Every experienced smoker knows what nicotine withdrawal is. At least once, but his attempts often ended in failure, he tried to get rid of the bad habit. Maybe it's all about the wrong approach? In this article, we will analyze how to quit smoking in the best way and what exactly needs to be done for this.
How to quit smoking?
The percentage of people who smoke on the planet is huge - it is almost 1/5 of all the inhabitants of the Earth and is constantly increasing. At the same time, many people dream of quitting smoking, although fewer people try to do something about it. Usually, after the first attempt to get rid of the bad habit, the smoker will be seriously disappointed: he will experience symptoms of nicotine addiction and withdrawal symptoms.
Indeed, the craving for nicotine is one of the strongest drug addictions, because this substance can be integrated into the biochemical processes of the body, and it is not easy to "withdraw" it from there.
It is also difficult to lose the psychological craving for smoking - a strong desire to smoke in a certain situation (under stress, excitement, joy). This is the reason why so many attempts to quit smoking fail.
Many people who suffer from nicotine cravings wonder if it is better to quit smoking all at once or gradually. Or maybe buy pills or e-cigarettes or go to a psychologist to find the right motivation. There is no single answer. The approach to smoking cessation should be formed taking into account individual characteristics of character, health, smoking experience. It is quite possible to quit smoking on your own, but with a short experience and a moderate degree of addiction: it is better to resort to special therapeutic measures for heavy smokers. Otherwise, even with a successful failure, the risk of relapse is high, and this will only strengthen the addiction.
Thus, the correct cessation of smoking should be based on the following components:
- Preparation or motivation stage.
- In fact, quitting smoking (better sharp).
- Organization of proper nutrition.
- If necessary, replacement therapy, psychological support.
Stages of quitting nicotine
Often, a person returns to smoking because he could not foresee all the nuances of breaking up with it, did not find clear motivational reasons why he wanted to do it, and also did not seek the support of loved ones. The intention to get rid of the addiction must be strong, otherwise the disorder cannot be prevented. There are two main steps in the process of quitting smoking, each of which is detailed below.
Preparation
First of all, you need to understand yourself and find the reason why the bad habit appeared. For many, it helps to find the right motivation to quit smoking, because someone started "making friends" with cigarettes for company, while others smoked at a young age to show their maturity. Perhaps the need for such dubious self-expression has already disappeared and it is time to quit smoking.
You should write in a notebook which life situations make you reach for cigarettes. Whether it's going out for a smoke break with colleagues, smoking while waiting for the bus, after eating, during excitement - it's very easy to know the problem from the inside and get rid of it thoroughly.
The next most important point in the preparation phase is to provide a clear motivation to quit smoking. This is incredibly important, because in the absence of a reason, on the first or second day of quitting smoking, the thought "is this suffering really necessary? "A person must know exactly what he is suffering from, and the reasons must be serious.
Common motivations to quit smoking include:
- The desire to have children or save loved ones from passive smoking (for example, during the pregnancy of the wife, during the birth of the baby)
- The desire to preserve health or treat emerging diseases, prolong life (usually this is the strongest motive)
- The desire to do sports, to get a normal weight, figure, appearance
- Love, falling in love - if the other half does not smoke, many give up the bad habit for the sake of relationships
- The desire to save money - sometimes the financial situation forces you to quit smoking
Main
The ideal option is to quit smoking immediately, although not everyone can do it. Therefore, experts advise long-term and heavy smokers to give up smoking for 48 hours first. Thus, it will be possible to understand what awaits a person, and it is important to approach it from a positive side. The benefits will be great: at the beginning of the second day, breathing will become easier, perhaps the headache will stop, because there will be no instant vasospasm from nicotine intake.
After a successful rejection within 2 days, you should think about continuing a healthy lifestyle. Success will only take all measures to reduce nicotine withdrawal, smiling at those who do not allow the bad habit to overshadow the mind and win.
Here are some tips on ex-smoker behavior to avoid discharge:
- When a depressed mood arises, which happens to almost everyone who gives up smoking, it is worth remembering the motivation and what the state of mind is - artificial, not real. You need to drive away bad thoughts, think only about the good - about the future improvement of life, well-being, health.
- It is better not to be alone when quitting smoking. This is the biggest risk for smoking, so you should spend active time with your relatives, friends and children.
- Avoid thinking about smoking. If you completely burden yourself with household chores in order not to be idle with thoughts of smoking - do cleaning, wash dishes, cook a delicious dinner, watch an interesting movie - if anything, it is possible.
- You should often remember your chosen motivation and reward yourself for each new day without smoking, for each small victory over the next craving for a cigarette. The only condition is that it is advisable not to organize prizes in the form of eating sweets or other products.
- We need to find a substitute for cigarettes. If you want to smoke, eating a carrot, an apple, a piece of celery or rhubarb, cracking the seeds, drinking herbal tea - peppermint, herb, currant leaves, drinking small sips of cold water is safe and harmless.
Exercise can help you not smoke again - swimming, running, walking, as well as various relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and even hypnosis. Also, experts recommend brushing your teeth more often, using mint mouthwashes, and using aromatherapy at home to avoid this bad habit. We must not forget to reduce visits to places where others smoke - there is no need to provoke yourself unnecessarily, especially in the first weeks after quitting smoking.
"Anti-nicotine" nutrition and weight gain
As you know, many people start gaining weight when they quit a bad habit. But this usually happens not because of a lack of nicotine, but because of a sharp change in eating habits. If before hunger could be replaced by smoke, now it overtakes a person with a vengeance. Most people rely on crackers and chips, sweets and candies, nuts and seeds to "capture" the strongest urge to smoke. Almost all such foods are high in calories and sometimes downright unhealthy due to the abundance of trans fats and preservatives. So, a quick set of 8-10 kilograms is the fault of another bad habit that has come to replace smoking.
Ex-smokers often increase their total caloric intake by increasing the number of meals, eating at night, having second breakfasts and extra snacks. Overeating is often associated with improved appetite, as it is not at its best with regular smoking.
In this case, there is only one way out - to monitor the intake and consumption of calories, eat only healthy foods, lean more on vegetables and fruits in order not to smoke again. Fresh carrots, apples, apricots, cucumbers, plums, etc. It is better to give up chips and crackers in favor.
Some foods rich in ascorbic acid are necessary to compensate for its acute deficiency, and also help to improve human well-being. These include raspberries, currants, citrus fruits, spinach, sauerkraut, etc.
There are also some nutritional tips that will help you survive nicotine withdrawal easier and faster without gaining extra weight and feeling sick:
- In order not to damage the vessels already affected by smoking, give up very strong tea, a lot of coffee, replace them with mineral water, juices.
- Do not abuse salty foods, spicy foods, fried and smoked foods due to irritation of taste buds and increased desire to smoke.
- There is more fiber, because it will help to quickly remove the decomposition products of cigarette smoke from the body.
- Do not drink alcohol. Alcohol, especially strong, contributes to the loss of control over the situation, and the risk of smoking is great.
What is the best way to quit - suddenly or gradually?
The answer of experts is not unambiguous - you need to quit smoking immediately. Of course, heavy smokers with decades of experience will not be able to cope with this habit so easily, but they should consult a doctor. The doctor will choose the best way to quit smoking, but even in such a case, the person will probably be offered a one-time cessation with therapeutic support.
When a person gradually quits smoking, reducing the number of cigarettes per day and switching to lighter brands, he only prolongs his suffering.
The body has a strong resistance, it cannot receive the usual dose of nicotine, as a result, you literally have to fight every hour, every hour, feverishly counting the cigarettes smoked and counting the cigarettes left for the day. In any case, this will lead to the cessation of smoking or an imperceptible increase, and the fight against the bad habit will not progress even one step. In addition, light cigarettes contain more harmful substances that replace slightly reduced nicotine, and the damage to the body can be even greater. There is another drawback to gradual withdrawal - neither mental nor physical dependence decreases. But, does the smoker need additional suffering, besides, there is no benefit to his body?
Electronic cigarettes should be mentioned separately. This modern gadget, unlike advertising, does not contribute to smoking cessation. Of course, since there is no tar and bitter smoke, the damage to health is reduced, the lungs are cleaned, coughing stops, and the skin is cleansed.
Addiction to e-cigarettes remains, because nicotine continues to enter the body, and over time, its dose increases due to the possibility of smoking even at work. Therefore, with a strong desire to heal without harm, there is only one option - to give up smoking once and for all.
Antinicotinic substances
Many people buy nicotine patches, gum and pills to quit smoking. Such preparations contain the minimum amount of nicotine that will enter the body and reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. The use of such means makes sense, but only for heavy smokers. During treatment, you can get rid of psychological addiction - taking a break from smoking, smoking after meals, during stress. But it is not worth it to hope that drugs will do everything for a smoker.
Sooner or later, a person will have to give up nicotine itself, which still enters the receptors and gives a strong physical addiction. Therefore, any pills and drugs are only auxiliary methods to get rid of a bad habit, nothing else. If you apply them correctly and do not increase the dose, but reduce it, you will achieve a little relief of the task, and everything will work out with your desire and willpower!