In group last evening the subject of smoking came up.
And, as those who read this blog know, smoking is one of my pet peeves.
I've lost seven close relatives to the habit. Mother, aunts, uncles. Plus many close friends and associates over the years. And it’s an ugly, painful way to go.
I beat this drum all the time because I've seen so much suffering caused by smoking.
And it's not like I've never smoked, I have. For ten years. It was so hard to stop that I remember the date and hour and where I was at when I quit. It was July 25, 1984, at 9:00 am, 910 N. Broad Street, Globe, Arizona.
I quit by tapering down, then chewing nine Nicorette tablets. I've never smoked again.
Now I know that in the 12-step programs it's recommended that we make no radical changes for the first year. And I agree with that.
But once that year is up, I believe we should go for it.
Many of our clients don't realize the seriousness of smoking. They almost don't seem to care about their health. Aside from smoking they also get little exercise, eat a bunch of junk food. It's like they really believe that their doctor can fix any damage they do their bodies.
I try to convey to them that our lives can be immeasurably better without drugs of any kind. And cigarettes are one of the worst drugs of all.
