a substance upon which it has grown dependent. But nicotine really is a stimulant; it raises your heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline level. Most ex-smokers feel much less nervous just a few weeks after quitting.
Rationalization: Smoking makes me more effective in my work.
Response: Trouble concentrating can be a short-term symptom of quitting, but smoking actually deprives your brain of oxygen.
Rationalization: I've already cut down to a safe level.
Response: Cutting down is a good first step, but there's a big difference in the benefits to you between smoking a little and not smoking
at all. Besides, smokers who cut back often inhale more often and more deeply, negating many of the benefits of cutting back. After you've cut back to about seven cigarettes a day, it's time to set a quit date.
Rationalization: I smoke only safe, low-tar/low-nicotine cigarettes.
Response: These cigarettes still contain harmful substances, and many smokers who use them inhale more often and more deeply to maintain
their nicotine intake. Also, carbon monoxide intake often increases with
a switch to low-tar cigarettes.
Rationalization: It's too hard to quit. I don't have the willpower.
Response: Quitting and staying away from cigarettes is hard, but it's not impossible. More than 3 million Americans quit every year.
It's important for you to remember that many people have had to try more
than once, and try more than one method, before they became ex-smokers,
but they have done it, and so can you.
Rationalization: I'm worried about gaining weight.
Response: Most smokers who gain more than 5-10 pounds are eating more. Gaining weight isn't inevitable. There are certain things you
can do to help keep your weight stable. (See Tips
To Help You Avoid Weight Gain.)
Rationalization: I don't know what to do with my hands.
Response: That's a common complaint among ex-smokers. You can keep your hands busy in other ways; it's just a matter of getting used
to the change of not holding a cigarette. Try holding something else, such
as a pencil, paper clip, or marble. Practice simply keeping your hands clasped
together. If you're at home, think of all the things you wish you had time
to do, make a list, and consult the list for alternatives to smoking whenever
your hands feel restless.
Rationalization: Sometimes I have an almost irresistible urge to have a cigarette.
Response: This is a common feeling, especially within the first 1-3 weeks. The longer you're off cigarettes, the more your urges probably
will come at times when you smoked before, such as when you're drinking
coffee or alcohol or are at a cocktail party where other people are smoking.
These are high-risk situations, and you can help yourself by avoiding them
whenever possible. If you can't avoid them, you can try to visualize in
advance how you'll handle the desire for a cigarette if it arises in those
situations.
Rationalization: I blew it. I smoked a cigarette.
Response: Smoking one or a few cigarettes doesn't mean you've "blown it." It does mean that you have to strengthen your determination
to quit and try again–harder. Don't forget that you got through several
days, perhaps even weeks or months, without a cigarette. This shows that
you don't need cigarettes and that you can be a successful quitter.
For More Information
The Cancer Information Service, a program of the National Cancer Institute, is a nationwide telephone service for cancer patients and their families
and friends, the public, and health care professionals. The staff can answer questions (in English or Spanish) and can send free National Cancer Institute materials about cancer. They also know about support groups and other resources and services. One toll-free number, 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), connects callers with the office that serves their area.
The following organizations also can help you. Contact them to learn more about quitting for keeps.
American Cancer Society *
1599 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 320-3333
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a voluntary organization composed of 58 divisions and 3,100 local units. Through "The Great American Smokeout"
in November, the annual Cancer Crusade in April, and the numerous educational materials, ACS helps people learn about the health hazards of smoking and become successful ex-smokers.
American Heart Association *
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
(214) 373-6300
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a voluntary organization with 130,000 members (physicians, scientists, and laypersons) in 55 state and regional groups. AHA produces a variety of publications and audiovisual materials about the effects of smoking on the heart. AHA also has developed a guidebook for incorporating a weight-control component into smoking cessation programs.
American Lung Association *
1740 Broadway
New York, NY 10019-4374
(212) 315-8700
The oldest voluntary health agency with 57 state associations and 60 affiliates throughout the United States, the American Lung Association (ALA) provides
help for smokers who wish to quit through their Freedom From Smoking®
self-help smoking cessation program. The organization actively supports
legislation and information campaigns for nonsmokers' rights and conducts
public information programs about the health effects of smoking.
Office on Smoking and Health
Centers for Disease Control
Mail Stop K-50
4770 Buford Highway, NE
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724
(404) 488-5705
The Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is the Department of Health and Human Services' lead agency in smoking control. OSH sponsors distribution of publications on smoking-related topics, such as free flyers on relapse after initial
quitting, helping a friend or family member quit smoking, the health hazards
of smoking, and the effects of parental smoking on teenagers.
*Consult your local telephone directory for listings of local chapters.
Articles
Books
Websites