Even heavy smokers know that smoking is a bad habit that adversely affects health. Many people dream of quitting smoking, but are afraid of the "withdrawal syndrome". We will discuss how to quit smoking quickly and effectively in our article.
In general, when talking about smoking, it is more correct to talk about "tobacco" addiction than "nicotine" addiction. According to the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization, tobacco addiction is a physiological behavioral disorder based on the use of psychoactive substances. True nicotine addiction is only one type of tobacco addiction.
What is nicotine addiction
Nicotine is involved in many biochemical processes in our body. Therefore, smoking is the cause of the development of more than 40 different diseases. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7, 000 harmful chemicals, as well as carbon monoxide and free radicals that damage tissues.
More than half of smokers dream of giving up this harmful habit, but before you fight smoking, you need to find out the reason why a person smokes. Doctors classify all reasons for smoking into several types of smoking behavior:
"Stimulation»
This type of smoking behavior is manifested in those people who believe that cigarettes stimulate them, invigorate them and relieve fatigue. Addiction in such people is psychological in nature, and smoking cessation causes symptoms of vegetovascular dystonia and asthenia.
"The cigarette game»
People with this behavior smoke a little, often "for company" and no more than 2-3 cigarettes a day. They are more interested in accessories: ashtrays, cigarette boxes, lighters, expensive types of cigarettes. Smoking is more like a game than an addiction.
"Relaxation»
It is very difficult for such people to quit smoking. For them, a cigarette is a means of additional pleasure during relaxation, and the situation during smoking should be pleasant and relaxing.
"support"
This type of smoking is necessary for a person to reduce emotional stress. Such people smoke in moments of shyness, anger, uncertainty and in unpleasant situations.
"Thirst»
This type is associated with physical dependence on nicotine. A decrease in the level of nicotine in the blood makes a person smoke, despite all prohibitions. This type of smoking behavior can be considered a true nicotine addiction.
"Reflex»
Such smokers smoke reflexively, without thinking about the fact that they are smoking. They smoke more often during work, in large quantities and "automatically". Most of the time, they cannot explain the reason for smoking.
All the above mentioned types of smoking behavior can occur in isolation or combined in different combinations.
Tobacco addiction progresses with increasing smoking experience and goes through 3 stages of development:
- Phase 1 - initial. A smoker smokes occasionally due to psychological dependence. Physical dependence is not observed at this stage.
- Phase 2 is characterized by the initial manifestations of physical dependence on nicotine.
- Phase 3 combines the pronounced factors of psychological and physical dependence on nicotine.
To find out if you are addicted to nicotine, answer a few questions:
- Do you smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day?
- Do you feel like smoking half an hour after waking up?
- When you quit smoking, did you have a strong urge to smoke again and did you suffer from "withdrawal symptoms"?
If you answered yes to all 3 questions, you are seriously addicted to nicotine.
The cause of addiction is nicotine itself, which reaches the brain within 7 seconds after the first inhalation of tobacco products. There, nicotine interacts with nicotinic receptors and stimulates the production of neurotransmitters, including dopamine. These substances are addictive to nicotine. As soon as the smoker takes a long break from smoking, the level of these substances in the blood decreases and the "withdrawal syndrome" occurs: craving for smoking, anxiety, reduced attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, discomfort and lassitude. The person experiences cough, insomnia andother somatic symptoms. The duration of such a period can be from several days to several months. That is why doctors recommend that those who quit smoking take special pharmacological drugs.
Interesting facts about smoking
| A fact about smoking | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of smokers in the world (WHO) | 1 billion people |
| Percentage of smokers by gender | 40% of all men, 9% of all women |
| In which countries is smoking more common? | Kiribati, Montenegro, Greece, Timor |
| In which countries is smoking less common? | Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Eritrea, Panama |
| Diseases caused by smoking | baldness, cataracts, early wrinkles, hearing loss, skin cancer, tooth decay, emphysema, osteoporosis, heart disease, stomach ulcer, spontaneous abortions, spermatogenesis disorders, psoriasis, thrombarteritis obliterans, cancer of more than 15 organs |
| Annual mortality from smoking (WHO) | more than 7 million people (including 1. 5 million women) - one person every 6. 5 seconds |
| Annual mortality from exposure to second-hand smoke (second-hand smoke) (WHO) | 1. 2 million people (of which 64% are women and about 65, 000 children) |
| Popular myths about smoking |
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The 5 best ways to quit smoking
Most smokers have tried to quit smoking at least once in their lives. Some succeeded, but others could not endure the painful withdrawal symptoms, and the attempt was unsuccessful. In addition to willpower, you may need special medication or professional help.
Tobacco addiction is one of the strongest addictions and develops much faster than, for example, alcohol addiction. This makes it very difficult to treat.
1. Drugs
Doctors use two types of drugs to treat nicotine addiction: nicotine replacement drugs (NRTs) and drugs that do not contain nicotine. These products are good both for those who want to stop smoking completely, and for people who want to reduce the intensity of smoking. However, a positive result can be achieved only after the elimination of psychological addiction, and WIP only provides a time delay to solve this problem.
Medicines that do not contain nicotine
Non-nicotine drugs include nicotinic receptor antagonists (NRAs) and atypical antidepressants. However, atypical antidepressants are not officially used to treat nicotine addiction.
Nicotine receptor antagonists prevent the interaction of nicotine with the receptors of the nervous system, and smoking cigarettes is no longer pleasant for the smoker.
ANR starts 1 week before the expected quit date and continues for 12 weeks. In the period from 8 to 35 days of treatment, it is recommended to completely give up cigarettes.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- the treatment period for ANR is several times shorter than for NWP; drugs do not require gradual withdrawal; good therapeutic effect.
- available by prescription; have a complex dosage regimen; many contraindications; Do not take under 18 years of age, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Nicotine replacement drugs
Nicotine replacement products (NRTs) are designed to deliver nicotine directly into the human body to replace regular smoking. Such products are available in the form of lozenges, plasters, chewing gums, sprays and inhalers. Quitting smoking is achieved by alleviating withdrawal symptoms and gradually reducing the dose of the drug.
The time of penetration of nicotine into the blood and its presence in the body depends on the form of the drug. Nicotine patches are applied directly to the skin. The patch releases nicotine for 16-24 hours. Chewing gum, sublingual tablets and sprays work faster, but nicotine stays in the blood for a much shorter time. The fastest acting drug is nicotine spray. After its application, the effect occurs within 60 seconds.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- relief of withdrawal symptoms; suitable for people who do not want to stop smoking completely; minimum number of contraindications.
- require consultation with a doctor before use; It cannot be used under the age of 18, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
2. Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy helps in forming positive attitudes and inculcating skills that can control nicotine addiction. Psychotherapy is most effective when combined with drug treatment. Psychotherapists often use Erikson's hypnosis, cognitive psychotherapy and some other techniques. After only 2-3 sessions with a psychotherapist, the patient's need to smoke disappears.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- pronounced therapeutic effect; enhances the effect of drug treatment; Only 2-3 sessions are needed.
- requires a highly qualified specialist; it depends on the motivation of the patient.
3. Acupuncture
This method is based on the influence of needles on biologically active points of the body, which helps to relieve withdrawal symptoms and the physical desire to smoke. Most often, a course of 3-10 procedures is used, during which needles are inserted into acupuncture points on the hands and feet. Another popular method is the needle button, which is long implanted under the skin of the auricle. At the moment when the desire to smoke arises, the patient presses it and the desire recedes.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- does not require the use of drugs; short course of treatment; no contraindications or side effects;
- requires high patient motivation; You can only trust a highly qualified specialist.
4. Consultations with a doctor
The first stage of nicotine addiction is psychological addiction. It is most often associated with the "smoking ritual". The reason may be an involved company, the association of smoking with a cup of coffee or driving a car. In young people, the start of smoking can be a consequence of the desire to look more mature, more independent and to have a certain "status" position. In this case, the decisive factor in stopping smoking can be a conversation with a doctor - for example, a psychotherapist or narcologist. Awareness of the harm to health and the help of experts will help to get rid of the conditioned reflex that causes the desire to smoke.
There are free consultation centers whose operators will give advice by phone at any time of the day and help you find the most effective way to quit smoking. The doctor will be able to recommend different programs and courses for overcoming tobacco addiction.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- consultation with a doctor increases the effectiveness of any type of therapy; allows you to without the use of drugs if you are highly motivated.
- it will help only with a weak degree of addiction; high motivation is needed to quit smoking.
5. Behavioral therapy
This set of measures aims to create favorable conditions for quitting smoking or reducing the number of cigarettes smoked. According to statistics, only 3-7% of smokers can quit smoking without the help of experts and drug therapy. However, by changing the behavior pattern, it is much easier to stop smoking or reduce its intensity.
- Decide whether you want to quit smoking all at once or gradually. If not immediately, make a plan to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
- If you decide to quit smoking right away, set a date in advance when you will do it. Try to match that time with an event that is important to you. Before this day, smoke twice as much to saturate your body with nicotine.
- If you smoke a lot at work, set a time to quit smoking to coincide with your vacation or weekend. Try to find a partner to quit.
- When you gradually stop smoking, try not to smoke as long as possible after sleeping and eating. Put cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays out of sight. Try not to smoke in the presence of children, relatives and in society. Frequent places where smoking is prohibited.
- Do not buy cigarettes in advance, try to smoke only half a cigarette.
- If you feel the urge to smoke, do not smoke immediately. The acute desire to smoke lasts 3-5 minutes. Before you do that, do some exercise or take a light walk.
- Try to stop smoking occasionally for a while: half a day, a day, a couple of days, etc.
- Go to the gym. Active physical activity increases the production of pleasure hormones and alleviates withdrawal symptoms.
Doctor's advice for those who want to quit smoking
Nicotine addiction manifests itself on a psychological, emotional and physical level. According to doctors, when quitting smoking, the main key to success is strong motivation. That's why every smoker should know the harmful effects of smoking and the benefits of quitting.
Most doctors are skeptical about the ability of an "experienced" smoker to quit the habit on their own. Experiments with nicotine replacement drugs are no less dangerous.
Nicotine addiction therapy should be comprehensive and individually tailored. There are several techniques developed that can effectively combat the problem. Treatment of addiction is a serious and long-term task. Without consultation and supervision of a doctor, success will be much more difficult. After assessing the degree of addiction and the characteristics of your body, a qualified specialist will choose a treatment regimen that suits you. Only in this case the result will be positive and expected.
Popular questions and answers
After deciding to quit smoking, many smokers start researching the topic online. We have selected the most popular questions and sent them to our expert.
- Why is it so hard to quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction affects all parts of the human body: psychological, emotional and physical. According to the strength of attachment, doctors compare it to alcohol and drug addiction. When you stop smoking, "withdrawal syndrome" occurs. Eliminating these manifestations is the most difficult task. Treatment requires a long-term, comprehensive and professional approach.
- Is it possible to suddenly stop smoking?
With expressed motivation, this approach to the problem will be the most effective. If you have a strong addiction, doctors recommend that you stop immediately. Nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine receptor blockers will help ease withdrawal symptoms.
- How is quitting smoking going?
When you stop smoking for several days, and sometimes months, symptoms of the so-called"withdrawal syndrome": craving for smoking, anxiety, reduced attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, discomfort and malaise. Cough, insomnia and other somatic symptoms increase.
- When does the urge to smoke disappear?
The strongest desire to smoke appears within a week. Later, the urge to smoke decreases, but it may take another one to several months. Doctors consider an attempt to quit smoking successful if the patient does not smoke for six months.
- Is it okay to smoke sometimes?
There is no "safe" level of smoking. According to statistics, if a person smokes just one cigarette a day, it increases the chance of heart disease or stroke by 30-50%. Each "occasional cigarette" can return a former smoker to nicotine addiction.
- Why do people gain weight when they stop smoking?
The main reason for weight gain is "stress eating". When they quit smoking, people often snack instead of taking a break from smoking, which leads to weight gain. Sometimes, during smoking, there is a disruption in the endocrine system, which leads to weight loss. After quitting smoking, the weight can return to the previous level.