 Monmouth County, NJ -- “Just do what they say and at least you can say you tried if you fail.” That was the motto of 47-year-old Kim Pisani of Ocean Grove, NJ when she embarked on a six-week journey to quit smoking with the help of Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention’s (IFP) Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program. In July 2011, she celebrated her second year anniversary – smoke free.
After smoking for 32 years, nearly three packs a day, Kim connected with IFP after doing research on the Internet. Having attempted to quit formerly twice before, she was uncertain, but knew the addiction was taking a toll on her both physically and socially. “Besides not being able to breathe when walking up stairs, I was building my world around smoking,” she says. “I stopped going places I enjoyed, where smoking was no longer allowed. The cigarettes were controlling me.”
Helene Long, IFP Tobacco Treatment Specialist, helped Kim develop a plan for quitting. “My first goal for Kim was to help her control the initial symptoms of nicotine withdrawal with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT),” explains Helene. “We started with nicotine lozenges and inhalers and combined that with group support and individual counseling.”
Kim acknowledges that the process of breaking her addiction to nicotine was difficult, and identifies one of the hardest parts of quitting as overcoming the hand-to-mouth motion of smoking. She shares that one of her strategies for staying on track was to make herself accountable to those around her. “At midnight on July 6, 2009, I texted my friends and family and posted a message on Facebook to let everyone know I was quitting,” she says.
As Kim looks at a plaque her husband bought her, commemorating her one-year quit date, she is reminded of her accomplishment and says that items such as the plaque reinforce that she does not ever want to be back at day one again. “Smoking just doesn’t fit into my life anymore.”
If you are ready to quit or just thinking about it, Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention’s Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program will provide you with the support and tools you need to succeed. For more information, or to schedule an assessment, please call 973-926-7978 (northern NJ) or 732-886-4149 (central/southern NJ) or visit www.instituteforprevention.com.
Date: October 25, 2011
Contact – Public Relations
ltortorello@barnabashealth.org
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