Give up smoking. The most effective Guide to quitting tobacco
There is so much information, tricks, advice and treatments dedicated to how to stop smoking that is overwhelming, and for those who have fallen into the temptation of smoking and have thought about quitting, because obviously it is harmful to health, they end up confused and therefore , failing in the attempt.
In this post we want to cover in a concrete and sincere way the most effective ways to get rid of the vice of smoking , but also take into account what are the effects you will face when making the decision.
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The first thing you should be clear about is that you just have to want to do it, really right. Willpower is essential to stop smoking successfully. The situation is very similar for those who decide to lose weight, you just have to propose it and not fall into the temptations that you will face during the process. Of course, in the case of those who undergo a diet, the temptation is food. For you, smoker, the temptation is evidently the cigarette. Let's start then.
How to stop smoking in 17 steps
There are ten simple steps that you can study consciously and put into practice, once you have made the final decision to quit.
Put a date on the calendar to smoke your last cigarette
You must mentalize, and set a date to stop doing it is a good strategy for it. Many have stopped smoking in one fell swoop. You can make a quick analysis about all the methods that you have put into practice and that have not worked for you and opt for this, since there are successful testimonies from people who have achieved their goal.
Change your routines to cheat your addiction
- You can recover those activities that you know you like, that distract you. You can manage with a schedule of tasks that completely obviate the fact of taking a time to smoke
- Forget the excuses
- Any day will be the best day to quit smoking. It's all about benefits, of course, the first is your health, but also remember those loved ones who are deeply disturbed by your smoking.
- Do not smoke or one more
- If you already decided to quit, do not fall into the temptation of a puff. That will make you fall back. Once again, willpower is the key to everything.
- Keep the mind positive
- One of the best methods is to write down the advantages you get when you stop doing it. You should seek support from your family and friends.
- Stay active
- You can start a good exercise plan. Sport is the antonym of cigarettes. It will also help you relax and improve your overall physical well-being.
- Drink water and lots of fluids
- At least liter and a half of liquids per day, either water or juice. Of course, avoid alcohol. This will help you a lot to forget about tobacco.
- Control your diet
- You should avoid foods that make you fat. These are some of the main excuses for smokers not to quit smoking.
- Live day by day
- You must trace small goals. "Today I will not smoke" ... that is a small goal that you can accomplish, once a day until you think no more about it and it is an automatic technique.
- Take advantage of any professional help
- The professions can provide a lot of support and make your decision to quit smoking a positive experience for your life
Overcome symptoms when quitting
We can not deceive you, if you are a great addict to the cigarette, the most probable is that you face some symptoms a little unpleasant at the time of deciding to leave it, but you must know that they are to a short term and they are totally surpassable. They are what we call withdrawal symptoms.
Keep in mind that nicotine is the main substance that contains tobacco and is the cause of addiction. That's why you can suffer cravings for nicotine. There may also be moments of anger or irritability, including frustration and depression. In some cases there may be increases in weight.
There are studies that indicate that about half of smokers who have decided to quit have reported several withdrawal symptoms:
- Anxiety
- The wrath
- The Depression
- Increase in sleep
- And even headaches.
But the good news is that these symptoms are short-term and you can overcome them. It is not necessary to take any medication so that these disappear, they will only decrease with the passage of time. Keep in mind that these symptoms can be intense in the first week of abstinence, but after that period will decrease, they will become less noticeable after the first month. However, each person is different. The mind and willpower to achieve your goal will be decisive to overcome this stage.
It should also be noted that apart from these physical symptoms caused by nicotine, some memories of the life of when you were a smoker, can make you relapse . We call these elements inciting, that is, scenarios in your life that may incite you to relapse into tobacco consumption.
These inciters can be
- The beginning of the day
- Feel tension
- Drive
- Drink alcohol
- Tea or coffee
- Being in the company of smokers
- Feeling bored, among others.
Being aware of what are the elements that can incite you to relapse can help you maintain control, either by avoiding those scenarios or simply ignoring them and letting them pass unnoticed by your mind.
You must have patience and maintain control, although it is very much a mental game, we must also say that physical effects move in your body, such as your heart rate or blood pressure. You just have to remember that these anxieties will pass.
Overcome these symptoms with these brief tips:
- Avoid activities that you associate with your old life as a smoker.
- Look for some tobacco substitutes like eating candy or chewing gum, biting some carrot or apple. In itself, keep your mouth busy so you can neutralize the urge to smoke.
- We repeat that doing exercises is a very good idea, in this case, you can do breathing exercises. Inhale and exhale slowly about ten times when you feel the urge to smoke
You can read any of these books to stop smoking
When it comes to quitting smoking, there are many methods and support systems that are the order of the day. There are excellent books that can guide you in this process. Here we name you some and describe briefly for your choice
It is easy to stop smoking, if you know how
Allen Carr. It is perhaps the best known worldwide. In Spain they have sold more than 200 thousand copies and has already had 50 editions. There are testimonies that confirm that this book has helped to stop smoking more than 25 million people, among them entertainment celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Anthony Hopkins . Paradoxically, the author of the book was a mortal victim of tobacco at the cost of his life due to lung cancer at age 72.
He smoked 2 packs a day for 30 years and although he managed to quit, the habit took its toll some time later.
Simón Hergueta is the writer of the book "The Quick Method to Quit Smoking." It is a very schematic text that summarizes 4 rules to quit smoking. Its format is very orderly and focuses on the practical tools to stop the bad habit.
"Un año sin Fumar" is a book written by Fernando Arronera. It is based on humor and relates personal experiences of a former smoker. The book describes the steps he took to stop smoking, including his failed attempts. That is, you can read the methods that worked, as well as the ones that did not.
Ricardo Artola wrote the book "And one day I quit smoking". It is a book similar to that of Allen Carr Artola, he was a Spanish smoker who managed to quit and told his experience supported by several tips of his own and others that he considered useful from foreign authors.
Finally we recommend the book "Anti-smoking diet" by Mariano Orzola. These are brief and well-counting reports that will help you reduce the levels of anxiety and other effects that occur in the body when quitting tobacco. It is an interesting and very digestible book that can help you make the decision to quit.
There are many other literary texts that can surely help you, either to make the decision or to overcome the process, but these are the ones that seemed most direct and substantial.
Other tricks to quit smoking
While we have insisted that the best trick to quit is simply to make the decision and have enough willpower to not fall back , we can always use any trick or recommendation to achieve our goal.
And is that for every smoker there may be a technique that works, what you have to achieve is the ideal for yourself, the one that is most useful and effective.
We summarize the tricks most used by ex-smokers who did not fail in the attempt.
- Do a cleaning in your house and get rid of everything that has to do with smoking (Ashtrays, ZIPPO, among others)
- Once again, exercise is the best relaxing . A good walk can help you.
- Keep your hands busy, as for example, use an anti-stress ball.
- Build a circle of support. Join those colleagues who are on your same wave
- Be very positive and stop thinking about leaving the cigarette
- Think about the benefits you are getting from having quit smoking
- Take accounts of the money you have saved by stopping to buy cigarettes and give yourself a treat, like a pair of shoes or a nice shirt.
- Tell people that you have quit smoking . If you fall into temptation you will be a liar and nobody wants that.
- After eating, look for an activity such as washing dishes.
- Ask your friends not to smoke in your presence
There are more methods to stop smoking
There are those who affirm that there are alternative methods to quit smoking, some of them are acupuncture, hypnosis, laser therapy, electrical stimulation, among others.
Despite this, we must emphasize that in a variety of studies that have been done, they have not been able to demonstrate that these methods are 100 percent effective. However, here we tell you so you can have a broader picture of the ways you can take to achieve your goal of quitting smoking.
How hypnosis works to stop smoking
Something in common that smokers have is that they are aware of the health problems that smoking can cause. Among these we can name: the premature aging of the skin and quite perceptible distortions of taste and smell. This without forgetting to mention that tobacco is responsible for more than 90% of lung cancer and 30% of coronary heart disease.
Even when there is full awareness of this, they continue to smoke because they do not believe in their ability to quit and also because they fear the already mentioned abstinence syndromes.
It is said that there are psychological treatments that turn out to be quite effective and that can be adapted to the individuality of each case. We speak then of hypnosis, which consists of helping to increase motivations in the person and to make expectations grow effectively.
In this sense, the hypnotist what he does is try to influence feelings, behaviors and thoughts that lead you to quit , making see in the subconscious the benefits you can get to stop doing it, all for conviction and self control.
It is not about magic and it does not act on its own or because the therapist or hypnotist has special powers. To be successful, as with any other technique, the active participation and collaboration of the patient is needed, as he or she owns himself and it depends on him that the technique yields the expected results.
Magnets to stop smoking
Another of the methods mentioned by those who fight for a population free of smokers is biomagnetism. It is an amazing therapy where magnets are used. It was discovered by a doctor named Isaac Goiz Durán, originally from Mexico and it aims to eliminate microbes such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses in short periods of time.
To quit the habit of smoking, according to experts, works in a very simple way. Two magnets are placed opposite each other that exert pressure on specific points of the pinna of the ear. They claim that this regulates nicotine addiction and dependence.
It is a small magnet that is placed in the front of the ear and a slightly larger one that is placed in the back. Being perfectly placed, the magnet will make small pressures permanently , which will activate neurotransmitters that reduce anxiety.
Magnetic therapy has been around for a long time in the world of medicine and there are studies that have determined its effectiveness in treatments related to quitting and slimming.
laser to stop smoking permanently
Stop smoking with a laser
We continue talking about alternative methods, and these go, as we have seen, from hypnosis, through digital cigarettes and laser. As you read it. The laser is an innovative system that is based on a low power iodine that manages to elevate endorphins in high levels, surpassing those that are produced by tobacco.
Specialists in the field explain that this laser biostimulates 28 points of the digestive system, also helps regulate sleep, controls anxiety and treats sadness. In this way , the desire to smoke and therefore the desire is reduced.
The treatment consists in the assistance, on the part of the patient, to a consultation without having smoked for at least 3 hours, they are given talks about habits of life and behavior to confirm that the patient really wants to quit smoking. With this point clear, the laser sessions begin.
Some patients say that after the treatment is over, they discover that they no longer want to continue smoking.
Take advantage of any professional help to stop smoking / Tips
We know that when the intention to quit smoking is certain and firm, you can go to any kind of help , listen to practical and positive advice to achieve it or even attend some kind of health institution or clinic that can support us in enforcing our decision.
In this case, the NCI (National Cancer Institute) and other agencies or organizations located in various countries around the world, can help smokers quit.
We mentioned this because being aware that there are organizations of world renown to support this mission, this translates into feeling support and motivation to achieve the fact of quitting.
On the Internet you can also get professional help for this . It is one of the most expeditious ways to find professionals and specialists who can support you with the application of therapies and treatments to combat the urge to smoke and finally stop the habit.
medicines to end tobacco
Medications and pills to stop smoking
It is totally valid to go to a treating doctor to obtain prescriptions of medicines or pills that help you to combat nicotine addiction. We mentioned some of these:
Bupropion is an antidepressant that is available by prescription under the name of Zyban. It is a medication indicated to treat the action to nicotine and was approved by the FDA in 1997. It can help you reduce the symptoms of abstinence and your own cravings.
Just keep in mind that some side effects may appear associated with the product itself, so it is important to talk with the doctor to be sure that the drug is suitable for your consumption.
Effects after quitting
Another medication indicated to help smokers quit is Varenicline. This is a medicine that is also sold with a prescription under the Chantix brand. In 2006 it was approved by the FDA and helps to calm the cravings for nicotine and even blocks the pleasure effects produced by nicotine. Side effects can also occur, so it is always important to see the doctor to approve the intake of the medication.
Benefits and benefits when quitting
The benefits and advantages of leaving tobacco can be evidenced immediately and multiply progressively.
- You can feel that in less than 20 minutes the blood pressure decreases , after half a day, you can normalize the carbon monoxide in the blood.
- By spending weeks and up to three months, you can feel improved circulation and lung function. You will see that cough or lack of air decreases, as well as the risk of acquiring infections.
- One year after having quit smoking you will have decreased by 50%, the risk of acquiring any coronary disease, while you will see a great improvement in your energy and mood.
- In 5 years you may also have halved the risk of suffering from throat, mouth, or neck cancer , as well as having a stroke, which after that time equals the risks of a non-smoker.
- In 10 years, you can ensure that you reduce the risk of lung cancer and cancer of the larynx and pancreas by half.
- You will also get the advantages of improving the senses of taste and smell, the annoying smoker's cough will disappear, you will be able to climb stairs easily and walk for longer without feeling exhaustion. You will smell better (Hair, breath and clothes) and will noticeably improve the health and appearance of your skin.
all the benefits of quitting
Consequences of quitting smoking at once
Many claim that quitting smoking is more effective than doing it little by little. A publication of the scientific journal Annals of Internal Medicine , this is what he says.
Even though most experts and other world-class guides recommend moving away from habit little by little, a study was conducted to determine the best method. In that sense, a group of doctors from the United Kingdom, specifically the University of Oxford, analyzed cases of more than 600 people who wanted to quit. They divided people into two groups using both methods: the cessation of the coup and the gradual cessation.
Both groups of people received therapy, counseling, nicotine patches and other supportive care . At the end, they were followed up for a month and up to six continuous months. It was found that at 4 weeks the 39 percent of the group that stopped smoking little by little, stayed away from the habit, compared to 49% of the members of the group that quit smoking at once (15% more than the previous group).
In other words, the method of quitting tobacco was much more effective . There are authors who say that the motivation and the reasons why it is decided to stop smoking cigarettes can be decisive to achieve the goal of quitting successfully.
Then, at this point we could ensure that the biggest consequence you can face when you quit smoking is to get separated from addiction permanently and forever.
Quit smoking little by little
Not to assure the previously mentioned thing, we can discard the method to stop smoking little by little, since there are also successful experiences in this case.
It is ensured that carrying out this system can leave the tobacco between 8 and 12 weeks. Everything will depend on the amount of cigarettes smoked daily, so this is about decreasing progressively the amount of tobacco consumed per day, to completely abandon the addiction.
To this method you can add other support systems such as chewing nicotine gum and apply other techniques or tricks that we have discussed throughout this article. The final intention, it is supposed, is to diminish to the point of leaving it completely, and for this it is necessary to place concrete goals in small periods of time, until achieving to leave it definitively.
Quit smoking without getting fat
Getting fat from quitting is one of the most frequent excuses and fear of it, in many cases prevents the person from deciding to quit, especially in women smokers. The truth is that weight gain is common when you stop smoking.
Studies have determined that people who have never smoked weigh a few pounds more than people who do smoke and that, when the habit is stopped, smokers manage to reach a weight that they would not have had if they had never smoked.
Although smokers can get to increase approximately 10 pounds after leaving the cigarette, you have to see the benefits that are obtained compared to the risks that are assumed by not quitting. Therefore, to complete this article, we leave you some suggestions that will help you control your weight and that this does not become an excuse for you not to decide to quit smoking.
- As we have already said, doing a physical activity or enrolling in a gym to replace the habit will help you control your weight and you can even reduce it , be in shape and lead a healthy life.
- You can opt for some type of medication that helps you counteract the weight gain. You can consult your doctor about Bupropion. (mentioned a few lines above) that can help you control your weight, while you go through the process of nicotine withdrawal.
- If the weight gain after quitting becomes problematic, do not rule out the possibility of consulting a dietitian or dietitian.
