John shares his experience quitting smoking after 20 years through the EX program. He tried quitting many times cold turkey but always relapsed within a few days due to cravings and anxiety. Through the EX program, he was assigned a coach named Margaret who provided support and advice. The EX community also helped by sharing their experiences and cheering each other on. With their help, medications, and tools for managing anxiety, John was able to quit smoking for over a year and feels much healthier as a result. He encourages others struggling to quit to seek help from the EX program.

1. HI.
MY NAME IS JOHN
AND I WAS A SMOKER
FOR NEARLY
20 YEARS...
QUITTING CAN TAKE
MUL
TIPLE TRIES
BEFORE IT STICKS.
THIS
IS
NORMAL.
BUT I DID IT!
AND YOU CAN TOO!
IF Y0U FIND IT HARD
TO QUIT SMOKING,
I WANT YOU TO KNOW
YOU’RE NOT
ALONE!

2. EVERY
PERSON’S
QUIT IS
DIFFERENT.
I’LL TELL Y0U AB0UT
MINE AND SEE IF Y0U
CAN RELATE.
I STARTED SMOKING AT 15
BECAUSE I WANTED TO
FIT IN.
IT DIDN’T
TAKE LONG
BEFORE I WAS
HOOKED.
BY AGE 30,
I WAS MARRIED WITH
TWO KIDS...
AND I SMOKED A
LITTLE OVER
A PACK A DAY.
I HAVE
HEAVY ANXIETY AND
USED SMOKING TO COPE.
BUT THE CIGARETTES
MADE ME CONSTANTLY
HACK AND COUGH.

3. THEY ALSO
MADE IT
HARD TO
BREATHE
AND DO
MY JOB...
AND MY WIFE
HATED HOW
I SMELLED.
WHEN I WASN’T
SMOKING, ALL I COULD THINK
ABOUT WAS WHEN I COULD SMOKE
NEXT AND HOW MANY
CIGARETTES I HAD LEFT.
THE WORST
PART WAS THAT
I MISSED
IMPORTANT
STUFF
BECAUSE I WAS
OFF SMOKING
SOMEWHERE.
MISSING MY SON’S WINNING
SOCCER GOAL STILL
REALLY HURTS.
I FELT LIKE I
WAS STUCK.
TRAPPED BY
CIGARETTES.

4. BUT THERE HAD
ALWAYS BEEN AN
EXCUSE LIKE...
I THOUGHT
ABOUT
QUITTING
MANY TIMES.
“I’LL QUIT WHEN W0RK SL0WS D0WN.”
“I’LL QUIT AFTER THIS PACK.”
“TODAY WAS ROUGH...I DESERVE THIS.”

5. FINALLY,
0NE FRIDAY,
I DECIDED I
WAS D0NE
FEELING
TRAPPED...
DONE
SMELLING
LIKE AN
ASHTRAY.
AT FIRST, I
DID GREAT...
UNTIL THE
CRAVINGS
AND ANXIETY
WERE
TOO MUCH.
DONE MISSING
OUT ON MY
KIDS’ LIVES...
I WANTED THE COMFORT
OF A CIGARETTE AND I
BOUGHT A PACK...
I FELT ASHAMED
FOR FAILING ON
MY SECOND DAY.

6. I TRIED SEVERAL
MORE TIMES TO QUIT
COLD TURKEY.
I NEVER MADE IT
LONGER THAN 3 TO 4
DAYS BEFORE I STARTED
UP AGAIN.
I REALLY WANTED
TO STOP BUT WAS
CONVINCED I
WOULD NEVER
BE ABLE TO...
THEN I HEARD
ABOUT THE
EX PROGRAM.
I WENT TO THE WEBSITE AND STARTED
TO LOOK AROUND. ME? AN EXPERT? I’D
ONLY EVER FELT LIKE A FAILURE.
THIS GOT ME CURIOUS.
Three Kinds of Experts Make BecomeAnEX Work
—and You're One of Them
Mayo
Clinic
Expertise
Your
Experience
EX
Community
Support

7. THE MAYO CLINIC LOGO MADE ME FEEL
LIKE I COULD TRUST WHAT I WAS READING.
IT WAS EASY TO ENROLL AND WITHIN
MINUTES I WAS CHATTING WITH
MARGARET, ONE OF THE EX COACHES.
I FELT LIKE
MARGARET
KNEW WHAT
I WAS GOING
THROUGH.
Chat Started 04:30PM
Hi. My name is Margaret. I’d be happy to
help with your quitting process. What
would be helpful to go over today?
I’m thinking about quitting smoking
but I have bad anxiety and I’m afraid
quitting will make it worse.
It does?
M
Well, first, congrats on being here.
That’s a BIG step! I can give you tips
to manage anxiety as you quit.
M
Did you know that smoking
can actually make anxiety worse?
M
Quitting smoking can be as
powerful as taking anti-depressants!
M
I didn’t know that
Type Something...
T
T
Live Chat

8. MARGARET
GAVE ME
LOTS OF
THINGS T0 D0
WHEN I FELT
ANXIOUS.
I SIGNED UP
FOR TEXT
MESSAGES FOR
SUPPORT ON
MY QUIT DATE
AND AFTER.
I ALS0
READ A T0N 0F
P0STS IN THE
EX C0MMUNITY
0NLINE...
A PLACE WHERE
SM0KERS AND EX-
SM0KERS SUPP0RT
EACH 0THER AS
THEY’RE QUITTING.
SHE ALSO GOT ME
MEDICATIONS
SENT RIGHT TO
MY HOUSE FOR
FREE TO MAKE
QUITTING MORE
COMFORTABLE.
Prep Time! Take all
the tobacco-related
items out of your
home, car, office or
wherever you keep
them. Reply MORE
for more.
Lighters, matches
and ashtrays too.
Everything! Set
yourself up to
succeed!
MORE

9. I relapsed. I am so disappointed in myself.
Yup! We’ve all been there.
You can do this. I know you can. Just
look at all you’ve learned so far!
Just think about how great you’re going
to feel once you’ve quit for good.
Don’t look back except to learn from your
mistakes.
I believe you can do it. Stick with your plan
no matter what and you’ll make it. NOPE -
Not One Puff Ever!
THERE WERE PEOPLE JUST LIKE ME WHO
HAD TRIED LOTS OF TIMES TO QUIT.
I FOUND OTHERS WHO HADN’T SMOKED IN YEARS...WHO
CHEERED ME ON WHEN I DIDN’T THINK I COULD DO IT.

10. This is a no judgment zone. Most here took more
than one effort to achieve their final quit.
LET’S MAKE THIS YOURS!
Don’t ever feel like you’re the only one that’s relapsed.
Many of us have had multiple attempts.
You’re not a failure!
TODAY IS MY 0NE
YEAR ANNIVERSARY
OF NOT SMOKING.
MY COUGHING AND
SHORTNESS OF
BREATH ARE GONE.
We’re here to help you on this journey.
So, use us!

11. AND MARGARET WAS RIGHT.
I DO FEEL LESS ANXIOUS.
I STILL GET CRAVINGS
TO SMOKE SOMETIMES,
SO I KEEP VISITING THE
EX COMMUNITY
FOR SUPPORT.
IT FEELS
GREAT TO BE
FREE OF
CIGARETTES.
AND I COULDN’T
HAVE DONE IT
WITHOUT THE
EX PROGRAM.

12. YOU CAN
BE FREE, TOO!
IT’S SUPER
EASY TO GET
STARTED
WITH THE
EX PROGRAM!
YOU’LL BE
GLAD YOU DID!
YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE
TO BE READY TO QUIT
TO JOIN.