Conventional wisdom assumes that every wannabe quitter's friends, family and work colleagues are going to be supportive. If only life were so simple! All too often, those closest by are the very people expecting (and sometimes hoping for) failure...
Of course, this isn't necessarily their fault. Quitting smoking is fabled as an extremely difficult endeavour, and this can cause genuinely well-meaning allies to harbour scepticism over your chances of success. Quite understandably, they perhaps don't want to express high hopes - especially if you've previously tried and failed.
And let's be honest, early attempts at quitting are frequently half-hearted. That's because we mostly realize we ought to quit long before we actually want to, and then subject ourselves (along with our nearest and dearest) to some pretty undignified charades.
Because, when you don't truly want to quit, the cravings your mind produces are intense and frequent, and get steadily worse until they overwhelm you. This pattern of self-inflicted failure becomes gloomily predictable, so who can honestly blame an otherwise reliable friend or family member's reluctance to invest emotional energy into such a doomed venture - especially when it's the second or third time around?
Whilst this attitude might make them seem less supportive than you'd hoped for, there's no malice involved. Your loved ones merely want to be available to support you when you wave the white flag and light up, without getting embroiled in the inevitable recriminations attached to your guilt at failure. But they don't want you to fail - they merely expect it. With work colleagues however, the underlying dynamic can be far less well-meaning...
Nowadays, almost every smoker is under workplace pressure to quit so, no matter what might get said to the contrary, it's unlikely those of your colleagues who also smoke are truly going to wish you well. But they are merely the obvious suspects!
Quite properly, overcoming an addiction like smoking is widely perceived as a significant act of inner strength. So no matter how modest you choose to be about it, successfully putting cigarettes behind you is going to boost your standing at work - and that might just rumple a few feathers...
So in the first few days immediately after quitting, when you're most vulnerable to relapse, it's maybe best not to rely on too much moral support from people you'll be competing against in the next promotion race?
Never lose sight of who you're quitting for - and that's you! It's you who's going to be healthier and wealthier once you've quit, not your friends and family - and certainly not your work colleagues! So whilst all the support you get offered should be gratefully received, it should never be counted on as essential for your success.
Responsibility for that rests squarely on your own shoulders!
Good Luck !!
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