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***image1***A cigarette with the morning coffee. A cigarette with the evening beer. A cigarette while driving. A cigarette after dinner. A cigarette to calm nerves. A cigarette to alleviate boredom.
Common smoking habits are hard to break, but a smoking cessation class can help make the first effort to quit a success.
“We can help anyone conquer their addiction to smoking, but they have to work hard to break the habit,” said Joyce Patrick, director of the Wellness Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The Wellness Center offers a seven-week Freedom from Smoking program, designed by the American Lung Association to help smokers quit. Participants attend a weekly, one-hour class, which initially focuses on smoking habits before moving on to the hard stuff — quitting.
“So much of smoking revolves around the smoker’s habits, not necessarily around the actual nicotine addiction,” said Ms. Patrick. “Breaking the habit often is as hard as breaking the addiction. Learning what triggers a person’s urge to smoke is a big step in learning how to control that urge.”
Once the triggers are discovered, participants tackle the nicotine addiction. This is controlled by using a medication that curbs the psychological portion of the cravings. The medication makes a smoker feel full, like someone who has just polished off an entire buffet then reconsiders before grabbing dessert.
“Once the medication takes effect, we help people plan for how they will remain tobacco-free once the classes are over and the medication runs out,” she said. “Having a plan is important because you don’t take medication forever. You shouldn’t need to.”
The tobacco-free plan focuses on managing life situations through meditation and the power of positive thinking. There also are follow-up visits at intervals of one, three and six months.
Being smoke-free for six months is considered a success because smokers have conquered their habits and the nicotine addiction. It is, however, important not to be discouraged if it takes several attempts to successfully give up smoking, said Ms. Patrick
“When anyone is ready to quit, we are here to help them,” she said. “It’s not an easy process. Quitting is hard. But people quit all the time.
“We talk about readiness to change. Lots of people show up just wanting to get the medication because they think it will make quitting easy, right then and there. Those people are not ready to stop smoking,” said Ms. Patrick.
Smoking is the single most preventable disease in America, responsible for 87 percent of all lung cancer, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, said Ms. Patrick.
Participants in the current cessation class will lead the way into the Nov. 18 Great American Smokeout, which is a national program where smokers give up smoking for one day.
The smoking cessation classes are scheduled through December of 2005, and there are openings for smokers who want to quit. For more information, call 06371-86-8614.
