Even heavy smokers know that smoking is a bad habit that has detrimental effects on health. Many people dream of quitting smoking, but fear the "withdrawal syndrome. "In our article we will analyze how to quit smoking quickly and effectively.
In general, when we talk about smoking, it is more correct to talk about addiction to "tobacco" than to "nicotine. "According to the WHO International Classification of Diseases, tobacco dependence is a physiological behavioral disorder based on the use of psychoactive substances. True nicotine addiction is just a type of tobacco addiction.
What is nicotine addiction?
Nicotine participates in many biochemical processes in our body. That is why smoking is the cause of the development of more than 40 different diseases. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7, 000 harmful chemicals, in addition to carbon monoxide and free radicals that damage tissues.
More than half of smokers dream of quitting this harmful habit, but before fighting against smoking, it is necessary to discover the reason why a person smokes. Doctors classify all reasons for smoking into several types of smoking behavior:
"Stimulus»
This type of smoking behavior is manifested in those people who believe that a cigarette stimulates them, tones them and relieves their fatigue. The dependence in these people is psychological in nature and quitting smoking causes symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia and asthenia.
"cigarette game»
People with this type of behavior smoke little, often "for company" and no more than 2 or 3 cigarettes a day. They are more interested in accessories: ashtrays, cigarette cases, lighters, expensive types of cigarettes. Smoking is more of a game than an addiction.
"Relaxation»
These people find it very difficult to quit smoking. For them, a cigarette is a means of additional pleasure during relaxation, and the situation while smoking should be comfortable and relaxing.
"Support"
This type of smoking is necessary for a person to reduce emotional stress. These people smoke in moments of shyness, anger, uncertainty and unpleasant situations.
"Thirst»
This type is associated with physical dependence on nicotine. A decrease in the level of nicotine in the blood forces a person to smoke, despite all prohibitions. It is this type of smoking behavior that can be considered a true nicotine addiction.
"Reflection»
These smokers smoke reflexively, without thinking about the act of smoking. They smoke more frequently during work, in large quantities and "automatically. "In most cases, they cannot explain the reason for smoking.
All of the above types of smoking behavior can occur in isolation or combined in various combinations.
Tobacco addiction progresses as smoking experience increases and goes through 3 stages of development:
- Stage 1: initial. A smoker smokes occasionally due to psychological dependence. At this stage no physical dependence is observed.
- Stage 2 is characterized by the initial manifestations of physical dependence on nicotine.
- Stage 3 combines pronounced factors of psychological and physical dependence on nicotine.
To find out if you have a nicotine addiction, answer a few questions:
- Do you smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day?
- Do you feel like smoking half an hour after waking up?
- When you stopped smoking, did you have a strong urge to smoke again and were you bothered by "withdrawal symptoms"?
If you answered yes to all 3 questions, you are highly dependent on nicotine.
The cause of addiction is nicotine itself, which reaches the brain 7 seconds after the first inhalation of tobacco products. There, nicotine interacts with nicotinic receptors and promotes the production of neurotransmitters, including dopamine. These substances form addiction to nicotine. As soon as a smoker takes a long break, the level of these substances in the blood decreases and a "withdrawal syndrome" occurs: craving for smoke, anxiety, decreased attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, malaise and malaise. A person develops cough, insomnia and other somatic symptoms. The duration of this period can vary from several days to several months. That is why doctors recommend that those who quit smoking take special pharmacological medications.
Interesting facts about smoking
| Fact about smoking | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of smokers in the world (WHO) | billion people |
| Percentage of smokers by sex | 40% of all men, 9% of all women |
| In which countries is smoking most common? | Kiribati, Montenegro, Greece, Timor |
| In which countries is smoking less common? | Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Eritrea, Panama |
| Diseases caused by smoking | baldness, cataracts, early wrinkles, hearing loss, skin cancer, cavities, emphysema, osteoporosis, heart disease, stomach ulcers, spontaneous abortions, disorders of spermatogenesis, psoriasis, thromborteritis obliterans, cancer of more than 15 organs |
| Annual mortality from smoking (WHO) | more than 7 million people (of which 1. 5 million are women): one person every 6. 5 seconds |
| Annual mortality from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (passive smoke) (WHO) | 1. 2 million people (of which 64% are women and about 65, 000 children) |
| Popular myths about smoking |
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5 best ways to quit smoking
Most smokers have tried to quit at least once in their lives. Some succeeded, but others could not bear the painful withdrawal symptoms and the attempt failed. In addition to willpower, you may need special medications or help from a specialist.
Tobacco addiction is one of the strongest addictions and develops much faster than, for example, alcohol addiction. That is why it is very difficult to treat.
1. Drugs
Doctors use two types of medications to treat nicotine addiction: nicotine replacement medications (NRT) and medications that do not contain nicotine. These products are good for both those who want to quit smoking completely and for people who want to reduce the intensity of smoking. However, a positive result can only be achieved after eliminating psychological dependence, and WIP only provides a delay in solving this problem.
Medications that do not contain nicotine.
Non-nicotine medications include nicotinic receptor antagonists (NRAs) and atypical antidepressants. However, atypical antidepressants are not officially used to treat nicotine addiction.
Nicotinic receptor antagonist drugs prevent the interaction of nicotine with the receptors of the nervous system, and smoking cigarettes is no longer pleasant for the smoker.
ANR is started 1 week before the planned quit date and continued for 12 weeks. In the period of 8 to 35 days of treatment, it is recommended to completely stop smoking.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- the treatment period of ANR is several times shorter than that of NWP; medications do not require gradual withdrawal; Good therapeutic effect.
- available by prescription; have a complex dosage regimen; many contraindications; Do not take under 18 years of age, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Nicotine replacement medications
Nicotine replacement products (NRT) are designed to deliver nicotine directly to the human body to replace regular smoking. These products are available in the form of pills, patches, gum, sprays, and inhalers. Quitting smoking is achieved by relieving withdrawal symptoms and gradually reducing the dose of the drug.
The penetration time of nicotine into the blood and its presence in the body depends on the form of the drug. Nicotine patches are applied directly to the skin. The patch releases nicotine for 16 to 24 hours. Gum, sublingual lozenges and sprays work faster, but nicotine stays in the blood much less time. The fastest acting remedy is nicotine spray. After application, the effect occurs within 60 seconds.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- relieve withdrawal symptoms; suitable for people who do not want to quit smoking completely; minimum number of contraindications.
- require consultation with a doctor before use; It cannot be used in children under 18 years of age, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
2. Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy helps form positive attitudes and instill skills that can control nicotine addiction. Psychotherapy is most effective when combined with pharmacological treatment. Psychotherapists often use Ericksonian hypnosis, cognitive psychotherapy, and some other techniques. After just 2 or 3 sessions with a psychotherapist, the patient's urge to smoke disappears.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- pronounced therapeutic effect; improves the effect of drug treatment; Only 2-3 sessions are required.
- requires a highly qualified specialist; It depends on the patient's motivation.
3. Acupuncture
This method is based on the impact of needles on biologically active points on the body, which helps relieve withdrawal symptoms and the physical urge to smoke. Most often, a cycle of 3 to 10 procedures is used, during which needles are installed in acupuncture points on the arms and legs. Another popular method is a needle button, which is installed for a long time under the skin of the auricle. The moment the desire to smoke arises, the patient presses it and the desire disappears.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- does not require the use of medications; short course of treatment; It has no contraindications or side effects;
- requires high patient motivation; You can only trust a highly qualified specialist.
4. Medical consultation
The first stage of nicotine addiction is psychological dependence. It is most often associated with the "smoking ritual. "The reason may be the company involved, the association of smoking with a cup of coffee or driving a car. In young people, the beginning of smoking may be due to the desire to appear more mature, independent and to have a certain "status" position. In this case, the decisive factor in quitting smoking may be a conversation with a doctor, for example, a psychotherapist or narcologist. Awareness of the harm to health and the help of a specialist will help eliminate the conditioned reflex that causes the desire to smoke.
There are free consultation centers whose operators will advise you by phone at any time of the day and help you find the most effective way to quit smoking. The doctor may recommend various programs and courses aimed at overcoming tobacco addiction.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- consultation with a doctor increases the effectiveness of any type of therapy; allows you to do without the use of medications if you are highly motivated.
- will help only with a weak degree of dependence; High motivation is required to quit smoking.
5. Behavioral therapy
This set of measures aims to create favorable conditions for quitting smoking or reducing the number of cigarettes smoked. According to statistics, only 3 to 7% of smokers can quit without the help of specialists or drug therapy. However, by changing your behavior pattern, it is much easier to quit smoking or reduce its intensity.
- Decide whether to quit smoking all at once or gradually. If it's not immediate, make a plan to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
- If you decide to quit smoking immediately, set a date in advance to do so. Try to time it to coincide with an event that is important to you. The day before this day, smoke twice as much to saturate your body with nicotine.
- If you smoke frequently at work, schedule your quit time to coincide with your vacation or on weekends. Try to find a partner to quit smoking.
- When you gradually quit smoking, try not to smoke for as long as possible after sleeping and eating. Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from sight. Try not to smoke in the presence of children, family and in society. Frequently visit places where smoking is prohibited.
- Don't buy cigarettes in advance, try to smoke only half a cigarette.
- If you feel the urge to smoke, don't do it right away. An acute desire to smoke lasts 3 to 5 minutes. Before doing this, do some exercise or go for a light walk.
- Try to quit smoking periodically for a while: half a day, a day, a couple of days, etc.
- Go to the gym. Active physical exercise increases the production of pleasure hormones and relieves withdrawal symptoms.
Doctors' advice for those who want to quit smoking
Nicotine addiction manifests itself on a psychological, emotional and physical level. According to doctors, when it comes to quitting smoking, the main key to success is strong motivation. That is why every smoker should know the harmful effects of smoking and the benefits of quitting.
Most doctors are skeptical about the ability of an "experienced" smoker to quit this habit on his own. Experiments with nicotine replacement therapy drugs are no less dangerous.
Therapy for nicotine addiction should be comprehensive and individually tailored. There are several developed techniques that can effectively combat the problem. Treating addiction is a serious and time-consuming task. Without a doctor's consultation and supervision, achieving success will be much more difficult. After assessing the degree of addiction and the characteristics of your body, a qualified specialist will select the right treatment regimen for you. Only in this case the result will be positive and expected.
Popular questions and answers
Having decided to quit smoking, many smokers begin to study this topic on the Internet. We select the most popular questions and direct them to our expert.
- Why is it so difficult to quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction affects all areas of the human body: psychological, emotional and physical. In terms of the strength of attachment, doctors compare it to alcohol and drug addiction. When you stop smoking, a "withdrawal syndrome" occurs. Alleviating these manifestations is the most difficult task. Treatment requires a long-term, comprehensive and professional approach.
- Is it possible to stop smoking suddenly?
With express motivation, this approach to the problem will be the most effective. If you have a strong addiction, doctors recommend quitting immediately. Nicotine replacement therapy or nicotinic receptor blockers will help relieve withdrawal symptoms.
- How is the cigarette abstinence going?
When you stop smoking for several days and sometimes months, symptoms of the so-called "withdrawal syndrome" appear: craving, anxiety, decreased attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, malaise and malaise. Cough, insomnia and other somatic symptoms increase.
- When does the urge to smoke disappear?
The strongest desire to smoke appears after a week. Later, the desire to smoke decreases, but may persist for one or several months. Doctors consider a quit attempt successful if the patient does not smoke for six months.
- Is it okay to smoke sometimes?
There is no "safe" level of smoking. According to statistics, if a person smokes just one cigarette a day, the risk of suffering from heart disease or a stroke increases by 30 to 50%. Every "occasionally smoked cigarette" can return a former smoker to nicotine addiction.
- Why do people gain weight when they stop smoking?
The main reason for weight gain is "stress eating. "When quitting smoking, people often snack instead of taking smoke breaks, which causes weight gain. Sometimes, while smoking, an alteration occurs in the endocrine system that causes weight loss. After you quit smoking, your weight may return to its previous level.