I would like to say up front that I am very much in favor of support relationships. We all need people in our lives who understand us; someone that we can talk to and share our problems and experiences with. Everyone needs support, fellowship and love. A support group can be a great source for developing these types of relationships and also for learning new solutions from a broader range of sources.

The way that support groups and other support relationships are sometimes used is a concern that I would like to share with you. My concern, is that sometimes people use support groups and relationships in a co-dependent way. In other words, it becomes one more thing to become dependent on; a type of dependency that is not healthy. It becomes a new dependency and this usually happens unconsciously. What they actually end up doing is replacing one dependency with another; the smoking for the relationship or group.

I would encourage anyone to have supporters in their life but I also suggest that they pay close attention and note whether their supporters are encouraging and supporting them towards success or are they actually helping to create a co-dependency relationship or group that is a substitute dependency. And even more, I suggest that the individual pay very close attention, on a very conscious level, at what is driving him/her to be attached to the person or group so that they can notice if they are developing a substitute dependency. I would like for people to really be free. So plunge on and I am sure you will surround yourself with the right people for you. With the right mindset and the right supporters surrounding you, I am sure you will succeed in pursuit to stop smoking.

The key to preventing this new replacement dependency is self-awareness. It is necessary to commit to constant self-observation. Be aware of what you are feeling and thinking at all times. By doing this you will not be driven unconsciously and functioning just by instinct. You will be able to tell whether or not you are being driven by the dependency. If you are, then the best thing you can do for yourself is to find the things that edify you in your spirit. Find ways to be intimate with people at the spirit level (your spirit). This is where the pain and need exists. A dependency, at its core, is a problem in the persons spirit and this is where the healing needs to take place. Of course, this would be after you have gotten past the physical phase which is the nicotine withdrawal. My encouragement for you is this; to become dependent on other peoples love, not their stimulation.

Frank Andrews is the author of two self-help books and has developed a blog website to help smokers quit smoking. These sources of help information developed as the result of being a student of personal development for over 25 years. He has successfully work through many of his own struggles and now is able to provide help information for others. You can find free quit-smoking information on his website at: http://www.AnswersToQuitSmoking.com. Quit Smoking Help.

Tags: stop smoking now, quit smoking program, ways to stop smoking, stop smoking guide

Tags: ways to stop smoking, stop smoking guide, stop smoking now, quit smoking program