I have noticed a lack of content in this area. People, me including, have wrote several pieces on dealing with quitting smoking, side effects, the cravings, so on and so fourth. But what if you are not a smoker, but a loved one is, and you need help dealing with what they are going through.
Well coming from someone whose wife has tried to quit smoking a number of times, I can personally tell you that this transition is not an easy one. The first time my wife stopped smoking, it was really difficult for here, as well as it was for me. Between the moodiness, cravings, and fact of not knowing what mood she was in, after 3 weeks I went out and bought her a pack of cigarettes myself, because I did not get married to live that way. To that let me add that my actions were really inappropriate, uncalled for and not necessary. I was at the time just unaware of what she was going through, and only looking at things from my point of view.
SMOKER
Something everyone one that is going through this with a loved one, family member or friend, needs to know is what they are going through. They are trying to kick an addiction in the rear. Trying to improve their life by dramatically changing a life controlling habit is not the easiest thing to do.
While it might appear that there is a lot of negative things happening, at the same time several positive things are happening simultaneously. Even though they are moody, unpredictable and maybe even a bit negative towards things or you, their body after only 12 hours of giving up cigarettes has started healing itself.
But let's deal with these things that might seem negative. Mood changes and emotional are two very normal things to happen to people when they give up smoking. These things happen because the amounts of hormones in the body are changing, quite dramatically, and the body I dealing with it the best it can. The important thing to remember is that this will all pass in time. Once they have went a full month without nicotine the mood swings and fast emotional changes will start to subside. I know first hand that these things are not the easiest to cope with, but they are necessary to complete.
After the second month you will start to see a dramatic change in attitude, mood and things will start to return to normal. The first month is the by far the hardest. A good tip to make it through is one talk to the person quitting, and let them know that you are there for them, and try to talk to them about how you are feeling. When you do this, do not take the focus off of the fact that you are supporting them one hundred percent, and stay positive to the fact they are making such a positive change in their lives. Another good thing to do is enlist support; I have said many times that if you are quitting smoking to always have someone to talk to, but this is also true when someone close to you is quitting smoking.
I will leave you with this; your loved one is making one of the most important changes in their lives. They have decided to change for the better, change their habits, their health, and the way their life has been since this addiction took over. Stay supportive, understand what they are going through, and do what ever they ask of you to help them through it. Once this journey is complete and they are smoke free, both your lives will be so much better, and you get to spend more of it together.
Dealing With a Smoker Becoming a Non-Smoker SMOKER
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