Do's and Don'ts
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DO |
DON'T |
|---|---|
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Do respect that the person quitting is in charge. In the end, it's their decision. |
Don't judge, nag, preach, or scold. This may make him or her feel worse. |
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Do ask how he or she is doing. Tell them it's OK to talk to you whenever needing to hear encouraging words. |
Don't take their grumpiness personally. The symptoms usually pass in about 2 weeks. |
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Do help him or her get what they need to reduce cravings, like hard candy, straws to chew on, or fresh cut veggies. |
Don't tell them what to do. Everyone's quitting process is different and very personal. |
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Do spend time doing things to keep his or her mind off smoking. |
Don't suggest activities that might trigger smoking, like drinking alcohol, going out to bars, etc. |
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Do help them with a few chores, like babysitting or cooking -- whatever may help lighten his or her stress. |
Don't add to their stress if you can help it. Quitting tobacco is stressful enough. |
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Do help him or her remember all the reasons he or she wanted to quit, and forget about the slip as soon as possible. |
Don't make them feel like they failed if they slip. A "slip" (taking a puff or smoking a cigarette or two) is pretty common when a person is quitting. |
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Do remind them how long he or she went without a using tobacco before the slip and how proud you are of that. |
Don't assume that he or she will start back smoking like before if they slip. Beating the physical addiction is hard. |
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Do praise him or her for trying to quit, and for whatever length of time (hours, days, weeks, or months) of not using tobacco. |
Don't give up your efforts to encourage and support your loved one...even if the person you care about doesn't quit this time. |
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Do encourage him or her to learn from the attempt. Things a person learns from a failed attempt to quit may help him or her quit for good next time. It takes time and skills to learn to be a non-smoker. |
Don't make him or her feel that they'll never quit. Quitting takes practice, most people need a few attempts before they quit for good. |
