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Quitting Smoking
Quitting Smoking
If you’re reading this article, you probably want to cut back or quit smoking. It can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve done it for a long time, but we’re here to help. In this blog post, we will share some of the best tips and tricks to help you quit.
What Causes the Addiction?
In Ireland, most people begin as social smokers, then progress to having a cigarette when they feel stressed or are with someone else who smokes, and it snowballs from there. Why does this happen? Nicotine.
Nicotine is an addictive organic compound found in the tobacco plant. Nicotine is addictive due to the way it interacts with your brain through repetitive use. Each time you smoke or vape, dopamine is released. Dopamine gives you the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. So, with repeated use, your brain begins to crave more dopamine, causing addiction.
How Does Smoking Affect Your Health?
Cigarettes contain a dangerous blend of around 7000 chemicals and at least 70 of these are known to cause cancer and many are toxic. Smoking leads to a number of health issues; including an increased risk of stroke, lung disease, heart attack, cancer, blocked veins and arteries, impaired immune system, cataracts, general inflammation, delayed brain development and so on. Over time, each of these health risks increase as you continue to smoke.
Methods of Quitting
The two most popular methods people use to quit smoking are cold turkey and weaning.
Cold turkey is when you quit abruptly. It’s quick, but not always effective. With going cold turkey, you will experience withdrawals, which sends some people straight back to smoking as it’s overwhelming or unbearable. Some symptoms of withdrawal are cravings, irritability, anxiety, depression, impatience, trouble sleeping, restlessness, hunger and difficulty concentrating. The severity of these symptoms can depend on how much and how often you smoke and the duration you have been smoking.
Weaning can take longer but it’s easier for a lot of people. With weaning, you slowly reduce how much or how often you smoke. Some people do this by only allowing themselves a certain amount of cigarettes a day or that they can only have one after a certain time in the day, while others choose vaping or nicotine pouches as you can continue to have nicotine just as frequently but in a lower dosage, gradually reducing the nicotine strength until you reach the point when you feel you don’t need it any more.
Making A Plan
To quit you need to be determined and motivated. So find what motivates you to quit. Is it to improve your health? Is it your kids? Is it to save money? All of the above?
You need to find the best method of quitting for you. Not every method works for everyone, and that’s okay. Find what works for you and allows you to stay motivated and happy throughout this journey.
If you decide to wean yourself off, try to pinpoint when you want to be independent from cigarettes. When you have that timeframe you can begin to make a plan. Take a look at how many cigarettes you smoke in a day. How gradually or suddenly do you want to reduce your intake? How many cigarettes will you smoke each day this week? Try to reduce your intake every day if possible.
If you find it difficult to refrain from smoking as many cigarettes as you typically would, try replacing your usual method of ingesting nicotine with another where you can be more conscious of your intake and have more control over the amount or strength.
Vaping is a great way to take control of your nicotine intake. When buying e-liquid you can choose the nicotine strength and reduce this amount over time. Some vapes also have a puff counter, so you can keep track of how many puffs you take in a day. Vaping, while not harmless, is much safer than smoking a cigarette as it introduces you to far less harmful toxins. People who switch from smoking cigarettes to vapes have reduced exposure to toxins associated with the risk of cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke.
Another alternative nicotine source is nicotine pouches, also known as snus. These are small flavoured pouches of nicotine that you place between your gum and your lip. You leave the pouch there for roughly 30 minutes and over that period the nicotine and flavour begins to disperse. Some people also enjoy nicotine gum, lozenges or patches that are designed specifically to help you quit smoking.
If you decide that cold turkey is the best option, prepare yourself for the symptoms that come with withdrawals and have a plan for what to do when they hit.
To distract from cravings try taking up a new hobby or changing your routine. Let’s say you typically have a cigarette after you eat, anymore after you eat you can go for a walk, pick up a book or do any hobby you enjoy. It’s important that you enjoy whatever this hobby is, as typically, you would be getting dopamine from smoking, and we want to remind your brain that you can get dopamine without smoking.
Some people also begin therapy to help change the way they see smoking and understand more about their reliance on nicotine. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is an extremely helpful, goal-oriented type of talk therapy that can benefit you greatly.
Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for support and understanding during this time also.
Something that also afflicts smokers is the need for the ‘hand-to-mouth’ action. This is caused by the repeated action of placing a cigarette in between your lips. To remedy this, some people choose to get necklaces designed to help people quit. These necklaces are designed to feel like a cigarette in your mouth and you can inhale on them for that same feeling as smoking. The only thing you’re inhaling with this necklace is fresh air.
Rewarding yourself for progress is so important. You need to look at your progress and reward yourself for your achievements! Be proud of how far you’ve come and all the work you’ve put into bettering yourself!
What Happens To Your Body When You Quit
When you quit smoking your health improves drastically over time. You will remember what it feels like to exercise without difficulty, to breathe easily and enjoy life free of dependency.
After 24 hours, your blood pressure and heart rate have started to return to normal, and your circulation is beginning to improve. Your blood oxygen levels return to normal and your risk of having a heart attack begins to lower also. All carbon monoxide is eliminated from your body and your lungs begin to clear any mucous.
After 72 hours nicotine is completely out of your system. Your taste and smell get better and it gets easier to breathe as the bronchial tubes relax. Your energy levels will begin to increase.
After 2 weeks your circulation has improved majorly, making movement and exercise easier.
After 3 to 6 months any coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath is nearly gone.
After 5 years your risk of having a heart attack falls to that of a non-smoker.
After 10 years your risk of lung cancer falls to about half of that of a non-smoker.
Conclusion
This article touched on nicotine addiction, the effects of smoking on your body, methods and tips for quitting and how your health improves when you quit. Hopefully, the information we shared here can help aid you in your journey to being smoke-free.
Quitting isn’t an easy task, it takes time and effort to stay away from cigarettes. During this process, it is important to have patience and be kind to yourself.
Best of luck!
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