How others stop smoking
An article from The Guardian, Tuesday January 2, 2007
The full article is here:
A shorterversion is below. It all makes interesting reading, and perhaps HPers can identify with one or more of these five people. Whose lifestyle/smoking habits are most like yours?
Mike.
[hr]
"Long live the resolution
For this special new-year resolutions issue, five Guardian readers bravely volunteered to turn over a new leaf in just one week - with a little help from the experts. So what happened? Interviews by Vicky Frost
Fags
Caroline Peach only smokes six to eight cigarettes a day, but she has been addicted for 30 years. She wants to give up because of the forthcoming smoking ban - and because her children desperately want her to quit.
Caroline, 46, a hairdresser and funeral organiser from Harrogate, has resolved to stop smoking with the help of Chris Walmsley, a specialist adviser for North Yorkshire Stop Smoking Service.
. Find an NHS stop smoking adviser in your area at givingupsmoking.co.uk
Worry
Louise Bennett gets anxious about everything, so that the tiniest things take over her life. Would a week be enough for her to get her confidence back?
Louise Bennett, 27, is a community artist living in London. Gillian Butler, a consultant clinical psychologist for the NHS and the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, worked with her to tackle her anxiety.
· NHS Direct website: nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Food
Josh Beach lives on restaurant food and takeaways, but would dearly love to break the habit. He wants to start cooking healthy meals for himself - and to get some use out of his new kitchen
Josh, 31, is a store manager who lives in London. His resolution is to eat better: to stop living off restaurant food and takeaways and start using his shiny new kitchen. Chef Barny Haughton, from the Bordeaux Quay restaurant, deli and cookery school in Bristol, taught him some basics.
· Bordeaux Quay website: bordeaux-quay.co.uk
Booze
Geoff Clough has been drinking six pints a day for 15 years and is keen to cut down. But how can he pull it off when his social life revolves around the pub?
Geoff, 44, is a civil servant who lives in Newcastle. He worked with Leigh Clarke, a counsellor at the North East Council on Addictions (Neca), to try to cut down his alcohol intake.
[EDIT: See the online article for phone numbers, or look in the front pages of the phone book for Helplines - it's listed under Alcohol.]
Fitness
Majella Greene used to be conscientious about keeping fit, but has let things slip in recent years. Could she be cajoled into resuming her old habits?
Majella, 39, is a motivational trainer from London. We paired her with Fitness First personal trainer Angie Dowds to help with her resolution to get fit.
· Angie Dowd's website: . Find a gym near you at
| | [font=arial][
Answers:
Thanks for posting, Mike. This should hopefully lead to some interesting discussion!
We don't know how long the article will remain online, somay I suggest that people might like to save/print it off. There are links to do this above, or at the bottom of the page online.
Holistic
Answers:
Hi Laura - Guardian articles seem to stay put on-line, (a bit like HP threads).
I think a problem witharticles like this is that very few are ever followed up long term. How are the people doing who made NYResolutions last Year? Were their chosen therapies/self-help methods any more than quick-fixes?That would be more informative and helpful for people who want to make a difference to their lives. One week in someone's life isnot very newsworthy unless it leads to then embracing permanent change.
Sharon
The full article is here:
A shorterversion is below. It all makes interesting reading, and perhaps HPers can identify with one or more of these five people. Whose lifestyle/smoking habits are most like yours?
Mike.
[hr]
"Long live the resolution
For this special new-year resolutions issue, five Guardian readers bravely volunteered to turn over a new leaf in just one week - with a little help from the experts. So what happened? Interviews by Vicky Frost
Fags
Caroline Peach only smokes six to eight cigarettes a day, but she has been addicted for 30 years. She wants to give up because of the forthcoming smoking ban - and because her children desperately want her to quit.
Caroline, 46, a hairdresser and funeral organiser from Harrogate, has resolved to stop smoking with the help of Chris Walmsley, a specialist adviser for North Yorkshire Stop Smoking Service.
. Find an NHS stop smoking adviser in your area at givingupsmoking.co.uk
Worry
Louise Bennett gets anxious about everything, so that the tiniest things take over her life. Would a week be enough for her to get her confidence back?
Louise Bennett, 27, is a community artist living in London. Gillian Butler, a consultant clinical psychologist for the NHS and the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, worked with her to tackle her anxiety.
· NHS Direct website: nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Food
Josh Beach lives on restaurant food and takeaways, but would dearly love to break the habit. He wants to start cooking healthy meals for himself - and to get some use out of his new kitchen
Josh, 31, is a store manager who lives in London. His resolution is to eat better: to stop living off restaurant food and takeaways and start using his shiny new kitchen. Chef Barny Haughton, from the Bordeaux Quay restaurant, deli and cookery school in Bristol, taught him some basics.
· Bordeaux Quay website: bordeaux-quay.co.uk
Booze
Geoff Clough has been drinking six pints a day for 15 years and is keen to cut down. But how can he pull it off when his social life revolves around the pub?
Geoff, 44, is a civil servant who lives in Newcastle. He worked with Leigh Clarke, a counsellor at the North East Council on Addictions (Neca), to try to cut down his alcohol intake.
[EDIT: See the online article for phone numbers, or look in the front pages of the phone book for Helplines - it's listed under Alcohol.]
Fitness
Majella Greene used to be conscientious about keeping fit, but has let things slip in recent years. Could she be cajoled into resuming her old habits?
Majella, 39, is a motivational trainer from London. We paired her with Fitness First personal trainer Angie Dowds to help with her resolution to get fit.
· Angie Dowd's website: . Find a gym near you at
| | [font=arial][
Answers:
Thanks for posting, Mike. This should hopefully lead to some interesting discussion!
We don't know how long the article will remain online, somay I suggest that people might like to save/print it off. There are links to do this above, or at the bottom of the page online.
Holistic
Answers:
Hi Laura - Guardian articles seem to stay put on-line, (a bit like HP threads).
I think a problem witharticles like this is that very few are ever followed up long term. How are the people doing who made NYResolutions last Year? Were their chosen therapies/self-help methods any more than quick-fixes?That would be more informative and helpful for people who want to make a difference to their lives. One week in someone's life isnot very newsworthy unless it leads to then embracing permanent change.
Sharon