Most people think of their quit buddy as being someone who they are quitting with. Pretty simple right? It definitely can be if you know how that quit buddy relationship is going to play out. In my experience as a Quit Coach, I have learned that there are many types of quit buddies.

Some quit buddies quit as one single unit. This means, if your buddy slips up and smokes, you slip up. If your buddy succeeds through an urge, so do you. You are dependent on each other in this way throughout the whole quit process.

Some quit buddies quit at the same time, but their quits are independent of each other. You don’t talk about each other’s quits or how you both are doing, but rather are just going through the quit process simultaneously.

Some quit buddies quit together in a way where their quits are independent, however, they help to support and encourage each other through the ups and downs of quitting. They communicate and figure out how to help each other out.

When it comes down to it, there is no right or wrong way to have a quit buddy. It’s just comforting to know that someone else is going through the same things as you. I encourage people to band together and find a quit buddy. Whether it’s a group of people at work, your friends, your spouse, it can’t hurt to help each other out. I have even talked to participants who have made quitting and staying quit a friendly competition between them and another person or even a group of people. Of course, people can experience their own quits differently than others, so it’s good to remember that regardless of having a quit buddy or not, this is your quit process, you are in charge, and we’re here to help in any way we can.