Tobacco addiction is a tragedy and a serious threat to many people's lives. The love of cigarettes is a severe and persistent addiction that subdues the personality on a psychological and physical level. Many cigarette lovers tried to quit, but only a small part of them achieved the desired goal. After all, the fight against any addiction is a real test of strength.
According to the results of statistics, about 70% of smokers have a desire to quit smoking, and about 80% of this number have repeatedly tried to quit smoking. But what's stopping you from breaking a deadly addiction? What tricks can you use to quit smoking once and for all? These competent and effective ways should be known to anyone who has decided to embark on the path of health and longevity.
Every smoker will always find a thousand reasons to justify their bad habit. Of course, the first step to quitting nicotine is recognizing the irreparable damage smokers are doing to themselves and others.
There are some tricks that will help you quit smoking once and for all.
Why is it so hard to give up cigarettes?
But why can a person sometimes not cope with this habit, knowing how much smoking interferes with a full life, what deadly diseases it causes? Explanations for this should 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 describe themselves as heavy smokers.
Psychologists have long since found an explanation for the persistence of the smoking habit. And they explain it 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 conversations, hard work, arguments, frustration and just the desire to unwind after a hard day – smoking everywhere helped distract and relax. That is, cigarettes became a kind of ritual, without which a day in the life of a smoker did not pass.
Addictive. The mechanism of habit formation is very simple: nicotine very quickly becomes an integral part of the human metabolism. As a result of regular intake of this dietary supplement, the body stops producing certain hormones. They are replaced with a nicotine compound. This is why you sometimes want to move on so fiercely - when the body feels the need for that hormone.
Psychology. This aspect is explained solely by the characteristics of the character. By the way, it is psychological dependence that becomes the basis for the development of an addiction. And it is precisely this feature that very few people know how to use.
Quitting smoking: the beginning
All tobacco workers who want and dream of quitting smoking should understand an important and fundamental truth: They should not plan to quit cigarettes and set an "X" date. In most cases, one will be plannedEvent postponed and disturbed This is explained by ordinary psychophysiology.
Only to the thought that you need to quit smoking is added one more thing - regret for bygone fragrant times. And such a disagreement will prevent us from switching to the "light, smoke-free" side. But the following nuances should be known and always remembered.
Competent motivation
A good motivational attitude is extremely important in the fight against any type of addiction. When giving up cigarettes, motives become an important factor that can support the will and help not to give up.
Competent motivation is based on the constant belief that quitting smoking brings important benefits that are worth the time and effort put in.
Only motivation can survive the first farewell to cigarettes and help the body to resist the occasional craving for smoking. Where do you find this motivation? For each person it will be individual. Here you can use settings like:
- Save money.
- own health.
- Pre-existing illnesses.
- The birth (or presence) of a child.
- Unpleasant odors from clothes, body.
Helpful tips
When psychologists explain how to help the body after quitting smoking, they always advise you to keep a few rules with you. They should be known, remembered and carried out. They are especially important in the initial stages of quitting cigarettes, when the withdrawal syndrome awakens. These are the following simple recommendations:
- Don't get hungry. You should always have nuts, crackers, dried fruit or seeds with you. So that they can always be used when the urge to smoke wakes up.
- Don't collect negativity. Try to avoid unnecessary stress, do not get into quarrels, conflict situations.
- don't be aloneIn the difficult first days, you should provide the support of relatives, relatives and friends to the maximum. Those with whom you can talk about problems, talk about successes.
- Don't overload yourself. In the early days of quitting smoking, the body is in a state of stress, you shouldn't stress it too much. At this time it is important to have a good rest, but also not to forget about all kinds of entertainment that can distract the ex-smoker from the thought and desire to smoke.
Does substitution therapy help?
Withdrawal syndrome after quitting smoking brings with it numerous physical ailments and ailments. 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 various drugs from the genus of nicotine substitutes help with this. It can be plasters, gum, tablets, sprays. They are not always successful, but it's still worth trying, maybe in this case they will come in handy.
Consultation with a doctor is necessary in the early days of smoking cessation. It is possible that the doctor will prescribe you more effective medications that are available by prescription. These can be various antidepressants that help relieve negative symptoms and reduce irritability.
You can also use other methods: acupuncture, physical therapy, a hypnotic session that will help you quit smoking. Exactly what to prefer will be advised by an experienced doctor, focusing on the initial state of health and smoking experience.
Healthy eating
Few people know that there are products that will become excellent assistants in the fight against smoking. When choosing a suitable diet, it is important to remember that nicotine causes the body to produce "pleasure" hormones (serotonin and dopamine). These compounds create a good mood. And because of this (in the absence of nicotine), theEx-smokers faced with:
- Apathy;
- depression
- Depression;
- Bad mood;
- Irritability.
And all these symptoms go against the background of a slow metabolism. But such problems can be avoided if you know which products will help you quit smoking. To stop unpleasant manifestations, first of all, it is necessary to ensure that there is a large amount in the daily diet:
- Flesh:
- greens;
- fish dishes;
- vegetable oils;
- Dairy products.
All of these foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These substances act on specific brain centers that stabilize mood. But the lack of nicotine is successfully filled with such dishes as:
- Kiwi;
- Persimmon;
- plums;
- bananas;
- Tomatoes;
- Pineapple;
- citrus fruits.
Bitter natural dark chocolate perfectly improves mood. Just don't get too carried away with them. It is too high-calorie, and "chocolate" love is fraught with a bunch of extra pounds. When planning a healthy diet, special attention should be paid to breakfast. It should be filling and consist of high-energy foods. The list of energy products includes:
- eggs;
- Mate tea;
- Walnut;
- Seafood;
- apples and bananas;
- natural honey;
- pumpkin seeds;
- red meat (veal or beef).
Eat well, do not forget about physical activity. The time to say goodbye to cigarettes is a great time to visit the gym and swimming pool. This protects the former cigarette addict from unnecessary weight gain and perfectly distracts from the obsessive desire to smoke.
Help from the People's Pharmacy
Various healing recipes also come to the aid of the former tobacco addict. Among people there are many ways to relieve negative manifestations and stop withdrawal syndrome. Herbs and products with certain medicinal properties are used:
- Collection of catnip, dandelion and valerian. Steam all the herbs (1 tbsp each) with boiling water (200 ml) and leave to cool in a closed container. Strain the mixture and take whenever you feel like smoking.
- Grind oat greens (250 g) into flour. Pour in hot water (500 ml) and bring to the boil. After 1-1. 5 hours of infusion, strain and cool. You should take 100ml as soon as the craving for a cigarette arises. You can add honey to taste.
- Dissolve 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) stewed 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 calming effect.
- Crush the roots of the highlander and pour boiling water / (200 ml). Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then let it steep for 1-1. 5 hours. You must drink a brew whenever you wish to smoke. This herb will help develop an aversion to cigarettes.
- Grind the leaves of the plant and steam them with a glass 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 the received portion of the drink). Drinking such a drug should last a month, doing only 2-3 sips a day.
- Pour drinking water over oats, barley and millet. Boil the mass for 10-15 minutes and leave for a day. Then strain and take 200 ml 3-4 times a day on an empty stomach.
Use of nicotine-free cigarettes
Using these herbal incense products can help cope with addiction and cravings for smoking. By the way, such cigarettes have long been known and have successfully established themselves as a reliable assistant in such a worthy cause.
Nicotine free cigarettes have been known since ancient India. Their mention has survived to our time in ancient Ayurvedic manuscripts.
Their main difference is the complete absence of nicotine in their composition. This malicious compound has been replaced by other components. Especially:
- various oriental spices: cinnamon, coriander, saffron;
- Medicinal herbs: thyme, oregano, mint, motherwort, St. John's wort, horsetail, sage, eucalyptus.
Such cigarettes relieve the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, relieve the psychological dependence of smoking. The smoker using such cigarettes successfully copes with nicotine withdrawal and helps to embark on the path of a smoke-free life. You can buy such products in large drugstores.
Nicotine-free cigarettes are not harmful to your health. In addition, they also have a healing effect, which has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and the functioning of the respiratory system.
Sum up
Given the problem of smoking, scientists recognize that cigarette use is a delayed suicide. The negative, deadly effect on health accumulates over 10-20 years. Most experts consider smoking to be one of the most powerful drugs.
But there are so many wonderful, interesting things and activities in life! And it is very easy to replace one addiction (nicotine) with another - healthy and useful. Sports, Hobbies, Photography, Cooking, Crafts, Yoga and more. Any of these activities are much better than smoking. Think about it!