Smoking is not exactly a pleasure for the senses. The first time a person is exposed to cigarettes, the usual thing is that they do not live a pleasant experience. Tobacco has a strong and irritating odor. When you inhale there are burning and a feeling of suffocation. Even so, many get hooked on this habit and then find it almost impossible to quit. Do you want to know how to stop smoking successfully? You are in right place. Let’s dive into it.
The Nicotine is the substance responsible for cigarette addiction. That compound is an alkaloid that generates dependency. After inhalation, it takes about 10 seconds to reach the brain. There it stimulates the production of dopamine, but in the long term, it produces the release of an amount that satisfies less. Therefore, higher doses are needed for nicotine to return to its effects.
Unlike other drugs, nicotine does not produce radical changes in behavior. Likewise, several studies have been able to establish that in the addiction to smoking also influence powerful psychological factors. This habit is considered a “behavioral reinforcement” rather than a strictly physical dependence.
Summary of Contents
How to Stop Smoking Successfully?
There are many ways to stop smoking successfully. There are also many resources to help you. Your family, friends, and co-workers can be supportive. But to be successful, you really have to have the desire to stop smoking. If you want to remove your forehead wrinkles, follow our 12 effective suggestions.
Reduce Consumption
This is a progressive reduction method to stop smoking successfully. Some people prefer to slowly reduce their cigarette consumption for a certain period of time, and it is a good method in many ways because it gives you the opportunity to gradually get used to the idea.
You will gain strength and confidence in yourself just by seeing firsthand that you have the necessary inner strength to stop smoking completely. Make sure you have a strategy and a future date in which you plan to stop smoking.
For example: maybe you decide to quit smoking in a month. Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke daily by only one per day. So, within a month from now, you will have reached your goal of becoming a non-smoker.
Be sure to write or track all your daily achievements in a place where you can see them often. So, you can see how well you have done and how far you have come.
Eat healthily
Some people prefer to throw away cigarettes and stop smoking suddenly. If you are a heavy smoker, it is normal to have strong cravings after quitting. Make sure you are prepared for those moments of anxiety and have strategies at hand so you can fight the urge.
Find ways to distract yourself like, eat something. Try to make it healthy, you do not want to have an overweight problem after you have quit smoking. Drink a glass of water or a can of soda, take a short walk, call a friend. Do anything you can imagine diverting your attention from those cravings.
Certain triggers that caused you to smoke were dangerous. This could mean that you have to change your lifestyle for some time. Try to alter your routine and mix it up a bit.
Nicotine replacements
The patches are easily found and you do not necessarily need a medical formula. In any case, it is better to consult your doctor about his opinion on the type of patch you should start. The patches diminish your cravings and work by issuing controlled amounts of nicotine in your body, for periods of up to 24 hours.
The patches deliver nicotine steadily. Instead of having to take a large dose of nicotine from the cigarette. The patches are designed to be used for a certain period of time, usually about 8 to 10 weeks. It depends on how smoker you are. Little by little you can quit nicotine by reducing the dose during that period of time until you stop smoking completely.
Other methods to quit smoking are pills, chewing gums, and nasal inhalers. A medical formula is not required for these nicotine replacement methods. You can find them as over-the-counter products at the local store.
Medications
Some medications are available to help smokers stop smoking successfully. You start taking them before you quit smoking, usually one week before your target date.
These medications can only be obtained by prescription because they can cause side effects so you need to be under medical supervision while you are taking them.
They can be a wonderful method to stop smoking and many smokers have had success stories due to medications, although it should be mentioned that these are not suitable for everyone because of their side effects. Never take them if you are not under medical supervision.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is the power of suggestion. It will not make you do silly things like acting like a chicken unless you want to do it. It is simply a suggestion that is placed in your mind while your brain is experiencing a deep brainwave state. You will be quite aware of what is being said and you can accept or reject the suggestion. It could become a very powerful tool to use.
Acupuncture
On the other hand, acupuncture is the insertion of tiny needles in certain places. Although that sounds painful, the needles are so thin that you will almost never feel them. Acupuncture helps reduce desires and also helps relieve symptoms that are experienced in the process of quitting smoking, such as anxiety, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and lack of concentration.
Self-Help Books and Counseling
There is a huge amount of books available that will help you quit smoking. Often, if you read and investigate the reasons why you started smoking in the first place, it could give you a better understanding of why you are still smoking. Acquire knowledge that could be useful in helping you understand your habit.
Counseling and smoking cessation programs are invaluable. Counselors and support staff are available to talk and help you when things get tough and often this is enough, just being able to talk to someone who understands your situation. Often these people are ex-smokers and have a firm understanding of what you are experiencing.
If you are not a smoker, but you have a family member or a friend who is a smoker, it can be painful to be watching the health of those loved ones deteriorate gradually due to cigarettes. Unfortunately, this is a decision that does not belong to you. The smoker is the one who has to decide that he needs to stop smoking. Although to tell the truth, if we encourage them and suggest the idea in a moderate way this could help them decide for themselves.
Increase realization
Unfortunately, neither making the smoker feel guilty nor insults will serve the cause. In fact, it could only make things worse. As mentioned above, fear and doubt are things that keep the smoker immersed in the habit. People have to realize that they can stop smoking and that it is entirely possible.
We must understand that cigarette addiction is an addiction in three ways – emotional, chemical and boredom. It can be very difficult when you try to give up; the average smoker makes up to eight attempts to stop smoking successfully. It can be achieved – do not be discouraged if you become weak, you can start over.
Finally,
Make up your mind, set a date and maybe try another method. You are fighting a habit that has dominated you physically and mentally. Many people have stop smoking successfully and you can do it too. There are phone lines for people who want to stop smoking that is available to help you in those moments of despair. They will listen to you and give you the help you need and will offer you compassion. They will cheer you up and they will not lecture you.