I have a colleague that decided 2010 would be his year to quit a 20 year plus smoking habit citing several very sound and logical reasons for the lifestyle change including his health, the sake of his kids, and financial reasons. He had originally planned to go cold turkey starting New Year’s Day and scoffed at the thought of using any kind of smoke cessation medication. He promised his kids, steeled himself, and made a point to tell me and other colleagues of his plans to be smoke free as we neared last year’s Christmas/New Year holiday break.
Cue the all too familiar same old song and dance of the addicted mind and body (start the video if you please).
First the rationalization that no one wants to end a beloved addiction during the holidays, a time of frolic and excess not abstinence and denial. Back to work the following, now’s the time… to procrastinate. The inevitable guilt mounts with spurs, but the course has been altered – now instead of a sprint to abstinence it’s a tapering enduro. Owww- this is too hard, maybe medical help is notsuch a bad idea. On the drugs for a week – but it’s too expensive (not compared to cigarettes) so he practices quitting by giving up on the Chantix. Kids make unplanned visit with dad- embarrassing- still smoking. That’s the final straw.
It’s March. Ten days cigarette free and the reward… a cigarette. It took me thirty minutes to explain to him that a single puff resets the clock- he has now been smoke free for 12 hours.
Been there done that, in a way I think the craving for a harmless puff is much tougher to resist without the immediate and dire repercussions of a bender- it’s the same old song and dance.
Good luck my friend- you’ll need it!
