Hi Joel,

 

I found this email address on your website, which is one of the best smoking cessation sites I've seen.  My mother-in-law is now at the National Jewish Lung clinic in Denver where she went due to a supposed Nocardia infection of the lungs.  She is a lifelong smoker and tends to find 'something' else is causing her problems but she will not admit that it is all due to smoking and will make no attempt to quit.  She was recently told by the Doctors at National Jewish that she has severe emphysema and this was causing her problem - she was told point blank by a team of doctors to quit.  In a familiar response, she does not want to accept this, she does not want to quit, and she is lashing out at everyone who loves and wants to help her.

 

I am writing you for some advise on how to approach this problem.  If we could get her to go, do you know of any good therapists/clinics/etc that deal with smoking cessation in an intense setting (we are in Tampa FL, but she could travel to another location)?  Do you recommend this type of action?  It has almost come to the point of putting her in a 'rehab' type of place.  At this point, the family is willing to try nearly anything to get her to stop. 

 

The ultimate solution to this problem is having her decide to quit on her own.  We all agree that no matter how much we plead, beg, kick, and scream - it is her decision.  At the very least we need some help to convince her to even see a therapist. 

 

Any help, advise, or literature you might be able to send my way would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you for your time,

 

Betsy