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The decision to quit smoking is one that only you can make.
Others may want you to quit, but the real commitment must come from
you.
Researchers have looked into how and why people stop smoking.
They have some ideas, or models, of how this happens.
The Health Belief Model says that you will be more likely to
stop smoking if you:
-
believe that you could get a smoking-related disease and
this worries you
-
believe that you can make an honest attempt at quitting
smoking
-
believe that the benefits of quitting outweigh the
benefits of
continuing to smoke
-
know of someone who has had health problems as a result of
their
smoking
Do any of these apply to you?
The Stages of Change Model identifies the stages that a person
goes through in making a change in behavior. Here are the stages as
they apply to quitting smoking:
Pre-contemplation:
At this stage, the smoker is not seriously
thinking about quitting.
Contemplation: The
smoker is actively thinking about quitting
but is not quite ready to make a serious attempt. This person may say,
"Yes, I'm ready to quit, but the stress at work is too much," or "I
don't want to gain weight," or "I'm not sure if I can do it."
Preparation: Smokers
in the preparation stage seriously intend
to quit in the next month and often have tried to quit in the past 12
months. They usually have a plan.
Action:
This is the first 6 months when the smoker is actively
quitting.
Maintenance: This
is the period of 6 months to 5 years after
quitting when the ex-smoker is aware of the danger of relapse and takes
steps to avoid it.
Where do you fit in this model? If you are thinking about
quitting, setting a date and deciding on a plan will move you into the
preparation stage, the best place to start.
- Make the decision to quit.
- Set
a quit date, and choose a quit plan.
- Deal
with withdrawal.
- Stay
quit (maintain success).
Would you like more information on the latest
nicotine-replacement products and cessation strategies? To learn how
quickly your body benefits when you stop? Get this information and more
in our complete Guide
to Quitting Smoking.
Even more resources and help are listed on our Kick
the Habit page.
Revised: 10/30/2007
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