If you really want to quit smoking for good, we'll walk you step by step through the steps to quit smoking. You will learn how to prepare, how to quit smoking, and how to avoid a relapse. You will also learn how to quit smoking more easily.
You are probably at the stage where one part of you wants to get rid of this habit and the other doesn't. You may be worried about failing. Put these thoughts aside. Think about why you want to break the habit and that will motivate you to succeed.
It doesn't matter how long or how long you smoked. If you stop smoking now, your body will begin to heal and serve you, even if you have neglected its health for many years.
Nicotine addiction
The average smoker receives around 200 servings of nicotine per day and more than 70, 000 per year. Ten puffs per cigarette, multiplied by 20 cigarettes per day, gives about 200 servings of nicotine per day. This is partly why smoking is so addictive. Your brain is constantly waiting for the next dose of nicotine. Research has shown that nicotine is as addictive as some drugs.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms:
- Irritable
- Worry
- Difficult concentration
- Headaches
- Gluttony
- Cigarette cravings
What happens when you quit nicotine? Smoking increases the number of nicotinic receptors in your brain. When you quit smoking, these receptors continue to wait for nicotine. When they don't get it, they start to adjust.
How long do nicotine withdrawal symptoms last?
Nicotine is eliminated from the body 72 hours after you quit smoking. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms usually peak 2 to 3 days after quitting and disappear within 1 to 3 months. It takes at least 3 months for brain chemistry to return to normal after quitting smoking. The last two symptoms are irritability and lethargy.
Any effective smoking cessation program must take into account this long period of adaptation. This is why some doctors recommend that you gradually reduce your nicotine doses with nicotine replacement therapy. However, most people begin to feel better after 1 week, and symptoms usually disappear within 3 months.
How to quit smoking on your own: a step-by-step plan
A step-by-step plan includes the following steps:
- Make the decision to quit smoking
- Identify situations that increase your risk of smoking
- Get everything you need
- Select a date to quit smoking
- Tell everyone you know about your decision
- Remove everything that remembers smoking
- Prepare to endure the first two weeks
- Develop an aging strategy
1. Make the decision to quit smoking
Identify your reasons for quitting a bad habit. Leave to smoke is difficult. But you can win if you keep your goals in mind. If you've tried to quit smoking before and failed, don't let that affect your confidence. The more you try, the better your chances of success. Maybe you weren't ready last time. You may not have taken the correct steps.
2. Identify situations that increase your risk of smoking
Smoking is not just a physical addiction to nicotine. It is also a psychological addiction. Because you smoke? Is this a way to escape your busy work schedule? Is this a time when you can be alone with your thoughts? Most people smoke for the same reasons as alcoholics. This is an opportunity to escape, relax or pamper yourself.
You should anticipate situations where the risk of smoking is particularly high. This will help you deal with the temptation. Some common smoking situations are:
- Drink coffee
- End of breakfast
- Drive
- Using the phone
- Stressful situations
- Drink alcohol
- Social events
Here are some strategies to deal with temptations:
If you smoke while having your morning coffee, have a coffee at work, where it will probably be more difficult for you to smoke.
If you smoke while driving, change your route. This will require you to be careful not to be on autopilot.
In case you are used to smoking after meals, after dinner, go for a walk, brush your teeth, do something.
Smoke while talking on the phone; instead, squeeze the ball with your free hand. Try to be busy all the time. People often smoke from inactivity.
What if you can't resist? It is best to avoid all or nothing thoughts. Do not give up. You may not be able to resist, but all is not lost.
The more you try to quit, the better your chances of success.
3. Get everything you need to quit smoking
Every smoker knows that smoking creates oral addiction. When you quit smoking, your brain will still crave the feeling of a cigarette in your mouth. As part of a plan to quit smoking, stock up on oral substitutes like gum, raw vegetables, carrot sticks, candy, straws, and the like.
If you plan to use nicotine or smoking cessation medications, talk to your doctor. Learn how to use them, the possible side effects, and what to look for.
4. Select a date to quit smoking
A quit date is a commitment to yourself. This is important because it prepares you subconsciously. Pick a date next month. It doesn't have to be a special day. Avoid a day when you are busy, busy, or doing an activity. Write the selected date somewhere and look at the entry every day. Let your resolution grow as the date approaches.
If you are going to use medications, your doctor may recommend that you start using them right away. Ask your doctor when to start taking pills.
5. Tell everyone you know about your decision
It will be easier to quit smoking if you have support. Choose people you think will be helpful to you. Tell them about your plan and how they can help.
- Friends can help distract you.
- They can hear you.
- With the support of friends, your fight will be easier.
- But explain that you want easy conversations. Nothing important to stress your mind.
6. Delete all reminders to smoke
Smoking, like any addiction, is about people, places and things. Smoking attributes: cigarettes, matches, lighters and ashtrays. Get rid of them. Don't save anything "just in case".
Freshen up the air at home, at work, and in your car. The smell of cigarettes is definitely a trigger, especially in the beginning.
7. Prepare to endure the first two weeks
The first two weeks are critical to your success. If you can be successful the first time, your chances of quitting are greatly increased. Try to be distracted, always busy, and take care of yourself. Have fun and avoid stress.
Take your time
Spend time with your friends more often. Go for a walk, bike, go to the gym, or go to the movies. Pamper yourself.
- Keep your hands busy. Twist a pen or something in your fingers.
- Drink lots of water.
- Meet people who can help you. Everyone understands how difficult it is for you. Don't try to quit alone.
- When you are alone with your temptations, you allow them to grow.
- Relax and breathe deeply.
Avoid provocative situations
- Don't interact with smokers. No matter how friendly and supportive your smoking friends are, they increase your risk of having a flare-up.
- Practice saying, "No thanks, I don't smoke anymore. "
- If you feel the risk of smoking, quit immediately.
- A change of scenery might help.
Talk to yourself
Most temptations only last 10-20 minutes. Distract yourself and the cravings will pass. Tell yourself:
- "I refuse to believe that smoking is stronger than me. "
- "I will never smoke again. "
- "I decided not to smoke. "
- Here and now.
8. Develop a strategy to preserve exposure
Don't think about quitting for good. This can discourage you. Start now and the days will begin to lengthen.
Personal care
Be kind to yourself. This is probably the most important and underrated condition for quitting smoking. You only think you deserve to be rewarded after a prolonged abstinence from smoking. But this is an old thought.
Don't try to diet by kicking a bad habit. You already have too many unpleasant sensations. Try eating more fruits and vegetables instead.
Celebrate your achievements
People who quit tend to pay more attention to their failures. But don't underestimate how far you've come. Pamper yourself.
With the money you save on cigarettes, indulge yourself once a week. Or save money for something bigger, like traveling. Throw a party for you and your friends.
Stress Relief
Get plenty of rest and eat healthy foods. Lack of sleep and excessive sugar consumption can cause it.
Fill your mouth with something like gum, raw vegetables, carrot sticks.
Stress is a common cause of smoking. Relax with a few slow, deep breaths. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Repeat this 5 times and you will feel relieved.
Lean
- When you really want to smoke, consider how persistent you've been so far.
- Remember your reasons for quitting.
- Don't let your addiction win.
- Think about the benefits to your health, finances and family.
- Remember that one cigarette pulls another.
- Begin to see yourself as a non-smoker. This is the end goal. You stop thinking about quitting.
Nicotine replacement therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy helps reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine replacement therapy increases the chance of successful quitting by 50 to 70 percent. However, it is not a substitute for strategies to quit smoking. Relieves physical addiction to nicotine, but does not address behavioral or psychological addiction. So some kind of program and strategy is still needed to quit smoking.
IMPORTANT:The following is general medical information that does not include the individual. Some people may not be able to use nicotine replacement therapy due to allergies or other conditions. You should always check with your doctor about your health.
What types of nicotine replacement therapy are there?
There are three categories of nicotine replacement therapy: nicotine, which is absorbed through the skin, mouth, and respiratory tract. Here are some important points to help you make your decision.
Nicotine patch.
It's convenient because it provides long-term relief from nicotine withdrawal symptoms and requires your attention only once a day. The nicotine patch is the most studied type of nicotine replacement therapy, increasing your chances of quitting by 50 to 70 percent.
Nicotine lozenges and gum.
Provide short-term relief from nicotine withdrawal symptoms. And they help keep your mouth busy, something the nicotine patch can't.
The most effective combination for quitting smoking is the nicotine patch for long-term relief and the nicotine lozenge for emergencies.
Nicotine lozenges or gum are absorbed through the mucous membrane of the mouth, not through the stomach. Food and drink can affect nicotine absorption. Therefore, you should not eat or drink for at least 15 minutes before using nicotine gum or lozenges. And you must not eat or drink while wearing them.
Nicotine lozenges are easier for most people to use than nicotine gum. The gum sticks to tooth enamel.
How to use nicotine lozenges? Suck on the lollipop until it dissolves completely, about 20-30 minutes. Do not bite or swallow lollipops.
How is nicotine gum used? Chew the gum slowly until you feel a taste or tingling in your mouth. Then pause until the taste is gone. Then chew it again to regain the tingling and pause again.
Nicotine inhalers and nicotine nasal spray.
They are the fastest acting nicotine replacement products available. However, they are at higher risk of addiction. They mimic smoking, which makes them attractive.
Both nicotine inhalers and nasal sprays are available by prescription.
How long can nicotine replacement therapy be used?
Within the time period indicated in the tag. For example, 8, 10 or 12 weeks. It makes sense to wear the patch for a total of 3 to 5 months if you have your doctor's permission.
Most people resume smoking if they reduce the full dose from 21mg to 14mg too quickly.
Can substitution therapy lead to nicotine overdose and poisoning?
Yes, if you use it incorrectly.
These are some of the symptoms of nicotine overdose or nicotine poisoning:
- Excitement, worry, trembling
- Headache
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea
- Cold sweat, paleness
If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor. More serious symptoms of nicotine overdose or nicotine poisoning include:
- Visual or hearing impairment
- Dizziness or weakness
- Rapid breathing
- Disorientation in space
- Seizures
Emergency services should be called for these symptoms.
How safe is nicotine replacement therapy?
Nicotine replacement therapy is considered safe for smokers with cardiovascular disease. It does not increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. There is not enough evidence to be absolutely sure that nicotine replacement therapy is safe for pregnant women. However, many doctors believe that substitution therapy is much safer than smoking.
Quit smoking.
There are prescription drugs to help you quit smoking. Some of them can be used in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy. Most must be started before quitting and require a prescription.
IMPORTANT:This is general medical information and is not designed for the individual. You should always consult with your doctor about your health problems.
Reasons to quit smoking
Here are some things you probably don't know about the dangers of smoking. This addiction causes more deaths each year than all of the following combined:
- Alcoholism
- Addiction
- Accident
- AIDS
If you are recovering from drug addiction or alcoholism, there is no point in dying from smoking.
Smoking kills 6 million people each year around the world. Smokers die more often from heart disease and stroke than from lung cancer.
Smoking causes type 2 diabetes. Smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely to develop diabetes. These are just a few of the diseases that smoking causes. There is no organ or system in your body that is not damaged by this addiction.
Here are some reasons why you should quit:
- You are concerned about your health
- You are worried about your addiction
- You know someone who has had health problems from smoking
- You are trying to be a positive role model for your family
- You want to save money
- Smoking costs between $ 2, 500 and $ 5, 000 a year. This is the price of a good vacation.
Facts about secondhand smoke
Secondhand smoke causes the same deaths as regular smoking. There is no safe level. For nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke, there is an increased risk:
- 25-30 percent more likely to develop heart disease and stroke
- 20-30 percent more likely to develop lung cancer
Children and secondhand smoke
Secondhand smoke has been shown to harm children's health and increase the risk of the following diseases:
- Asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis
- Ear infections
- Sudden infant death syndrome
Isn't all of the above enough to quit smoking once and for all?