Tobacco addiction is an accident and a serious threat to the lives of many people. The love of cigarettes is addictive, difficult and persistent, which subdues a person on a mental and physical level. Many cigarette lovers tried to stop it, but only a small part of them achieved the desired goal. After all, fighting any addiction is a real test of strength.
According to the results of statistics, about 70% of smokers want to quit smoking, and about 80% of this number have tried to quit smoking several times. But what prevents you from overcoming a deadly addiction? What tricks can help you quit smoking once and for all? Everyone who has decided to go on the path of health and longevity should know these competent and efficient ways.
Every smoker will always find a thousand reasons to justify their bad habit. The first step towards quitting nicotine is, of course, the realization of the irreparable damage that smokers inflict on themselves and others.
There are some tricks to help you quit smoking once and for all.
Why is it so hard to give up cigarettes?
But why, knowing how much smoking interferes with a full life, what deadly diseases does it cause, can a person sometimes not cope with this habit? Explanations for that should be sought in the nuances of the physiology and psyche of the individual.
According to statistics, in 2016, almost 60% of men and 15% of women consider themselves heavy smokers.
Psychologists have long found an explanation for the persistence of smoking habits. And they explain it for several reasons:
Ritual. For many people, cigarettes become a kind of salvation, a tool that can come to the rescue at any time. Fatigue, tense conversation, hard work, quarrels, frustrations and just a desire to relax after a hard day - everywhere smoking helped to distract and relax. That is, cigarettes have turned into a kind of ritual, without which not a day in the life of a smoker has passed.
Addiction. The mechanism of habit formation is extremely simple: nicotine very quickly becomes an integral part of human metabolism. As a result of regular intake of this supplement, the body stops producing certain hormones. They have been replaced by nicotine compounds. For this reason, sometimes you want to procrastinate so badly - when the body feels the need for this hormone.
Psychology. This aspect is explained solely by the characteristics of the character. By the way, psychological addiction becomes the basis for the development of any kind of addiction. And it is with this feature that few people know how to deal with it.
Smoking cessation: the beginning
All tobacco workers who want and dream of quitting cigarettes should understand one important and fundamental truth - you should not plan to part with cigarettes and set yourself an "X" date. In most cases, such a planned event is postponed and interrupted. explains ordinary psychophysiology.
Just the thought of having to quit smoking will add another thing - regretting the past fragrant times. And such disagreement will prevent us from moving to the "bright, smokeless" side. But the following nuances need to be known and always remembered.
Competent motivation
Good motivational attitudes are extremely important in the fight against any type of addiction. In case of giving up cigarettes, motives will become an important factor that will be able to support the will and help not to give up.
Competent motivation is based on the constant belief that smoking cessation will bring important benefits that will be worth the time and effort spent.
Only motivation can survive the first parting with cigarettes and help the body resist the craving for smoking that sometimes awakens. Where can you find this motivation? It will be individual for each person. Here you can use settings such as:
- Save money.
- own health.
- Pre-existing diseases.
- The birth (or presence) of a child.
- Unpleasant odors of clothes, bodies.
Useful tips
When psychologists explain how to help the body after quitting smoking, they always advise you to follow some rules. They need to be known, remembered and implemented. They are especially important in the initial phase of parting with cigarettes, when withdrawal syndrome awakens. Here are some simple recommendations:
- Don't leave yourself hungry. You should always bring nuts, crackers, dried fruits or seeds with you. So they can always be used when the desire to smoke awakens.
- Do not accumulate negativity. Try to avoid unnecessary stress, do not get into quarrels, conflict situations.
- Don't be alone. In the first difficult days, you should provide maximum support to relatives, friends. Those with whom you can share problems, talk about successes.
- Don't overdo it. In the first days of smoking cessation, the body will be in a state of stress, it should not be overloaded. At this point, it is important to ensure a good rest, but also do not forget about all kinds of entertainment that can distract the former smoker from the thought and desire to smoke.
Does replacement therapy help?
Withdrawal syndrome that occurs after quitting cigarettes brings with it a number of physical discomforts 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 nicotine replacement drugs help with that. These can be patches, chewing gum, tablets, sprays. They are not always successful, but still worth a try, they may be useful in this case.
In the first days of quitting smoking, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Your doctor may prescribe more effective prescription drugs. These can be various antidepressants that help alleviate negative symptoms and irritability.
You can also use other methods: acupuncture, physiotherapy, hypnotic session to help you quit smoking. What exactly to prefer, advises an experienced doctor, focusing on the initial health condition and smoking experience.
Healthy diet
Few people know that there are products that become excellent helpers in the fight against smoking. When choosing the right diet, keep in mind that nicotine causes the production of hormones "joy" (serotonin and dopamine) in the body. These compounds give a person a good mood. And for this reason (when there is no nicotine) ex-smoker faces:
- apathy;
- depression
- depression;
- bad mood;
- irritability.
And all these symptoms go against the background of slowed metabolism. But such problems can be avoided if you know which products help you quit smoking. First of all, in order to stop the unpleasant manifestations, it is necessary to ensure that a large amount is present in the daily diet:
- meat:
- cabbage;
- Fish dishes;
- vegetable oils;
- milk products.
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 compensated by such dishes as:
- kiwi;
- dragoon;
- plums;
- bananas;
- tomato;
- pineapple;
- citrus.
Bitter natural dark chocolate perfectly improves the mood. Just don’t get too carried away with them. There are too many calories, and "chocolate" love is full of extra pounds. When planning a healthy diet, special attention should be paid to breakfast. It should be satisfactory, consisting of energy-rich foods. The list of energy products includes:
- eggs;
- mate tea;
- walnuts;
- sea food;
- apples and bananas;
- natural honey;
- pumpkin seeds;
- red meat (veal or beef).
Eat well, do not forget about physical activity. The period of parting with cigarettes is a great time to visit the gym, pool. This will protect the former cigarette addict from unnecessary pounds and will perfectly distract from the obsessive desire to smoke.
Help from the National Pharmacy
Various recipes of the healer come to the aid of the former tobacco addict. There are many ways among people to help alleviate the negative manifestations and stop the withdrawal syndrome. Plants and products with certain medicinal properties are used:
- Collection of catnip, dandelion and valerian. Steam all herbs (1 tablespoon) with boiling water (200 ml) and insist in a closed container until cool. Strain the mass and take with every desire to smoke.
- Grind oatmeal (250 g) to flour. Pour over hot water (500 ml) and bring to the boil. After 1-1, 5 hours of infusion, strain and cool. You should take 100 ml as soon as the desire for a cigarette appears. 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.
- Steam St. John's wort (25 g) with boiling water (150-200 ml) and drink the composition during the day, replacing ordinary tea with it. St. John's wort contains components that have a calming and sedative effect.
- Crush the roots of mountain ash and pour boiling water / (200 ml). Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then let stand 1-1, 5 hours. You have to drink decoction with every desire to smoke. This herb will help develop 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 of the received portion of drink). Such a drug should be taken for a month, taking only 2-3 sips a day.
- Pour drinking water over oats, barley and millet. Cook the mass for 10-15 minutes and leave for a day. Then strain and take 200 ml on an empty stomach 3-4 times a day.
Nicotine-free cigarettes
Using these herbal smoking products can help address addiction and cravings. By the way, such cigarettes have been known for a long time and have successfully established themselves as a reliable helper in such a good cause.
Nicotine-free cigarettes have been known since ancient India. Mention of them has come down to our times in ancient Ayurvedic manuscripts.
Their main difference is the complete absence of nicotine in their composition. This harmful compound has been replaced by other components. especially:
- various oriental spices: cinnamon, coriander, saffron;
- medicinal herbs: thyme, oregano, mint, lemon balm, St. John's wort, horsetail, sage, eucalyptus.
Such cigarettes alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of quitting, alleviate the psychological addiction to smoking. A smoker who has stopped smoking, using such cigarettes, successfully copes with the withdrawal of nicotine and helps to start the path of non-smoking life. You can buy such products in large pharmacies.
Nicotine-free cigarettes are not harmful to health. In addition, they have a certain healing effect, have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and the functioning of the respiratory system.
Compression
Scientists, considering the problem of smoking, recognize that cigarette consumption 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, handicrafts, yoga and more. Each of these activities is much better than smoking. Think about it!