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Frequently Asked Questions
Why
is it so hard to quit smoking?
How can the Tobacco
Dependence Program help?
How successful
is the program?
Tell me more about the
Program Staff. Who will treat me?
I’m
very anxious about quitting. Tell me a little more about what
I can expect.
Why
is it so hard to quit smoking?
When people try to give up tobacco, they usually feel discomfort.
Quitting “cold turkey” captures the idea of this
discomfort. Science tells us that this discomfort is actually
withdrawal. Common withdrawal symptoms are cravings, having
trouble staying focused, increased appetite, irritability,
restlessness, nervousness and feeling blue. Withdrawal usually
gets better after the first two weeks with no tobacco. Another
reason it can be hard to quit using tobacco is that we may
manage our mood, anger or sadness with tobacco. We may have
to learn new ways to manage anger or frustration. That isn’t
always easy.
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How
can the Tobacco Dependence Program help?
We are staffed by trained professionals who understand tobacco
dependence. We work with you to design a plan to help you
quit. We offer assessment followed by individual or group
treatment. We will recommend and prescribe medications to
help you quit tobacco, help you use those medications effectively,
and provide you with social support throughout the entire
quitting process. Science guides our practice and we know
that those who receive this kind of help are more than four
times as likely to succeed in quitting.
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How
successful is the program?
Tobacco is hard to quit. With each quit attempt, you move
closer to success. Quit rates 25% to 50% are considered to
be very good to excellent. Quit rates 80%-100% are considered
too good to be true. Buyer beware: There are no magic cures
or devices. Yet we see people quit everyday in our Program.
We work hard to contact our former patients to see if our
methods helped them. They rate us Excellent and Very Good.
Click
here for more detailed information about our
success rates.
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Tell
me more about the Program Staff. Who will treat me?
Treatment at the Program is designed and provided by UMDNJ
faculty and staff with many years of experience in tobacco
dependence as well as top credentials in Internal Medicine,
Psychiatry, Psychology and Social Work. Profiles of our staff
can be found in About the Program
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I’m
very anxious about quitting. Tell me a little more about what
I can expect.
We understand that the period of time between deciding it’s
time to quit and actually getting down to doing it can be
anxiety-producing. At assessment, we spend some time getting
to know you. We will gather information about your tobacco
use. We will learn what you may have already tried, what worked,
and what didn’t. We will teach you about withdrawal
and the effective medicines to treat it. We will measure carbon
monoxide with a monitor. We will review your tobacco “triggers.”
You will tell us what is motivating you.
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Tobacco
Dependence Program || 125
Paterson Street, Suite 2300 | New Brunswick, NJ 08903 | Phone
732 235-8222 | Fax 732 235-7144
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