Even heavy smokers know that smoking is a bad habit that has harmful effects on 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 addiction to "tobacco" rather than "nicotine". According to the WHO International Classification of Diseases, tobacco dependence is a physiological behavioral disorder based on the use of psychoactive substances. True nicotine addiction is just one type of tobacco addiction.
What is nicotine addiction
Nicotine is involved in many biochemical processes in our body. This is why smoking is the cause of the development of over 40 different diseases. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7, 000 harmful chemicals, as well as carbon monoxide and tissue-damaging free radicals.
More than half of smokers dream of abandoning this harmful habit, but before fighting smoking it is necessary to find out why a person smokes. Doctors classify all reasons for smoking into several types of smoking behaviors:
"Stimulation»
This type of smoking behavior occurs in those people who believe that a cigarette stimulates them, invigorates them and relieves fatigue. Dependence in these people is psychological in nature and quitting smoking causes symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia and asthenia.
"Cigarette game»
People with this type of behavior smoke little, often "for company" and no more than 2-3 cigarettes a day. They are more interested in accessories: ashtrays, cigarette cases, lighters, expensive types of cigarettes. Smoking is more of a game than an addiction.
"Relaxation»
It is very difficult for these people to quit smoking. For them, a cigarette is a means of additional pleasure during relaxation, and the situation while smoking should be comfortable and relaxing.
"Support"
This type of smoking is necessary for a person to reduce emotional stress. These 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 forces a person to smoke, despite all prohibitions. It is this type of smoking behavior that can be considered true nicotine addiction.
"Reflex»
Such smokers smoke reflexively, without thinking about the fact of smoking. They smoke more often during work, in large quantities and "automatically". Very often they are unable to explain the reason for smoking.
All of the above types of smoking behavior can occur in isolation or combined in various combinations.
Tobacco addiction progresses with increasing experience of smoking and goes through 3 stages of development:
- Phase 1 - initial. A smoker smokes occasionally due to psychological dependence. In this phase no physical dependence is observed.
- Stage 2 is characterized by the initial manifestations of physical dependence on nicotine.
- Stage 3 combines pronounced factors of psychological and physical dependence on nicotine.
To find out if you have a nicotine addiction, answer a few questions:
- Do you smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day?
- Do you feel like smoking within half an hour of waking up?
- When you quit smoking, did you feel a strong urge to smoke again and were you bothered by "withdrawal symptoms"?
If you answered yes to all 3 questions, you are severely addicted to nicotine.
The cause of addiction is nicotine itself, which reaches the brain within 7 seconds of the first inhalation of tobacco products. There, nicotine interacts with nicotinic receptors and promotes the production of neurotransmitters, including dopamine. These substances create nicotine addiction. As soon as a smoker takes a long break from smoking, the level of these substances in the blood decreases and a "withdrawal syndrome" occurs: craving to smoke, anxiety, decreased attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, discomfort and malaise. A person develops cough, insomnia and other somatic symptoms. The duration of this period can vary from several days to several months. That is why doctors recommend that those who quit smoking take special pharmacological medications.
Interesting facts about smoking
| Fact about smoking | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of smokers in the world (WHO) | 1 billion people |
| Percentage of smokers by sex | 40% of men, 9% of women |
| In which countries is smoking most common? | Kiribati, Montenegro, Greece, Timor |
| In which countries is smoking less widespread? | Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Eritrea, Panama |
| Diseases caused by smoking | baldness, cataracts, early wrinkles, hearing loss, skin cancer, tooth decay, emphysema, osteoporosis, heart disease, stomach ulcers, miscarriages, spermatogenesis disorders, psoriasis, thrombopteritis obliterans, cancer of more than 15 organs |
| Annual mortality due to smoking (WHO) | more than 7 million people (of which 1. 5 million women) - one person every 6. 5 seconds |
| Annual mortality due to exposure to secondhand smoke (secondhand smoke) (WHO) | 1. 2 million people (of which 64% women and approximately 65, 000 children) |
| Popular myths about smoking |
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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 bear the painful withdrawal symptoms and the attempt was unsuccessful. In addition to willpower, you may need special medications or specialist help.
Tobacco addiction is one of the strongest addictions and develops much faster than, for example, alcohol addiction. This is why it is 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 for both those who want to completely quit smoking and for people who want to reduce the intensity of smoking. However, a positive result can only be achieved after eliminating psychological dependence, and WIP only provides a time delay to resolve this problem.
Medicines that do not contain nicotine
Drugs that do not contain nicotine include nicotinic receptor antagonists (NRAs) and atypical antidepressants. However, atypical antidepressants are not officially used to treat nicotine addiction.
Nicotinic receptor antagonist drugs prevent the interaction of nicotine with the receptors of the nervous system, and smoking cigarettes is no longer pleasant for the smoker.
ANR is started 1 week before the expected smoking cessation date and continued for 12 weeks. In the period between 8 and 35 days of treatment it is recommended to completely abandon cigarettes.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- the treatment period for ANR is several times shorter than that for NWP; drugs do not require gradual discontinuation; good therapeutic effect.
- available by prescription; have a complex dosing regimen; many contraindications; Do not take under 18 years of age, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Nicotine replacement drugs
Nicotine replacement products (NRT) are designed to directly deliver nicotine into the human body to replace regular smoking. These products are available in the form of tablets, patches, chewing gum, sprays and inhalers. Smoking cessation is achieved by alleviating withdrawal symptoms and gradually reducing the dose of the drug.
The penetration time 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 much less time. The fastest-acting remedy is nicotine spray. After its application, the effect occurs within 60 seconds.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- relieve withdrawal symptoms; suitable for people who do not want to completely quit smoking; minimum number of contraindications.
- require medical consultation before use; It cannot be used under the age of 18, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
2. Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy helps form positive attitudes and instill skills that can control nicotine addiction. Psychotherapy is most effective when combined with drug treatment. Psychotherapists often use Ericksonian hypnosis, cognitive psychotherapy and some other techniques. After just 2-3 sessions with a psychotherapist, the patient's need to smoke disappears.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- pronounced therapeutic effect; improves the effect of drug treatment; Only 2-3 sessions are needed.
- requires a highly qualified specialist; depends on the patient's motivation.
3. Acupuncture
This method is based on the impact of needles on biologically active points of the body, which helps to relieve withdrawal symptoms and physical desire to smoke. Most often a course of 3-10 procedures is used, during which needles are installed on acupuncture points on the arms and legs. Another popular method is the needle button, which is installed for a long time under the skin of the auricle. The moment the desire to smoke arises, the patient presses it and the desire subsides.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- does not require the use of drugs; short course of treatment; it has no contraindications or side effects;
- requires high patient motivation; You can trust only a highly qualified specialist.
4. Doctor's consultation
The first stage of nicotine addiction is psychological dependence. Most often it is associated with the "smoking ritual". The reason could be the company involved, the association of smoking with a cup of coffee or driving a car. In young people, the start of smoking may be due to the desire to appear more mature, independent and to have a certain "status" position. In this case, the decisive factor in quitting smoking may be a conversation with a doctor, for example, a psychotherapist or narcologist. Awareness of the harm to health and the help of a specialist will help get rid of the conditioned reflex that causes the desire to smoke.
There are free counseling centers whose operators will give you advice over the telephone at any time of the day and will help you find the most effective way to quit smoking. The doctor will be able to recommend various programs and courses aimed at overcoming tobacco addiction.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- consultation with a doctor increases the effectiveness of any type of therapy; it allows you to do without the use of drugs if you are very motivated.
- will help only with a weak degree of dependence; 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 specialists and drug therapy. However, by changing your behavior pattern, it will be much easier to stop smoking or reduce its intensity.
- Decide whether 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 so. Try to make it coincide with an event that is significant to you. On the eve of this day, smoke twice as much to oversaturate your body with nicotine.
- If you smoke often at work, time your smoking cessation to coincide with holidays or weekends. Try finding a quitting partner.
- When gradually quitting, try not to smoke as long as possible after sleeping and eating. Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from sight. Try not to smoke in the presence of children, relatives and in society. Frequently visit places where smoking is prohibited.
- Don't buy cigarettes in advance, try to smoke only half a cigarette.
- If you feel the urge to smoke, do not smoke immediately. An acute desire to smoke lasts 3-5 minutes. Before you do this, do some exercises or take a light walk.
- Try to stop smoking periodically for a while: half a day, a day, a couple of days, etc.
- Go to the gym. Active exercise increases the production of pleasure hormones and relieves withdrawal symptoms.
Doctors' 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 abandon this habit on their own. Experiments with nicotine replacement therapy drugs are no less dangerous.
Treatment for nicotine addiction should be comprehensive and individualized. There are several developed techniques that can effectively combat the problem. Treating addiction is a serious and time-consuming task. Without the consultation and supervision of a doctor, achieving success will be much more difficult. After assessing the degree of addiction and the characteristics of your body, a qualified specialist will select a treatment regimen suitable for you. Only in this case will the result be positive and expected.
Popular questions and answers
Having decided to quit smoking, many smokers begin to study this topic on the Internet. We have selected the most popular questions and asked them to our expert.
- Why is it so difficult to quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction affects all areas of the human body: psychological, emotional and physical. In terms of attachment strength, doctors compare it to alcohol and drug addiction. When you quit smoking you experience a "withdrawal syndrome". Alleviating these manifestations is the most difficult task. Treatment requires a long-term, comprehensive and professional approach.
- Is it possible to suddenly quit smoking?
With the expressed motivation, this approach to the problem will be the most effective. If you have a strong addiction, doctors recommend quitting immediately. Nicotine replacement therapy or nicotinic receptor blockers will help relieve withdrawal symptoms.
- How's the cigarette withdrawal going?
When you stop smoking for several days and sometimes months, symptoms of the so-called "withdrawal syndrome" appear: desire to smoke, anxiety, decreased 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. Subsequently, the desire to smoke decreases, but may persist for another period or several months. Doctors consider an attempt to quit smoking successful if the patient has not smoked 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, the risk of heart disease or stroke increases by 30-50%. Every "occasional cigarette smoked" can lead a former smoker back to nicotine addiction.
- Why do people gain weight when they quit smoking?
The main reason for weight gain is "stress eating". When quitting smoking, people often snack instead of smoking breaks, which leads to weight gain. Sometimes, while smoking, a disruption occurs in the endocrine system, which leads to weight loss. After quitting smoking, your weight may return to its previous level.