There is no one who embodies the adage about humans being creatures of habit more than a smoker who is trying to quit. Another adage that applies to smokers who are trying to quit is that we are social being. Smokers are more likely to give up smoking if they have good support systems in place. Below we discuss 3 reasons why you shouldn’t quit alone.
- Friends will Help Keep Your Will Power
Willpower is the main aspect needed for any smoker to successfully quit smoking. However, it is also the most difficult things to master and 
it is required to get you going on your journey to quit. If you do decide to quit alone chances are that you will take a longer time to quit or try and fail. Friends and family can play a great role in helping you master and maintain the willpower to quit smoking. The addition of children to your family or having a friend who has successfully quit walk with you through the journey can do wonders to your willpower. When the nicotine urge gets stronger, friends and family can come in handy by helping to distract you or engaging you in positive activities to help take your mind off smoking.
- Sharing is Caring
Sharing the journey of quitting smoking is caring, particularly with the right support system in place. The people around you will greatly influence your ability to quit smoking. If you are able to share your experience with people going through the same thing chances are that you will be able to get the support you need to get through rough periods of the journey. Not to say that group support can work as a standalone quit-smoking method, but that with group support combined with other quitting methods increases your chances of quitting successfully.
The U.S. Public Health Service analysis showed that group counseling increases a smoker’s chances of successfully quitting by about 30%.
- Professional Help Safeguards Your Health
If you choose to go the professional way you are assured of having your health given precedence. A number of people who decide to quit ‘cold turkey’ might be doing more harm to their body than good. Some have gone overboard by trying a number of over the counter medications to try quitting and ended up with health problems on top of their smoking problem. With professional help you will be able to have a custom smoking cessation plan drawn up for you, which includes a combination of different successful methods.
There are undeniably diverse approaches to quitting smoking and one size does not fit all in this case. It is important to evaluate your situation and decide on when to quit as well as what approach to use. The support of friends and family is the most important aspect which remains constant regardless of when and how you choose to quit. Quitting alone might work for some people, but sharing the journey with people who love you will marginally increase your ability to quit successfully.
