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Your Stop-Smoking Journey
Every smoker has to put up with pressure from others. Anytime they go out for a cigarette, family members urge them to quit and remind them of the risks. As if they had forgotten!
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But, it’s possible those warnings, given with the best of intentions, don’t help. If anything, they cause stress. And, what happens when smokers are stressed? They smoke!
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And, it’s not only pressure during the smoking process which can become a problem. If an individual does take the leap to quit, pressure can still haunt them and ruin their efforts.
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Everybody will have an opinion about how they should quit in the ‘right way.’ Yet, quitting smoking is one of the most personal journeys you can take. Everyone has to find their way through.
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If you’re in the process of quitting, it’s important you don’t let criticisms from others throw you.
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To give you some support, we’re going to look at 3 common criticisms (mostly from your friends and family) and discuss why they’re wrong.
Criticism #1: Cutting down doesn’t count
The going cold turkey vs. cutting down debate is ever on-going. Nobody knows which is best because, again, this is a personal thing.
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But people who do choose to cut down are often disregarded. While others may not realise it, criticisms can cause significant damage to a quitter’s attempts.
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For many, cutting down is the first step. So, if they manage to half the amount they smoke, it’ll feel like a huge achievement. Until they share that progress, they may get a response like ‘But you are still smoking!‘ and get totally deflated and demotivated.
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The important thing to do is not take such comments to heart. As much as this is a personal journey, your achievements are also personal. Other people may not understand, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t valid.
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Cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke is positive.
Criticism #2: You may as well still be smoking if you turn to quit-smoking aids
There are many quit-smoking aids available today.
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There are vape products which still produce smoke. As such, they’re simulators to help you through. Whether there are secondary problems later on remains to be seen.
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Some people say that since you’re still puffing smoke with these devices, you really have not stopped smoking!
Criticism #3: You’ve had one, does that mean you’re smoking again?
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Despite your best efforts, you may slip up somewhere along the line. If this happens, it’s important to try again.
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One cigarette does not mean failure, no matter what the non-smokers in your life tell you. You’ve got this far. Don’t let that one smoke ruin everything.
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All of us would admit that we have certain habits we’d rather not have.
… you know that temptation is all around you.
