Tag: quit tobacco

Spouse’s Nagging in Tobacco Cessation (Quitting Smoking and Chewing Tobacco)

Spouse Nagging – Do’s & Don’ts

Spouse has a very important role to play for tobacco cessation (quitting smoking or tobacco chewing). Frustration and non compliance by a husband gives rise to nagging as means to vent out the current irritation. Nagging by spouse may be due to many reasons, I am restricted here to tobacco use only.

What is Nagging

Annoy or irritate (a person) with persistent fault finding or continuous urging. Nagging although is meant for a good intention but may just have an opposite affect. Because of frustration and suffering at some point of time this would show up and become a part of the relationship. This may have a negative affect and the partner may become more adamant.

A LADY SUFFERS FOR NO MISTAKE OF HERS JUST BECAUSE OF HUSBAND’S TOBACCO USE!

Response/reactions of husbands to nagging:

  1. IGNORE – least bothered; all bickering just falls on a deaf ear
  2. REACT – Quarrelling just becomes part of life
  3. AVOID – spends more time with similar friends outside house
  4. LIE – makes the partner believe that he has quit
  5. ATTEMPT – tries to quit, at some point of time
  6. LOW SELF ESTEEM – previous failed attempts makes him loose confidence in himself, cannot see eye to eye with his spouse and this may reflect in his work
  7. DEPRESSION – severe inappropriate reactions

What to do?

A constant tussle sets in wife constantly urging him to quit and the husband is  not able to find a solution. Majority of self-quit attempts fails!

Ways to Avoid Being a Nag

  • Don’t blame.
  • Don’t demean.
  • Don’t attack.
  • Don’t criticize.
  • Don’t manipulate.
  • Avoid making your spouse feel stupid.
  • Don’t give in to your frustration and do your spouse’s chores. Your mate needs to learn to deal with the logical consequences of being messy.

Instead of Nagging, Try Positive Approaches

  • Share your feelings.
  • Stick to the issue at hand.
  • Keep your statements brief so they don’t turn into long lectures.
  • Don’t make ultimatums.
  • Avoid using the phrases, “You always…” and “You never…” and “You should…”
  • Consider saying “would you” or “will you” rather than “could you” or “can you”. There’s a subtle difference in the way the request will be heard by your spouse.

TAKE ACTION

Tobacco is a disease. It needs treatment and a specialist care. One needs to approach the person with empathy. Empower yourself with the knowledge about tobacco addiction and cure. Download the ICANCARE ANDROID APP.

Help is available. Tobacco as a disease and needs intensive treatment. ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres and Tobacco Wellness Online program are a call away. ICanCaRe team of Certified tobacco Cessation Specialists and Quit Coaches work with you to make your journey smooth, easy, interesting and achievable.

The ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Program incorporates evidence protocol based digitalized intervention program which is very scientific in its approach, data driven and medically validated and at the same time gives 92% success rate.

ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres with its India’s first digital protocol based assessment process guide intervention as per requirements.

Do visit the ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres or register online by visiting our page or call ICanCaRe quitline 011-430-77695 for assistance.

Why Do Tobacco Consumers Resist From Quitting Smoking and Chewing

Whenever you approach a tobacco consumer to stop smoking or chewing, the very first and obvious reaction is “Why?”; “I can quit any time I want to.”; “Why are you worried? I will quit when I feel the need”; “I’m not interested.”; “You must smoke with me to feel how relieving it feels.” You experience immediate resistance to the thought of quitting despite knowing the fact that deep down the tobacco addict is feeling guilty and wants to quit the habit.

Ever wondered why there is so much of resistance to quit smoking or chewing? In this blog we are going to explore many such situations which makes a smoker or a chewer hesitant to quitting the habit.

  • Fear of Withdrawals: many smokers and chewers have tried quitting before and relapsed again and again. This is because they have experienced numerous withdrawals ranging from acidity, headache, vomiting, loss of sleep, tingling sensations, irritation, mood swings, restlessness, etc. and have failed to cope and manage it, thereby causing loss of confidence and relapse. They do not want to suffer and experience the pain again. This fear of experiencing the withdrawals makes them very much hesitant to quitting their habit.
  • Loss of confidence from being unable to quit, develops a belief that they can never quit. Hence they do not wish to quit smoking and chewing and keep continuing the habit
  • Many a times some associated illnesses develop from tobacco consumption and these illnesses are eminently visible on quitting tobacco. Again the tobacco consumers start believing that these problems arise from not consuming tobacco and they keep continuing smoking and chewing.
  • There’s lack of proper support from the family, friends and colleagues. Constant nagging causes irritation and abets resistance to quitting
  • Inadequate professional support and lack of experienced cessation experts also results in hesitation in quitting because the tobacco addict does not how to quit and where to reach out for professional assistance to receive the right help in quitting.
  • Many young smokers and chewers do not want to let go off the instant pleasure and kick they experience from smoking and chewing tobacco. Hence they never think about quitting.

So when you try to approach a person to quit their habit, do not directly jump to pushing them to quit. Instead provide assurance and support that quitting is possible and all the challenges can be resolved with proper guidance and support. Tell them the following:

  1. Quitting can be tough but not impossible.
  2. It is ok if they have failed in their quit attempts and relapsed.
  3. Bust the myths and misconceptions around smoking and tobacco consumption.
  4. Withdrawals can be managed with expert’s help and lot of remedies.
  5. It is important to stay firm and committed to one’s thought about quitting.
  6. Assure them that their performance, lifestyle and routine will not be impacted and that their quality of life will be ameliorated after quitting smoking and tobacco. 

Small right actions will result in positive and healthy transformation!!

Every human is unique, keeping this fact intact, at ICanCaRe  we have designed a digital solution to quitting tobacco which is both scientific and medically validated. It helps to customize the quit plan as per the person’s needs to make the quit journey more systematic, simple and evident of the healthy transformation. At ICanCaRe, the success rate of quitting smoking and chewing tobacco is 92%. To quit the habit or to help someone quit the habit, call the helpline 011-430-77695 or visit www.icancare.in/quittobacco for assistance.

Be Careful Before Marrying of Your Daughter to A Tobacco User – Parent’s Responsibilities

Choose the Right Groom for Your Daughter – A Non-Smoker/Tobacco Consumer

Tobacco is commonly used in India. While choosing a groom, no one really bothers to ask about tobacco use. Tobacco use till now is still an acceptable social norm.

I have a question – “Would you marry your daughter to a person who is diseased or likely to have a disease?” 

  • “Arre Shadi ke baadh ladka tambaku chhod dega” (boy would quit tobacco after marriage) – why after marriage, let him quit for 6 months and then propose.
  • “Bahu tambaku chudwa degi” (daughter in law would make him quit tobacco) – 

Wow, the newlywed daughter-in-law is a demi-goddess and she is expected to do everything including tobacco cessation, that the mother, father, brother or sister could not do!

Why tobacco cessation after marriage? Why not before it?

If anyone in the family is taking tobacco, the entire family is ruined.

This reminds me of one of my patients – Rita(name changed) and Rohan(name changed). Rohan had cancer of the mouth, and he had come to see me along with Rita and her mother. Rita and Rohan were teachers in a primary school. They fell in love and got married in spite of Rohan’s tobacco use (which he promised to leave as soon as they got married). They started their married life without him being able to quit tobacco. Sadly he continued and developed cancer within one year. On one hand, Rita was pregnant and was planning of delivering their baby boy while on the other Rohan was diagnosed with oral cancer. His chemotherapy and surgeries coincided with the baby’s birth. Sadly, throughout the treatment, no family member of Rohan ever came to see me.

Well, friends, tobacco is a disease. By all means, the tobacco user would have some or the other complication due to tobacco use may it be a heart attack, respiratory problem, dental and oral problem, cancer stroke, etc. (200 listed diseases to count from). Tobacco is a disease and it has the highest addictive factor in the World. Had it been so easy to quit, people would have quit tobacco by now.

Tobacco as a disease needs treatment like any other chronic disease with intervention, medications, and follow-up.

LET YOUR DAUGHTER NOT SUFFER BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE! BE CAREFUL WHILE CHOOSING THE GROOM, DO ASK ABOUT THE TOBACCO HISTORY AND IF REQUIRED DO A COTININE TEST TO KNOW.

How to IDENTIFY A PERSON USING TOBACCO WITHOUT ASKING –  

There are tell-tale signs of tobacco use whether smoking or chewing. (Caution: the signs may not be confirmatory!)

  • Stains on teeth and /or lips
  • Bad foul smelly breaths
  • Constant coughing
  • Stains on nail beds, fingers
  • Foul smelly hair and cloths

Some behavioral aspects that one needs to notice:

  • Chewing gums – constant use
  • Frequently disappearing
  • Going for a walk avoiding you
  • Friend circle

Laboratory and Qualitative assessment

  • Laboratory tests are available for confirmation of tobacco use
  • Qualitative assessment of present health assessment

Help is available. Tobacco as a disease needs treatment. ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres and Tobacco Wellness program – Online are a call away. The ICanCaRe team of Certified tobacco Cessation Specialists and Quit Coaches work with you to make your journey smooth, easy, interesting, and achievable.

The ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Program incorporates an evidence protocol-based digitalized intervention program which is fully scientific, medically validated and has a 92% success rate.

ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres with India’s first digital protocol-based assessment process guide intervention as per requirements.

Do visit the ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres or register online by visiting our page or call ICanCaRe quitline 011-43077695.