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How to quit smoking? Addiction to smoking is a personal matter, you have to deal with it yourself. And hellishly difficult: as much as 80 percent. Poles who smoke want to quit smoking and only one in twenty succeeds. Why? The constituent of tobacco - nicotine, which is as captivating as alcohol and "hard" drugs (heroin and cocaine), but is more mean than them: it does not cause any visible intoxication. So, find out how to quit smoking and if the ways to quit smoking are working!

How do I quit smoking?It's not easy. Noways to quit smokingwill be helpful when you are unmotivated. - The power of nicotine is easy to underestimate. We give each patient in the anti-smoking clinic a motivational test to complete - says prof. Dr. Dorota Górecka from the Department of Lung Diseases, Institute of Tuberculosis. And it often turns out that he doesn't want to quit smoking at all. Then I ask him why he came, and he said, "The doctor told me." If someone wants to meet the expectations of a family or a doctor, but is not deeply convinced himself, there is a long way to go.

How to quit smoking: Strong motivation is key

You are amused by the gallows humor of the anti-slogan "Don't smoke, you will die he althier"? Or you say, "I smoke! I have so little pleasure in life"? Oh, I'm sorry. It's not time for you yet. Some people just like their addiction. Others realize that quitting him would be advisable for many reasons. But it is not enough. You have to find your reason. He althful, economic, aesthetic - as long as your own. It's easy to see if someone is really ready. Just ask him a simple question: when? - If he answers that in the future, it means that he is just considering such a possibility (we call it the period of contemplation) - says prof. Górecka. The person who says they want to quit smoking within the next month is already getting ready to act. And it is best when it has a set date, e.g. Monday or New Year, birthday, name day or other important day. Then it is at the action stage. You can expect to quit smoking on that day at least. It doesn't matter if it lasts only a few hours. Most often, the addiction comes back after the first attempt. - It's normal - emphasizes prof. Górecka. - It has been proven that the more attempts someone has, the biggerare his chances. Eventually, he will make it.

Read also: E-cigarette - harmful or not?

How to quit smoking: self-check

How to stop smoking? Write down each cigarette you smoke, including the time, feelings, and activities that accompany it (e.g. drinking coffee or alcohol). Observe: how many cigarettes you smoke, at what times of the day, in what places and situations, for what reason, and what each cigarette gives you. Such an analysis shows that we often light up routinely because we have a package on hand, or because of a ceremony we are used to. Habits can be changed.

How to quit smoking: look for allies

The role of relatives is invaluable! They will motivate you to make a decision, they will strengthen and uplift your spirit. They can join us in some physical activities that effectively distract us from smoking. It is best if all the smokers in the family - and the wife, husband and children - quit together. Then the support is very strong. The influence of friends works similarly. That is why doctors recommend group psychotherapy. There are strong interactions between several people struggling with addiction. They usually exchange phones and make friends. It is very important in the fight they are fighting. Remember: it's easier to stop smoking in a group (relatives, friends) than alone. So ask someone you love to quit smoking with you. Make a commitment to your family. Bet with someone that you will stop smoking on the scheduled date. Try to do it together with others, for example, on May 31, World No Tobacco Day, or in November, on World Tobacco Quitting Day.

How to quit smoking once and for all? Try these ways:

Important

Ailments called abstinence syndrome are most painful in the first week after stopping smoking. Then over-the-counter nicotine substitutes help: chewing gum, tablets, inhalers, patches. There is also a prescription antidepressant drug that does not contain nicotine. Efficient but expensive. Pharmacological agents are not necessary for everyone. Over time, psychological support becomes more important in rehab. The chances of those accompanied by a specialist doubled. You can contact your primary care physician, facilities employing therapists or seek help via the hotlines of anti-smoking societies.

How to quit smoking: Tobacco related diseases

How to quit smoking? The way to quit smoking is also to 'scare' yourself with the possible consequences of it. Already on the very package of cigarettes we can see what could possibly await us if we do not quit smoking. Unfortunately, the diseases on whichthe emergence can be influenced by smoking there are many and we call them tobacco-related diseases. Of course, their appearance is also caused by other factors, but smoking definitely favors them.

Tobacco-related diseases include: arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, aortic aneurysm, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, duodenal and stomach ulcers, Leśniowski's disease -Crohn's, stroke, osteoporosis, cataracts, accelerated menopause, negative influence on male fertility.

How to quit smoking: do not make passive smokers close

If you are still not convinced of the effectiveness of these methods of smoking, think about passive smokers and the well-being of your loved ones who smoke with you. When you hold a cigarette in your hand or rest it against the ashtray, a so-called a side stream of tobacco smoke, the harmfulness of which is greater than that of the smoke inhaled by the smoker himself! How does it happend? According to the data presented by Primary Cancer Prevention1 , the combustion temperature in such a situation is lower than when you "inhale" the cigarette, which means that the smoke inhaled by a passive smoker is 4 times more nicotine and 25 times more carbon dioxide than the one inhaled by the smoker. Therefore, those who have never smoked also develop tobacco-related diseases.

Read also: Smoking during pregnancy harms the baby

Worth knowing

How to quit smoking - Where to find help?

People who want to quit smoking and seek help can ask for it by calling the Telephone Assistance Center for Smokers: 801 108 108. The clinic is open from Monday to Friday from 11-19.

Why should I quit smoking?

Tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, almost all of which are toxic, and 70 of them are carcinogenic. Smoking shortens people's lives and causes 15 cancerous locations. Our he alth improves with each year we quit smoking, and there is always a good time to do so. Learn what experts say about quitting smoking and the story of Mr. Irenaeus, who stopped smoking after 34 years and was diagnosed with cancer.

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Psychology