According to statistics, 85% of smokers dream of quitting this addiction. This desire intensifies with age, and when a person accumulates an impressive "bouquet" of illnesses, every visit to the doctor begins with advice to quit smoking. But is it possible to quit smoking on your own, and what could go wrong in that case?
Is it dangerous to quit smoking?
It is widely believed that abrupt smoking cessation can lead to worsening chronic diseases, heart attacks, and significant weight gain. Part of the same. A person who has smoked for many years may experience some discomfort when kicking a bad habit - this is because nicotine is built in the autonomic nervous system and is involved in the body's life processes.
This is why, with severe nicotine restriction, the body experiences psychological and physical stress. However, everyone has individual characteristics and different thresholds for perceiving a situation. As a result, there are many people who quit smoking "same day", but there are others who cannot do it without the help of a doctor and special means.
When a person is mentally prepared, wants to quit smoking by himself, and has enough physical health, the process of adapting to a smoke-free life will pass easily and unconsciously. But for people who have smoked for more than 30 years, and the elderly who are not in good health, it is best to use psychological and medical support.
What happens if you quit smoking?
People who quit smoking may notice significant discomfort. What exactly should he expect?
- May weaken the immune system, thus possibly exacerbating chronic diseases.
- Have a cough, especially in the morning.
- Weight gain. Most of the time this happens because a person replaces the smoking habit with the same bad habit of chewing. So if a person is used to smoking 10-15 cigarettes a day, now it becomes 10-15 snacks, which of course shows in the numbers.
- Since you have to limit yourself in some way, there can be bad moods and irritability. Constantly thinking about how not to relax can often lead to distraction and poor concentration.
Negative effects can be significantly lessened if smoking cessation is supervised by a specialist. A doctor can provide necessary psychological and medical help at any time. However, it is not the drug that plays a major role in quitting smoking, but a person's conscious desire to quit. If he did it not voluntarily, but at the direction of a doctor or at the insistence of a relative, the process would be different.
If a person himself is not psychologically ready for such an action, he will use any means: nicotine patches, candy pills, arguments or promises. But, in the end, a breakdown is sure to happen because the subconscious is constantly looking for a reason and an opportunity to smoke. A person is often in a state of dissonance, a situation that makes him psychologically depressed. In this case, he would only be distraught and come to the conclusion that quitting smoking is very difficult.
How to quit smoking suddenly?
Quitting smoking suddenly is possible and far more effective than lugging a cigarette over time. This approach requires willpower and a strong personal desire. It is important to note that the percentage of relapses is very small after a sharp cessation, but with a slow and gradual refusal, some people fall back into unhealthy habits. So the situation that Mark Twain joked is possible: "It's easy to quit smoking, I've done it a thousand times myself. "
Tips for quitting smoking yourself
- Keep a journal of every cigarette you smoke. Once a day (or every other day), move your next cigarette by 30 minutes, then by 1 hour, then by 2 hours, and so on. Therefore, you can significantly reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.
- Buy cigarettes by the piece, reducing the quantity each time. Buy fewer strong cigarettes each time. Gradually, the number of cigarettes will decrease and the intensity will decrease significantly.
- Collect cigarette butts you smoke throughout the day so you can clearly see how much damage you are doing to your body every day.
- Calculate how much you spend on cigarettes per month and year while you smoke. Think about what you can buy with that money, because this is a clear example of "money going down the drain. "
- Instead of smoking a cigarette, eating an apple, drinking some strong unsweetened tea or lemon mineral water, taking a walk in the street, doing some exercise - it will only be good for your body and health, it will never helpdue to extra weight.