According to statistics, 85% of smokers dream of quitting this addiction. This desire intensifies with age, when a person accumulates an impressive "bouquet" of diseases, and every visit to the doctor begins with the advice to quit smoking. However, is it possible to get rid of smoking on your own, and what problems can arise in this case?
Is it dangerous to quit smoking?
It is widely believed that abrupt smoking cessation leads to the exacerbation of chronic diseases, the occurrence of heart attacks and significant weight gain. In part it is too. A person with many years of experience with smoking may experience some discomfort when quitting a bad habit; this is due to the fact that nicotine is integrated into the autonomic nervous system and participates in the vital processes of the body.
That is why with a strong restriction of nicotine, the body experiences psychological and physical stress. However, each person has individual characteristics and the threshold to perceive the situation is also different. Therefore, there are many people who quit smoking "on the same day", but there are also people who cannot do it without the help of a doctor and the use of special means.
When a person is psychologically ready and wants to quit smoking on his own, and his body has sufficient physical health, the process of adaptation to life without cigarettes will pass easily and imperceptibly. But for people who have smoked for more than 30 years, as well as the elderly with health problems, it is better to use psychological and medical support.
What happens if you stop smoking?
A person who quits smoking may experience noticeable discomfort. What exactly should I expect?
- It is possible to weaken the immune system, due to which there may be an exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- There is a cough, especially in the morning.
- There is a weight gain. In most cases, this happens due to the fact that a person replaces the habit of smoking a cigarette with an equally bad habit of chewing something. Thus, if a person is used to smoking 10-15 cigarettes a day, now he turns into 10-15 snacks, which, of course, is reflected in the figure.
- There may be bouts of moodiness and irritability due to the fact that you have to limit yourself in some way. Constantly thinking about how not to let go often leads to distraction and inattention.
The negative effects can be significantly mitigated if smoking cessation is supervised by a specialist. The doctor can always provide the necessary psychological and medical assistance. But still, the main role in the process of quitting smoking is not played by drugs, but by a person's conscious desire to quit. If he does not do it of his own free will, but at the direction of a doctor or at the insistence of his relatives, the process is different.
If a person is not psychologically ready for such an action, he will use any means: a nicotine patch, candy bars, an argument, or a promise. However, in the end, a breakdown will definitely happen, because the subconscious mind is persistently looking for a reason and an opportunity to smoke. A person is constantly in dissonance, and this situation depresses him psychologically. In this case, he just gets angry and comes to the conclusion that quitting smoking is extremely difficult.
How to stop smoking abruptly?
It is quite possible to quit smoking abruptly, and it is much more effective than prolonging the break with a cigarette over time. Such an approach requires willpower and great personal desire. It should be noted that after a sharp cessation of smoking, the percentage of relapse is very small, but with a slow and gradual rejection, some people return to an unhealthy habit again. Therefore, situations are possible about which Mark Twain joked: "It's very easy to quit smoking, I've quit a thousand times myself. "
Tips to quit smoking on your own
- Keep a diary in which you write down every cigarette you smoke. Once a day (or every other day), change the time you smoke your next cigarette by 30 minutes, then by 1 hour, then by 2 hours, etc. Therefore, you can significantly reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
- Buy cigarettes by the piece, each time reducing their number. Also buy lighter cigarettes each time. Gradually, the number of cigarettes will decrease, and their strength will decrease significantly.
- Pick up smoked cigarette butts throughout the day so you can clearly see how much damage you do to your body every day.
- Calculate how much money you spend on cigarettes per month, per year, for as long as you smoke. Think about what you could buy with that money, because this is a clear example of the expression "wasted money".
- Instead of a smoke break, eat an apple, drink strong unsweetened tea or mineral water with lemon, walk down the street, do a couple of exercises - this will only benefit your figure and health, and definitely will not contribute to the appearance of extra kilos.