Tobacco addiction is a disgrace and a serious threat to the lives of many people. The love of cigarettes is a serious and persistent addiction that subdues the personality on a psychological and physical level. Many cigarette lovers tried to put an end to it, but only a small part of them achieved the desired goal. After all, fighting any addiction is a true test of strength.
According to the results of statistics, about 70% of smokers have a desire to quit, and about 80% of that number has repeatedly tried to quit smoking. But what stops him from overcoming a deadly addiction? What tricks can you use to help stop smoking once and for all? These competent and effective paths should be known to everyone who has decided to walk the path of health and longevity.
Any smoker will always find a thousand reasons to justify his bad habit. The first step in quitting nicotine, of course, is realizing the irreparable damage smokers do to themselves and others.
There are a few tricks to help you quit smoking once and for all.
Why is it so hard to quit smoking?
But why, knowing how much smoking interferes with a full life, what deadly diseases it causes, does a person sometimes fail to cope with this habit? Explanations for this must be sought in the nuances of the individual's physiology and psyche.
According to statistics, in 2016 almost 60% of men and 15% of women consider themselves to be heavy smokers.
Psychologists have long found an explanation for the persistence of smoking. And they explain for several reasons:
Ritual. For many people, cigarettes become a kind of lifesaver, a tool that can come to the rescue at any time. Fatigue, tense conversation, hard work, fights, frustrations and just the desire to relax after a busy day - everywhere, smoking helped to distract and relax. In other words, the cigarette became a kind of ritual, without which not a day of a smoker's life would pass.
Addictive. The mechanism of habit formation is extremely simple: nicotine quickly becomes an integral part of human metabolism. As a result of regular intake of this supplement, the body stops producing certain hormones. They are replaced by a nicotine compound. For this reason, you sometimes want to drag yourself so fiercely - when the body feels the need for this hormone.
Psychology. This aspect is explained only by the character's characteristics. By the way, it is psychological dependence that becomes the basis for the development of any addiction. And it is precisely with this resource that few people know how to deal with it.
Quitting smoking: the beginning
All tobacco workers who want and dream of quitting must understand an important and fundamental truth - you must not plan to part with cigarettes and set an "X" date. In most cases, this planned event is postponed and interrupted. This is explained by common psychophysiology.
Just to the thought that you have to quit smoking, one more thing will be added - regret for the fragrant times of the past. And such disagreement will prevent us from moving to the "bright and smokeless" side. But the following nuances should be known and always remembered.
competent motivation
Good motivational attitudes are extremely important in combating any type of addiction. In the case of giving up smoking, the reasons will become an important factor that can sustain the will and help not to give up.
Competent motivation is based on the constant belief that quitting will bring important benefits that will be worth the time and effort expended.
Only motivation can survive the first time you part with cigarettes and help the body resist the urge to smoke it sometimes awakens. Where can you find that motivation? For each person it will be individual. Here you can use settings like:
- Saving money.
- own health.
- Existing diseases.
- The birth (or presence) of a child.
- Unpleasant odors from clothes, body.
useful tips
When psychologists explain how to help the body after quitting smoking, they always advise to keep some rules with you. They must be known, remembered and realized. They are especially important in the initial stage of separation from cigarettes, when the withdrawal syndrome awakens. These are the following simple recommendations:
- Don't leave yourself hungry. You should always carry nuts, crackers, dried fruit or seeds with you. So that they can always be used when the urge to smoke awakens.
- Do not accumulate negativity. Try to avoid unnecessary stress, do not get into fights, conflict situations.
- Don't be alone. In the first difficult days, you should provide the support of relatives, relatives, friends to the fullest. Those you can share about problems with, talk about successes.
- Don't overload yourself. In the first few days of quitting smoking, the body will be in a stressful state, you should not over-load it. At this time, it is important to provide yourself with a good rest, but also not to forget all kinds of entertainment that can distract the ex-smoker from the thought and desire to smoke.
Does replacement therapy help?
The withdrawal syndrome that arises after quitting smoking brings with it numerous discomforts and physical illnesses. In addition to mood swings, weakness, nausea, symptoms such as:
- tachycardia;
- increased salivation;
- increased sweating (hyperhidrosis).
These conditions are extremely tiring, but they can be alleviated. And several drugs of the nicotine replacement genre help with this. It can be patches, chewing gum, pills, sprays. They are not always successful, but they are still worth a try, perhaps in this case they will be useful.
In the first few days of quitting smoking, consultation with a doctor is necessary. It is possible that the doctor will prescribe more effective drugs available on prescription. These can be various antidepressants that help alleviate negative symptoms and relieve irritability.
You can also use other methods: acupuncture, physical therapy, a hypnotic session that will help you to stop smoking. What exactly to prefer, an experienced doctor will advise, focusing on the initial state of health and the experience of smoking.
Healthy diet
Few people know that there are products that become excellent aids in combating smoking. When choosing a proper diet, it should be remembered that nicotine causes the production of "joy" hormones (serotonin and dopamine) in the body. These compounds provide a person with a good mood. And this is why (when there is no nicotine) that the ex-smoker faces:
- apathy;
- depression
- depression;
- Bad mood;
- irritability.
And all these symptoms go against the background of a slow metabolism. But these problems can be avoided if you know which products help you to quit smoking. First of all, to prevent unpleasant manifestations, it is necessary to ensure that a large amount is present in the daily diet:
- Me at:
- greens;
- fish dishes;
- vegetable oils;
- dairy.
All of these foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These substances act on certain brain centers that stabilize mood. But the lack of nicotine is successfully replenished by dishes like:
- Kiwi;
- khaki;
- plums;
- bananas;
- tomatoes;
- pineapples;
- citrus.
Natural dark chocolate perfectly improves mood. Just don't get too carried away with them. It is very high in calories and the love "chocolate" is packed with extra pounds. When planning a healthy diet, special attention should be paid to breakfast. It should be satisfying, consisting of energetically rich foods. The list of energy products includes:
- eggs;
- Yerba mate Tea;
- nuts;
- Seafood;
- apples and bananas;
- natural honey;
- pumpkin seeds;
- red meat (veal or beef).
Eat well, don't forget about physical activity. Cigarettes farewell period is a great time to visit the gym, the swimming pool. This will protect the ex-cigarette addict from gaining unnecessary pounds and will perfectly distract from the obsessive urge to smoke.
Help from the Popular Pharmacy
Various recipes from healers also help the ex-tobacco addict. Among people, there are many ways to help alleviate negative manifestations and stop withdrawal syndrome. Herbs and products with certain medicinal properties are used:
- Catnip, dandelion and valerian collection. Steam all the herbs (1 tablespoon each) with boiling water (200 ml) and insist in a closed container until cool. Strain the dough and drink it with all the urge to smoke.
- Grind the oat leaves (250 g) to the flour state. Pour with hot water (500 ml) and bring to a boil. After 1-1. 5 hours of infusion, strain and cool. You should take 100 ml as soon as you feel like smoking. You can add honey to taste.
- Dissolve the baking soda (15 g) in warm water (200 ml). If you want to smoke, you should rinse your mouth with this solution.
- St. John's wort (25 g) steamed with boiling water (150-200 ml) and drink the composition during the day, replacing regular tea with it. St. John's wort contains components that have a calming and sedative effect.
- Crush the roots of the highlander and pour boiling water / (200 ml). Bring to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes. Then let it steep for 1-1. 5 hours. You need to drink a decoction with every desire to smoke. This herb will help to develop an aversion to cigarettes.
- Grind the leaves of the plant and steam with a cup of boiling water. Leave in a closed container for 1-1. 5 hours. Then filter the mass and add honey (in the amount of half of the received portion of the drink). Drinking such a drug should last a month, taking only 2-3 sips a day.
- Pour drinking water over oats, barley and corn. Boil the dough for 10-15 minutes and leave it for a day. Then strain and take 200 ml on an empty stomach 3-4 times a day.
Use of nicotine-free cigarettes
Using these herbal smoking products can help to deal with addiction and the urge to smoke. By the way, these cigarettes have been known for a long time and have successfully established themselves as a reliable assistant in such a good cause.
Nicotine-free cigarettes have been known since ancient India. Mention of them has reached our times in ancient Ayurvedic manuscripts.
Its main difference is the complete absence of nicotine in its composition. This harmful compound has been replaced by other components. In particular:
- various oriental spices: cinnamon, coriander, saffron;
- medicinal herbs: thyme, oregano, mint, yerba mate, St. John's wort, horsetail, sage, eucalyptus.
Such cigarettes alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal, relieve the psychological dependence of smoking. The smoker who quits using these cigarettes successfully copes with nicotine withdrawal and helps to embark on the path of a non-smoking life. You can buy these products at major drug stores.
Cigarettes without nicotine are not harmful to health. In addition, they also have some healing effect, having a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and the functioning of the respiratory system.
summing up
Scientists, considering the problem of smoking, recognize that smoking is a late suicide. The negative and deadly effect on health accumulates over 10 to 20 years. Most experts consider smoking to be one of the most powerful drugs.
But there are so many wonderful and interesting things and activities in life! And it's very easy to replace one addiction (nicotine) with any other - healthy and useful. Sports, hobbies, photography, cooking, embroidery, yoga and much more. Each of these activities is much better than smoking. Think about it!