Want to quit smoking?

Throughout my 20s I told myself I’d give up one day. Then my 30th birthday came and went. It was several more years before I realised that if I didn’t make a concerted effort, I’d be smoking until I died.

But the thought of stopping smoking made me profoundly sad. I didn’t want to stop doing something that I enjoyed so much. I was in a muddle. I loved smoking, but I knew it was killing me.

And then one day on my way to work, I heard my thoughts out loud for the first time. My gran and aunt had just died from lung cancer and this had brought on a new round of nagging from my mother about my smoking habit. 

I needed to make sure that I definitely loved it enough that I wouldn’t mind dying for it.

For many years I have worked with drug addicts. Lots of the things I was hearing myself say were horribly similar to the things I’d heard my patients say.

I had helped get them out of their predicaments using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), so surely I could use this to help get myself out of my one. 

CBT works by inviting the patient to examine aspects of their life that are causing them difficulties or problems, and to challenge some of the unhelpful thoughts that they have and that are contributing to the problem

Using my experience of working with drug addicts, I developed a CBT-based programme to help me change my thinking about smoking. It worked.

(dailymail.co.uk)