Quitting smoking is easy. I've done this a thousand times, said Mark Twain. The trick is to throw, not throw. And this is more difficult … Fortunately, there are many methods that can help people addicted to smoking successfully break their nicotine addiction.

The first step to get rid ofaddictionis to make a profit and loss balance sheet. For example: if you quitsmokingyou will reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. After 5 years from the last "smoke", the risk will be comparable to the risk in people who have never smoked. You will improve your physical condition, you will forget what is cough in the morning, the so-called smoker's cough, you will suffer from respiratory infections less often. You will reduce the risk of developing cancer. If you are not convinced by such "banal" arguments, remember that the appearance of your skin and hair will improve. You'll also save a lot of money, and your boss - reluctant to take a cigarette - will look at you more favorably. Food will taste better to you, you will become more attractive to the opposite sex. Of course, there are also disadvantages: you can gain a little weight, you will have a hard time during the first days or weeks of abstinence. However, if you carry out a thorough profit and loss account, you will certainly find thatquitting smokingwill bring more benefits.

Different schools of quitting smoking

So far, experts agreed that it is best to prepare methodically for the "big day". Recently, however, researchers from University College London have come to the conclusion that those who break addiction spontaneously have a greater chance of success. The results of the research presented in the British Medical Journal show that the best one day is to say "I do not smoke from today". You are not able? Relax, the world is not only for tough guys. Specialists advise you to carefully analyze your habits at the beginning:

  • count how much you actually smoke per day
  • take two to three weeks to analyze when and why you need cigarettes
  • If you have already made up your mind, select the day you will stop smoking and mark it on the calendar. Avoid the special occasions when it may be difficult for you to stop. The New Year's Eve party and the moment with the stroke of midnight are againstseemingly not the best moment
  • try to convince a loved one to stop smoking at the same time.

There are a number of ways that can help you. If you cannot decide for yourself, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Smoking is not just a habit, it is something much more serious: addiction, nicotine disease. The enemy is powerful and must not be taken lightly. Even if you lose the first battle, don't give up. Dispose of ashtrays, unopened packets of cigarettes, matches, and lighters the day before you quit smoking. Some people place a vessel filled with old cigarette butts in a prominent place, which makes the unpleasant smell discourage them from being lit at a time of temptation. Others want to forget about cigarettes: they air them, wash their clothes. You have to decide what will be better for you.

How do I quit smoking?

Important
  • There are over 4,000 different substances in tobacco smoke, many of them toxic, mutagenic (damaging DNA), taratogenic (damaging the fetus), carcinogenic (causing cancer)
  • there are 9 million smokers in Poland. 40% of adults smoke. men and 25 percent. women. Almost the same number of pregnant Polish women smoke cigarettes
  • 20,000 are born annually in the country children from the so-called post-nicotine syndrome: low birth weight, tendency to infections, and even psychomotor delay
  • 70 percent of smokers want to quit smoking, nearly half of them have made such attempts, and only 2-3 percent. smokers manage to do it

Support is important when quitting smoking

Tell your friends, family and colleagues that you are quitting. Ask them to support you in this; they did not smoke in your presence and did not offer you any cigarettes. Be prepared for the most difficult times, when you will be most short of a cigarette, such as after a meal, during a phone call or over a coffee. Have substitute products on hand, such as a glass of apple juice, chewing gum, or burbot. Change your habits. For the first few days after quitting, avoid your favorite kiosk. avoid places and situations that you associate with cigarettes. Also, avoid places that encourage smoking. In restaurants, try to sit in the non-smoking section. Try to fill your time not to think about smoking. Meet with friends, avoid those who smoke and take care of all the matters that have been "fallow" so far. Exercise more, it helps you relax, feel better and improve morale. Use stairs instead of an elevator. Swim or run. Sign up for classes at the gym. Concentrate on specific days that way you will avoid itwondering how you will do without smoking throughout your life. Remember that once, although it was a long time ago, you did not smoke and then you did not miss it.

Category:

Psychology