Researchers learn how not to quit smoking
When you quit smoking, did you try not to think about cigarettes?
A new study shows that the technique may help people quit the habit – and others – but when they stopped suppressing the thoughts the habit came back with a vengeance.
This is called behavior rebound, according to researchers who published their study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research was done at St. George’s, University of London and the University of Hertfordshire.
They saw it in smokers, and in a previous study, they saw it in chocolate eaters.
“These findings have obvious implications for individuals seeking to give up certain behaviors, for example, smoking, overeating, drinking, sex and other excessive behaviors,” said James Erskine, a psychologist at St. George’s, and a co-author of the study, in a statement.
“If trying to avoid thoughts of something in an attempt to give it up actually unwittingly triggers a subsequent increase, it’s a poor method of achieving self control. This work may stop people using quitting techniques that are ultimately harmful.”
For the latest study, they observed 85 smokers who smoked at least 10 cigarettes a day. In three groups, one was told to change no behavior, one was told to suppress their thoughts and one was told to actively express thoughts. The suppression group cut back to five cigarettes a day. But the next week, they were told to stop suppressing their thoughts, and their smoked nearly three more than the other groups.
So, now that we know what NOT to do, any suggestions?
And while we’re talking about quitting smoking, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention just released a study saying that kids are more likely to start smoking if they see it in the movies.
The CDC looked at smoking in top movies from 1991-2009 and found scenes with actors lighting up have been on the decline since 2005. And that could help keep kids from starting to smoke, but more needs to be done. Giving all movies with smoking an R rating was one suggestion.
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