First Appointment (Question 7)
You respond with: “It sounds like you’ve really been wrestling with this issue. On one hand, quitting feels like an impossible goal right now and at the same time it’s an important goal and one that’s on your wish list”
Analise responds:
“Ya, I wish I never started. I’m so excited about becoming a grandma but at the same time, this diagnosis has me terrified that my days as a helpful and involved grandparent are numbered and in a few years I won’t be able to play at the playground with my grandchildren. I’ve already stopped taking long walks with my husband, they just take too much out of me. The meds don’t seem to make a difference and so now even Jim’s started to nag me about quitting smoking. Not to mention the fact that my son has also told me that there is absolutely no smoking around the baby. He told me that the baby can’t come to our home until it is smoke-free. There’s just so much pressure to quit."
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What do you say next to keep the conversation moving forward?
Smoking is big issue right now. It’s impacting your health, your family relationships and your stress level. Often when people feel enormous pressure to change, the effect can be paralyzing. Please know that making people quit is never on my agenda. I only raised this topic to see if it was relevant and to see if you would find it helpful for me to share information about various treatment options that could help you reduce or quit. So with this in mind, how do you feel about adding smoking to our list?
Out of all the topics we’ve discussed so far, the one that’s got the biggest negative impact across several areas of your life is smoking. So, it seems to go without saying that this is where we need to focus our discussion. Tell me about your past quits and your experience with smoking cessation medication.
There is pressure because the stakes are high. Don’t you think this is too important to leave off your list?
So part of the reason you’re stuck and feel unable to change your smoking is because you feel so much pressure to quit. Yet the reality is that no one can make you quit and this decision is ultimately yours to make alone. Maybe this isn’t the best time to quit.