- With Mayo Clinic behavioral counselor
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
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Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Jennifer Kern is a tobacco treatment specialist, certified through the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. Although her primary work is done as a counselor with the Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline, she also has experience working with patients in a face-to-face setting.
Being bilingual, she enjoys counseling in both Spanish and English. She holds a master's degree in psychology, with interests including: spirituality, psychosomatic illness, depression and anxiety, maladaptive coping behaviors, and overall health behavior change.
A native of Rochester, Minn., her work includes various aspects such as addressing the love-hate relationship many tobacco users have with their smoking or chewing, providing education about nicotine addiction, and offering effective strategies to help with quitting. In addition, she explores the importance of getting emotional and social support when stopping tobacco use, with ideas and suggestions about how to ask for and give this support in helpful ways.
She also enjoys volunteering with the Mayo Outreach to Students and Teachers Program through which she visits local area schools to talk with students about the perils of tobacco use. "As a former smoker, I am personally familiar with the complexity of dealing with a nicotine addiction," she said. This makes her work in schools and at the quitline particularly meaningful. "I am committed to helping others conquer this addiction so they may regain their freedom and possibly even save their own lives."
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Quit smoking blog
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June 25, 2008
The pain and pleasure cycle of quitting smoking
By Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Human Motivation 101. What drives basic human behavior? Very simple. We seek pleasure and avoid pain. We search for experiences that will make us feel good, that are rewarding. And we steer clear of those things that are painful or make us suffer. Many people think that quitting tobacco use is a matter of will power. However, due to the chemical nature of the addiction, it is much more than that.
The nicotine you get from cigarettes gives you instant pleasure, which is what makes it so addictive. When you inhale the smoke from a cigarette it only takes 7-10 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain. Once it gets there it triggers a release of chemicals that your brain experiences as positive or pleasurable. Because it happens so fast you get an instant gratification on that chemical level, which you may experience as relaxation or even a mild high.
Once addicted, however, you may no longer experience the effects of nicotine as being pleasurable. On the contrary, you might begin to dislike smoking. However, you may also find that you have to continue smoking in order to avoid the "pain" of withdrawal. That's the "Catch 22" of addiction.
Most experts now agree that people stopping smoking should use medication, which can help you get out of the vicious cycle of addiction. Medications can minimize the discomfort of physical withdrawal so you can focus on the behavior change needed to transition to a tobacco-free lifestyle.
Quitting tobacco use involves a process of learning new things that can give you pleasure, while managing the "pain" often associated with change. It's up to you to find what those new things are. Start by asking yourself what brings you joy? What are other pleasures in life that you can seek out? What are small ways you can change your routines with minimal discomfort? For those who have stopped using tobacco for long periods of time in the past or are still quit, what have you found to replace the desire to smoke? How have you traversed the process of change?
Finding replacements for the gratification of tobacco may require some effort, exploration, and reflection into your self. However, I strongly encourage you to take the time to do this. Making changes in your daily routines can be challenging. You may be tempted to avoid the discomfort that can accompany this kind of change. Nevertheless, discovering new ways to find joy and devising strategies to negotiate a new lifestyle can be essential to attaining and maintaining abstinence over the long haul.
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