According to Mark Twain, a writer known not only for his works, but also for his excellent sense of humor, quitting smoking is not at all difficult, he himself has done it dozens of times.
But seriously, according to sociologist research, only 5% of those who quit smoking manage to finish what they started the first time. Others need 5 - 10 - 20 attempts.
But there are still functional ways to quit smoking forever, and if you show willpower, then everything will surely succeed.
Only people with a strong spirit can say a firm "no" to themselves and never take cigarettes again. If the craving for tobacco is very strong and your will is not enough, then you should seek help from a psychotherapist and do a few sessions.
Is there an easy way to quit smoking?
Many people, thinking about how to quit smoking, try to find the easiest way. Some people think about how to start smoking less, others decide to quit smoking once and for all.
Unfortunately, only a person who has not yet developed an addiction can easily quit. That is, the one who smokes recently and little by little. Otherwise, giving up the habit will lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
The longer cigarettes are present in a person's life, the harder it will be for him to quit smoking, even in the most determined mood. Of course, willpower and confidence in success will positively affect the result, but it will not be able to reverse the body's negative reaction to the absence of substances that have become commonplace.
So don’t look for a mythical easy way. You need to try to find the one that turns out to be the most efficient and comfortable in your situation, and move steadily towards your goal.
Potential negative consequences of abrupt cessation of smoking
After deciding to quit smoking, many people think about how to do it without harm to their health. Some prefer a cardinal approach and abruptly give up cigarettes. Others try to avoid stress for the body and mind and quit smoking by reducing the number of cigarettes.
Each method has its pros and cons. In particular, abrupt cessation of smoking leads to the appearance of withdrawal syndrome, which is expressed by the following symptoms:
- dizziness, headache;
- cough (first dry and then with copious sputum), difficulty breathing;
- blood pressure spikes;
- arrhythmia;
- sleep disorders (night insomnia and daytime sleepiness);
- digestive disorders;
- weakening of immunity, as a result of frequent colds;
- irritability, nervousness;
- lethargy, apathy, depression;
- emotional instability;
- decreased performance, impaired concentration, lethargy.
Signs can appear in any combination and continue with varying degrees of severity. It all depends on the experience of the smoker and the individual characteristics of the organism. The hardest part is in the first week. Furthermore, as the body cleanses, the symptoms will subside.
How to overcome the symptoms of quitting and not start smoking again?
Withdrawal syndrome is different in humans. But even those with severe symptoms should know that this condition is temporary and will pass quickly enough, even if it seems that it only gets worse every day, and improvement will never come.
Bitan!The main thing in the initial stage is to be patient and in no case try to improve your condition with another "last" cigarette.
There are many recommendations on how to get through the first days after quitting smoking and stop smoking.
- One of the main conditions is the absence of provoking factors. Anything reminiscent of a bad habit should be removed. Cigarette packs, lighters, ashtrays should disappear from view.
- Motivation is very important. By understanding why you quit smoking and what the positive aspects of addiction rejection are, it is much easier to survive temporary weakness.
- Reading themed literature or watching the program will help you make sure your decision is correct and you will find it easier to survive the first days without cigarettes. Another working way to replace the smoking ritual with another. For example, you can peel and slice an apple and then eat it.
- It effectively helps in dealing with sports abstinence syndrome. True, this option will come in handy at a later stage, when your health condition improves a bit. And even after that, you shouldn’t burden your body right away. But classes in the pool, walks, cycling, skating or rollerblading will be quite real. This method will not only help to mentally distract yourself, but will also contribute to a quick cleansing of the body.
- According to experts, communication with friends in an accident helps a lot. If you have someone to talk to about problems or just complain about, then it will be much easier for you to quit smoking.
- Diet during the period of smoking cessation plays an important role. For example, tomatoes, eggplant and cauliflower contain negligible amounts of nicotine. Consuming this food can help reduce cravings for cigarettes without harm to health.
Effective ways to quit smoking
It is hardly worth explaining to anyone why it is worth quitting smoking. Moreover, these explanations are not needed by heavy smokers who have already felt the negative effect of nicotine on health and the body.
There are many ways you can effectively get rid of addiction. It is the use of special drugs that reduce the craving for nicotine and reduce the manifestations of withdrawal syndrome, as well as folk remedies and psychotherapeutic techniques.
Pharmacological agents
Medications help to stop smoking on your own, eliminate the craving for nicotine on a physical and mental level, and deal with the manifestations of withdrawal symptoms.
Three groups of drugs can be distinguished:
- Nicotine replacement agents. . . These are products that contain low concentrations of nicotine. They help to give up cigarettes gradually, that is, painlessly. The choice is quite large, sweets, chewing gum, sprays, patches help to quit smoking more easily. Smoking lollipops are very popular. According to some studies, the use of nicotine-containing medications can help halve the intensity of withdrawal symptoms.
- Nicotinic receptor agonists.The active substance of these drugs acts on nicotine-responsive receptors. As a result, the mechanism changes and the person stops enjoying smoking, and in some cases begins to feel disgust towards it.
- Sedatives and antidepressants.The use of this group of drugs is primarily aimed at alleviating psychological discomfort, eliminating nervousness and irritability.
But switching to electronic cigarettes, which many consider an easy way to quit smoking, is not recommended by experts. Such devices are also unhealthy and highly addictive. So, the only result that can be expected is the replacement of one bad habit with another.
Non-drug techniques
Many smoking cessation methods are not drug-related. Different types of hypnosis are considered effective, which form a sharply negative attitude towards smoking in a person.
Various methods of coding from smoking are also popular, among which the Dovzhenko method stands out. Its essence is that the psychotherapeutic effect of a dual direction is performed on the patient. This means that, on the one hand, the smoker learns a negative attitude towards smoking, and on the other hand, the pictures describe all the benefits of living without cigarettes.
Traditional medicine plays a big role in smoking cessation. Many herbal recipes are available to reduce cravings for cigarettes and alleviate withdrawal symptoms. There are a large number of recipes. The most popular are the following:
- decoction of unrefined oats;
- oregano, mint, St. John's wort and yarrow tea;
- decoction of chamomile, valerian, mint, fennel and cumin seeds;
- drinks with ginger and honey;
- soothing valerian and mint tea;
- Infusion of calamus root helps to eliminate the desire to smoke.
Here are some more tips to help you quit smoking:
- you need to choose a specific date, and preferably at a time when important things and stressful situations are not planned (for example, exams, taking an important project or moving to a new apartment);
- avoiding coffee will make it much easier to give up cigarettes;
- take care of the availability of healthy snacks (fresh vegetables and fruits, dried fruits, seeds, nuts);
- communicate your intention to as many people as possible, experience shows that the attention and support of external observers significantly reduces the likelihood of failure;
- install a special application on your phone;
- find something to your liking that will take up all your free time.
Another option is to quarrel with someone for a decent amount. In this case, the desire to win will save you from falling. Some are helped by unconventional methods such as acupuncture.
When should you see a doctor?
It is much easier to quit smoking with the help of an expert. The narcologist will advise on effective methods of quitting cigarettes and help alleviate the symptoms of quitting. Depending on the chosen method of smoking treatment, you can consult a therapist with experience in the treatment of nicotine addiction, a neuropathologist or psychotherapist.
In addition, it is necessary to consult a doctor in cases where the symptoms of rejection syndrome are very pronounced or do not disappear even after a long time. And also if there are concomitant diseases, then you need to consult a doctor of appropriate specialization, for example, a cardiologist or pulmonologist.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Many of those who are thinking about how to quit smoking once and for all make a series of mistakes that call into question the success of their plans. This includes the following:
- the intention not to quit, but to smoke less (practically no one manages to control the rate of cigarette consumption);
- indulging in the withdrawal process, for example, allowing yourself to smoke one cigarette to calm down (this will negate everything that has already been achieved);
- switching to lighter cigarettes (in most cases it is only possible to increase the number of cigarettes smoked per day).
In addition, many believe that they can overcome psychological dependence at any time, which means they keep the situation under control. This illusion leads to the fact that a person increasingly falls into the power of bad habits, harms his health, and quitting smoking becomes more and more unattainable.
Conclusion
Everyone has their own way to quit smoking. The method that helped a relative or friend may not be helpful in your case. But one should not despair, if there is desire and persistence, then there is a suitable way for everyone.
And to speed up the result and make quitting more enjoyable, you can use an integrated approach, combining several options.