Supporting Your Partner When They Decide its Time to Quit Smoking
You feel great that your partner has told you they want to quit
smoking cigarettes and you want to do everything that you can in order
to help them. However, you have to remember that quitting smoking is
very difficult, and your support can make a huge difference. But you
have to be understanding, and realize that relapses are fairly common in
people who try to stop smoking and not letting them or yourself
disheartened in a situation like this is very important. Also, when it
comes to breaking free from any addiction, the decision needs to come
from within. This simply means that no amount of arguing or trying your
coax your partner into quitting smoking will help unless your partner
actually wants to quit. And when your partner does want to quit, you
should ensure that he/she can count on your support. There are many
ways you can give support, and for starters you should tell your partner
how happy you are with this decision. You can set up a system where your
partner calls you every time he/she feels like lighting up, and you
would then have to ensure that you are available for your partner
whenever he/she needs to talk to you in this period. This can be really
effective because the cravings generally don’t last for very long.
Setting up a busy schedule is also something that you should think about
doing, and this is simply because the fewer the distractions, the fewer
are the chances of your partner wanting to smoke. Also try and avoid any
trigger situations, and these would be situations where your partner
would feel inclined to smoke. These may include going to the nightclub,
having a drink, etc. Another thing that you can do to help is to find
out everything that you can about
cigarette withdrawals and how they can
be fought, and then take the necessary steps to make your partner feel
better. Also, if your partner is not successful the first time around,
remember that this is not the end, and another effort can always be
made. |
