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Want to quit smoking? Here's how If you're a smoker, you know the cues. Smoking isn't just a physical addiction. It's behavioral addiction, too. And breaking the cycle of both is what makes the process of quitting smoking so challenging for so many. Cindy Carter, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist at the Hollings Cancer Center who also provides smoking cessation treatment. “Pretty much every smoker you ask will say, ‘Yes, I want to quit smoking.’ However, the person who says he wants to quit this week is very different from the person who says he wants to quit within a year,” she said. “The important thing is the decision to quit must come from the person him/herself.” There is no one right way to quit, but research shows that there are some key factors that make a difference. Make the decision to quit Set a date and a plan Have strategies to cope with cravings Carter offers individual and family counseling for smoking cessation. “Guilt is not a very helpful emotion,“ she said. “Our goal is not to tell you how bad smoking is but to provide you with the tools to be successful in your quest to quit.” Carter talks in terms of toolkits. “Anytime you change a habit, it feels uncomfortable. Having the right tools in your kit to help you deal with the physical and mental discomfort that comes from quitting smoking can make a world of difference,” she said. First, recognizing the difference between a need and a desire is very important. The physical symptoms of withdrawal are annoying but not life threatening. Carter recommends using nicotine gum, patches, lozenges or lollipops to help the smoker get through the first stage of the process. “The bigger challenge for most smokers is dealing with the behavioral habit of smoking,” she said. For those who have smoked a long time, smoking has become second nature. Breaking that routine takes an achievable plan. That's when the toolkit becomes especially helpful. Along with nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum, the toolkit helps the person feel equipped to cope when the urge strikes. Instead of a smoke, take a walk. If you feel the urge to lightup, eat a carrot. It's helpful to delay. Wait at least 10 minutes and often the acute urge will pass. Carter urges those who are trying to quit smoking not to regard it as an event but as a process. “Most people who quit have attempted to quit many times. The point is, if you go back to smoking after six months, don't think of it as a failure, but as a step in the process. See it as a learning process. Every serious quit attempt moves a person toward long-term abstinence.” Editor's note: The article is reprinted from Checkup newsletter, produced by MUSC Creative Services.      Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.