According to Mark Twain, a writer known not only for his work but also for his excellent sense of humor, quitting smoking is not difficult at all, he himself has done it dozens of times.
But seriously, according to sociological 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 working ways to quit smoking forever, and if you show willpower, then everything will definitely work out.
Only very strong people can say a resounding "no" and never drink 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 give up. 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, the strength of will and confidence in success will positively affect the result, but they will not be able to cancel the negative reaction of the body 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 is most effective and convenient in your situation, and constantly move 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 health. Some prefer a radical 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 withdrawal syndrome, which manifests itself in the following symptoms:
- dizziness, headache;
- cough (first dry, then with copious sputum), shortness of breath;
- jumps in blood pressure;
- arrhythmia;
- sleep disorders (nocturnal insomnia and daytime drowsiness);
- digestive disorders;
- weakening of immunity as a result of frequent colds;
- irritability, nervousness;
- lethargy, apathy, depression;
- emotional instability;
- reduced efficiency, impaired concentration, lethargy.
Signs can appear in any combination and occur 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 the first week. In addition, with the cleansing of the body, the symptoms will disappear.
How to overcome the symptoms of withdrawal 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 every day it only gets worse and improvement will never come.
Important!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 switch in the first days after quitting smoking and not smoking again.
- One of the main conditions is the lack of provoking factors. Anything reminiscent of a bad habit should be removed. Cigarette packs, lighters, ashtrays should disappear from view.
- Motivation is very important. Understanding why you quit smoking and what are the positive aspects of rejecting addiction is much easier to experience temporary malaise.
- Reading thematic literature or watching programs will help you establish the correctness of your decision and it will be easier for you 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.
- Effectively helps to cope with the withdrawal syndrome. It is true that this option will be useful at a later stage, when health improves slightly. And even after that you should not immediately load the body. But hours in the pool, walking, cycling, skating or roller skating will be appropriate. This method will not only help to dissipate psychologically, but will also contribute to the rapid cleansing of the body.
- According to experts, communicating with friends unfortunately helps a lot. If you have someone to discuss problems with or just complain about, then it will be much easier to quit smoking.
- An important role is played by nutrition during the period of smoking cessation. For example, tomatoes, eggplants and cauliflower contain small amounts of nicotine. Eating these foods can help reduce hunger for cigarettes without harming your health.
Effective ways to quit smoking
It is hardly worth explaining to someone why it is worth quitting smoking. In addition, these explanations are not needed by heavy smokers who have already experienced the negative effects of nicotine on health and body.
There are many ways you can effectively get rid of addiction. This is the use of special drugs that reduce the desire for nicotine and reduce the manifestations of withdrawal syndrome, and folk remedies and psychotherapeutic techniques.
Pharmacological agents
Medications help to quit smoking on your own, eliminate the desire for nicotine on a physical and psychological level and deal with the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms.
Three groups of drugs can be distinguished:
- Nicotine substitutes. . . These are products that contain low concentrations of nicotine. They help to give up cigarettes gradually, that is, more 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 drugs can help halve the intensity of withdrawal symptoms.
- Nicotinic receptor agonists.The active substance in these medicines acts on the receptors that react to nicotine. As a result, the mechanism changes and the person stops enjoying smoking, and in some cases begins to feel disgust for it.
- Sedatives and antidepressants.The use of this group of drugs is aimed primarily at relieving psychological discomfort, eliminating nervousness and irritability.
But switching to e-cigarettes, which many consider an easy way to quit smoking, experts do not recommend. Such gadgets 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 sharp negative attitude towards smoking in humans.
Various coding methods from smoking are also popular, among which Dovzhenko's method stands out. Its essence is that the patient has a psychotherapeutic effect from two directions. This means that on the one hand, the smoker learns about the negative attitude towards smoking, and on the other hand, they describe in color all the benefits of living without cigarettes.
Folk medicine plays a major role in smoking cessation. There are many herbal recipes for reducing hunger for cigarettes and relieving withdrawal symptoms. There are many many recipes. The most popular are the following:
- decoction of unrefined oats;
- oregano tea, mint, St. John's wort and yarrow;
- decoction of chamomile, valerian, mint, dill and cumin;
- ginger and honey drink;
- soothing valerian and mint tea;
- calendula root infusion helps relieve the urge 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, passing an important project or moving to a new apartment);
- avoiding coffee will make it much easier to quit smoking;
- make sure you have 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 damage;
- install a special application on the phone;
- find something to your liking that will take up all your free time.
Another option is to argue with someone for a decent amount. In this case, the desire to win will save you from falling. Some are helped by non-traditional methods such as acupuncture.
When should you see a doctor?
It is much easier to quit smoking with the help of a professional. The addict will advise you on effective methods of quitting smoking and will help relieve the symptoms of withdrawal. Depending on the chosen method of treatment for smoking, you can consult a therapist experienced in the treatment of nicotine addiction, a neurologist or psychotherapist.
In addition, you should consult a doctor in cases where the symptoms of the rejection syndrome are severe or do not disappear even after a long time. And also, if there are concomitant diseases, then you should contact a doctor with the appropriate specialization, such as a cardiologist or pulmonologist.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Many of those who think about giving up cigarettes once and for all make a number of mistakes that call into question the success of their plans. These include the following:
- the intention not to give up, but to smoke less (practically no one manages to control the rate of cigarette consumption);
- devotion to the process of withdrawal, for example, allowing yourself to smoke a cigarette to calm down (this will deny 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 that they keep the situation under control. This illusion leads to the fact that a person increasingly falls into the power of a bad habit, harms his health, and smoking cessation becomes increasingly unattainable.
Conclusion
Everyone has their own way to quit smoking. A method that has helped a relative or friend may not be helpful in your case. But you should not despair, if there is desire and perseverance, then there is a suitable way for everyone.
And to speed up the result and make giving up the habit more convenient, you can use an integrated approach, combining several options.