Where to go<\/a> [ pagebreak ]Find the group that's right for you<\/b>
There are a number of different options available, most free of charge. Your local hospital can be a great place to start if you want something local. You can also find group counseling through one of the following programs.<\/p>\nIn the 1980s, the American Cancer Society (ACS) developed a group-counseling program known as Freshstart, which is now offered in hospitals, workplaces, and other venues across the country. Led by ACS-trained facilitators—more than half of whom are former smokers themselves—the program usually consists of four 30- to 60-minute meetings. Each session includes a lesson delivered by the group leader (on relaxation techniques to stave off cravings, for example), a group discussion, and an individual exercise.<\/p>\n
The group discussion component is "probably the most valuable," says Jeff Cross, product manager for the ACSs Employer Initiative program. "Its about exchange and sharing and building that social support within the group."<\/p>\n
Another option is Nicotine Anonymous, a 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous. Although there have not been any independent scientific studies of its effectiveness, and the spiritual component of 12-step programs may dissuade some people, the organization now boasts more than 200 locations in the United States.<\/p>\n
"Back in the 1960s and 1970s, 12-step programs were looked at with some suspicion by the research community," says Edward Lichtenstein, PhD, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute who has observed and written about Nicotine Anonymous. "That has changed considerably. Now theyre quite respected as a legitimate resource for all kinds of addictions." Mainstream smoking-cessation programs at institutions such as the Mayo Clinic sometimes refer people who are trying to quit to Nicotine Anonymous, he adds.<\/p>\n
Online support groups may be the group counseling of the future. One of the largest is QuitNet, an online smoking-cessation program started at Boston University that offers online forums, chat rooms, and "clubs." QuitNet is now run by a for-profit company, however, and some features require a membership fee.<\/p>\n
Groups are not for everyone<\/b>
As with most smoking-cessation treatments, support groups generally work best in tandem with other methods—in this case, with medication or the patch, for instance. Some people, however, simply cant imagine opening up to a group at all.<\/p>\n
"Like Weight Watchers and other group programs, they work really well for some people but not for entire populations," says Cross. "Some people just arent comfortable with it. The group setting itself may actually present an awkward or uncomfortable social situation, particularly since its focused on something that people want to change about themselves. But the folks who need that connection and support really do benefit greatly."<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Group counseling can increase your chance of quitting by 30%.(GETTY IMAGES\/123RF\/HEALTH)Human beings are creatures of habit—just ask a smoker who has tried to quit. But were also social animals, and when it comes to quitting smoking, the people around us can make a big difference. Group counseling may not be as effective as some other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,77,78,79],"tags":[37,80,81,82],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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natasha-gruppo<\/span> sent her to the ER and motivated her to get healthy Read more<\/a>More about quitting smoking<\/p>\n