Self-Help, Shared Strength: The Power of Mutual Aid and Social Circles in Quitting

Guest Author: Margaret Coleman

In a time where publicly funded services to support people to weather hardship have diminished, the strength of our social circles becomes more vital than ever. The journey to quitting is often challenging, and the encouragement and understanding of friends, family, teachers, and healthcare providers can make a significant difference.

Connection and concern for one another are the building blocks of a healthy community. They are powerful tools based on the shared assets of trust, collaboration and belonging. While our successful public health institutions may be under attack, the bonds we share of compassion and caring cannot be broken. They have served us well throughout humanity.

While access to some public programs may have changed, it’s crucial to remember that other effective tools remain available. Nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches, gum, and lozenges, are proven aids in managing withdrawal symptoms and increasing the likelihood of successful quitting.
Together we can support our friends, family and patients by reaching out and offering hope for a future that is better without the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

3 actions we can take to help people quit:

Be curious and offer encouragement. Remind them the feelings of withdrawal do not last forever. Their body is adjusting back to a new normal. Spend time together where you don’t smoke, vape or use other substances.

Meet them where they are. There’s no “right” way to quit. Every attempt offers important lessons and insights.

While most people quit on their own, professional coaching can be very helpful. It might mean fewer attempts to finally successfully quit. QuitNow-NH offers free coaching to build new skills to cope instead of relying on will power alone to succeed.

Resources to Move Forward

Now, more than ever, we must lean on our support systems and utilize these available resources to create a community of strength for those seeking to break free from tobacco’s grip. Check out these resources:

If you or a loved one are looking for ways to quit or just cut back, check out the resources at The Partnership @drugfreeNH.

Want to learn how to start a supportive conversation about quitting or cutting back? Watch these videos and on-demand eLearning lessons atQuitWorks-NH.

If you or a loved one are experiencing substance misuse or have a mental health concern, reach out to The Doorway or call 2-1-1.

Margaret Coleman

Margaret Coleman is the Senior Population Health Coordinator on Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center’s Community Health team. Her prevention work primarily focuses on engaging schools and families around youth vaping prevention and education through training and dissemination of evidence-based resources. She also works on community engagement through the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), monthly low-barrier pop-up clinics for the area’s unhoused and housing insecure neighbors, and supporting New Hampshire’s birthing hospitals with implementation of quality improvement initiatives related to perinatal mental health and substance use disorder.