How to help someone who is addicted to cigarettes?

marmar357

Hi everyone, I have been away for a long while, and that's to notice, because..what happened to the old layout?? It really changed. Anyway, no problem. I hope everyone is still alive here?

I am here because i need your help. At least, someone I know needs help.

There is someone in Egypt very close to me and he is addicted to cigarettes. It are rothman cigarettes. I have no any experience or knowledge in this kind of stuff, but I would really appreciate some useful advice.

He tells me that the nicotine get into his blood and that sometimes he feel as if he is going to fall.
Also does he gets headache.

I find it very hard to see him suffering like this, and I wants him to stop. I know that he can stop, because of this verse: "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."
Unfortunately, he doesn't trust in himself. I tried to encourage him that he can do it, but I can't give him other practical advice, only thing I can do is prayer.

So the solution is prayers, so I all beg you PLEASE to pray for him (and for everyone who has an addiction) but ALSO to give some practical advice on this issue. How To stop with Smoking? And what can i do from my direction?
Also if anyone has experience with his, please feel free to share it here with us!

Thanks,

GBU

ilovesaintmark

Only solution:  the addict must want to go cold turkey.  There is no in between.  There are no medications that work.

He needs loving support.  Lots of prayers.

meanz

There are medications that work.....depending on which country you live in it might have a different name......talk to your doctor. The physical addiction to nicotine is treatable but it is the psychological addiction that causes most smokers to return to smoking, as it is harder to treat. Treatment for it im guessing would include a lot of prayer,commitment and support from close friends and FOC.
PPFM

d.rollins

i was addicted. and i quit just like that! one day i said to myself - i will not smoke anymore.

but i must admit, sometimes i have strong need for cigarettes. it is usually once a week, and i smoke one cigarette just to fulfill my wishes. i know it isnt right, but i think it is great progress, beacuse i was smoking 25-30 per day.

marmar357

thank you all, but now i have another problem. Now he says: "I don't smoke cigarettes anymore but Sheesha (egyptian pipe)
so yeah......it's still addiction ...

d.rollins

uh, it is bad. he just replaced one bad habit to a similar one :(

liftmyheart

Abouna told me, to stop any addiction, you must cut off little by little. For example, if we were to empty a bottle of its water and fill it with something else, as in take out addiction and put in something else, we could not take out all the water at once by sucking it up. Why? It would caus a vacuum and the bottle would collapse in on itself. We must pour it out slowly and allow the air to fill in the spaces water missed. So, little by little, day by day. If you smoke 30 a day today, try cuttign it down to 20 a day. Next, 15, 10, 5, 1, none. Prayers definitely help :)

d.rollins

i must disagree.
i personally (and, i know a dozen people with the same issue) - couldn't quit by cutting of litle by little. i tried several times, so as people i know..but noone ould'nt stop in that way

its the best way to quit for good .

ilovesaintmark

The sheesha is 10 times worse than cigarettes.

mnc_hnn

yeah..sheesha is worse

the problem is that even after people quit smoking..there will sometimes be urges to smoke again.

Confidence and will from the actual person is needed, because no matter how much support you provide them with..if they are not strong enough..they will not succeed

I know people that quit and then when they were faced by the smallest amount of stress in their lives..they took up smoking again. these people need regular support and that's why it was found that group sessions for quitting smoking were more effective than when a person quits by themselves.

Nicotine patches may be slightly better as no tar/soot is deposited in the lungs from lighted cigarettes..but I also know somebody who tried these and they ended up smoking while they had the patch on..so they were getting double the dose of nicotine..not the required result.

If in this case the person you are concerned about has a need to suck on something..nicotine inhalers may help..of course patches and inhalers are costly especially if the person is in egypt..i'm not sure if they'll be affordable for them.

Anthonypk7

Once in a sermon, Hegumen Arsanios Aziz Serry of Blessed Memory said that smoking cigarettes is like committing suicide, since they know it can kill them, and most times they don't even try to stop! Not only that, but you are dirtying the Temple of God, which was consecrated at Baptism and at the Sacrament of Confirmation. Imagine that sin!

Best thing to do is prayyy !!! Its the best weapon :)

GBU

marmar357

Thank you all.

Please, keep on praying.

GBU

joekeliny

[quote author=✞Je Nai Nan✞ link=topic=12353.msg145428#msg145428 date=1317427332]
Once in a sermon, Hegumen Arsanios Aziz Serry of Blessed Memory said that smoking cigarettes is like committing suicide, since they know it can kill them, and most times they don't even try to stop!

As a matter of fact, commiting any sin is like commiting suicide. Because all sins lead to death.