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Posts Tagged ‘smoking addiction’

It is more fun to be a smoker. This is a widespread myth, which is now being busted by British scientists. In a survey among 879 ex-smokers, approximately 70 per cent answered that they were happier and more satisfied after they have stopped smoking. Many smokers do not want to stop smoking, because they think they will miss something life. Have they first come through the first difficult time as a non smoker, it does not seem that life without tobacco is neither worse nor more sad than life as a smoker. On the contrary, a study shows, published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research. It is hard to find ex smokers who regrets that they have stopped smoking. What matters is to get through the first hard time with withdrawal symptoms.

879 ex-smokers were interviewed, and almost 70% responded that they were happier after they had quit smoking, 26% answered that their mood was unchanged and less than 4% answered that they were less happier than before.

The findings corresponds well with my own experience: people don’t regret that they have stopped smoking, rather they regret that they started.

Quitting smoking might prolong your life, but loss of life quality is inevitable – at least this is a common myth. Rather, ex-smokers actually can have the cake AND eat it too: quitting smoking boosts self confidence and mental energy, and the ex-smokers receives widespread recognition for their achievement. Ex-smokers are on the winning team.

Focus on life quality rather than health

Shift the focus from all the harmful consequences of smoking to all the positive benefits of being a non-smoker is far more efficient, when trying to motivate people. It is not fear and pointing fingers that motivates people.

Instead, we are developing new methods in which we dont to focus on diseases and health, but rather on the improved life quality, which freedom from smoke brings. The methods were developed from experiments with advice on smoking cessation for cancer patients. They were excited, partly because they felt that with a smoking cessation they themselves made a difference. Rather than being part of the problem, they were now part of the solution instead.

Better in time

The increased satisfaction is more pronounced, the longer the time that has passed since they stopped smoking. But even with ex-smokers, where the smoking stop was quite new, it was still the majority who feel happier now. Younger ex-smokers was more excited after their cessation than older people. However it did not matter whether they were heavy smokers or only smoked a few cigarettes a day.