Almost every smoker reaches a point with their addiction where they want to quit, and for most them is a very difficult task. Although people tend not to think of it this way, an attempt to quit smoking is an attempt to break an extremely serious addiction - in some studies nicotine is shown to be as addictive as cocaine. It is important therefore, that you provide yourself with as much support as possible when you attempt to quit smoking: when you first quit, you shouldn't hesitate to tell people.

A lot of people, when they first attempt to quit smoking, have a tendency not to tell the people around them. There are a few reasons for this: in some cases, the ex-smoker feels that they will be putting pressure on their friends, especially those friends who smoke, or trying to make them feel guiltily; in other cases the ex-smoker will keep the quitting attempt to his or herself because of a subconscious fear of failure - if no one knows you tried to quit, then no one will know if the attempt failed.

If you don't tell anyone that you've quit smoking, you're leaving yourself completely alone with no support group. Most people will find that if they make a point of telling their friends and associates that they've quit smoking, they'll be rewarded with instant support. At times of weakness, your friends are going to step in and make sure you don't smoke in front of them.

As an added bonus, smoking friends that you have are probably going to be very interested in your attempt - after all, all smokers want to quite on some level. Your smoking friends will show interest in your progress and techniques, which will give you an opportunity for some positive reinforcement - a chance to remind yourself that what you're trying to do is a good thing, and that you are doing well.

Anyone who is a true friend will neither offer you cigarettes nor allow you to smoke in front of them. This support system is crucial when you attempt something drastic like trying to quit smoking. Many people, out of a sense of stubbornness, have a tendency to want to "go it alone" when they try and quit smoking. For one reason or another a lot of people don't like the idea of needing help (this is the same logic, of course, that leads many smokers to say things like "I could quit whenever I want to - I just don't want to now.") In order to be successful in your attempt to quit smoking, though, you will need help, and there is absolutely no shame in seeking support from your friends.

Rather than keeping it under wraps, every smoker who's trying to quit should inform all of their friends, and ask them to support him or her if they see a lapse. With a group of friends watching out for you, your attempt to quit smoking will have a much higher chance of success, and may even lead to some of your friends trying to quit as well.

View all Abbas Abedi's articles

---

About the Author:

More Smoking articles