Many people believe that quitting smoking without help is the only ‘real’ way to do it. They feel that using medication or professional advice is like cheating on a test. But is quitting a competition, or is it a matter of health? If you wanted to learn to drive, you’d go to a driving school. Why should reclaiming your breath be any different? Let’s break down the myth of the lone hero and see why the best way to win this battle is the one that actually gets you to the finish line.
“No, to be honest, I didn’t use anything when I tried to quit,” you tell the woman waiting with you at City Hall.
“Nothing? No medication, no professional advice… nothing at all?”
“No. I feel like I have to quit on my own, without any help.”
“And why is that?” she asks, looking puzzled.
“I don’t know… it would feel like cheating.”
“Cheating? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean I have to prove that tobacco doesn’t have power over me. That I’m stronger than it is.”
At that moment, the office door opens again. The young man who had cut in front of you walks out. Just like before, he doesn’t even look at you. He simply puts his headphones back on at full volume and disappears down the hallway.
“It’s my turn now, right?” she asks the official.
“If you are Mrs. Pilar Arbòs, yes.”
“Well,” she says, turning to you, “it’s been a pleasure chatting with you. Take care.”
“You too!” As she reaches the doorway, she turns back and adds, “Oh! By the way… about that ‘cheating’ thing. My husband used to think the same way, but in the end, he realized something.”
“Ma’am, are you coming in?” the official insists.
“Just a moment, I’m talking! After how long you made me wait… can’t you see we’re discussing something important?” She turns back to you. “As I was saying, he also thought at first that he had to prove he was stronger than the tobacco. He even carried a pack in his pocket just to prove a point.”
“But he did quit in the end…”
“Yes, but do you know what he realized?”
“What?”
“That this isn’t a race or a competition. You aren’t going to be a ‘better’ ex-smoker just because you did it without help. Nobody is going to give you a higher grade because there are no grades. The prize is quitting—whether you do it with help or without it, the result is exactly the same.”
“But…”
“But nothing. If you do it without help, it’s going to be harder, you’re going to suffer more, and you’ll have a higher chance of not making it. So… it’s up to you. Carrying cigarettes on you only makes it much easier to fall into temptation. If you wanted to get your driver’s license, you’d go to a driving school, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why not ask for help to quit smoking? Why keep trying to prove you can resist while carrying a pack of cigarettes in your pocket? Take my advice—you have nothing to lose.”
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