Quit smoking at home: proven methods

Two of my colleagues decided to quit smoking at the same time.One of them successfully realized his intention and has not smoked a cigarette for three years now.And another, like Mark Twain, quit more than once: it lasted until the first event with alcohol.

In general, both have a happy attitude towards alcohol, they can drink together on holidays or on vacation, but one remains resistant to tobacco products, and the other cannot stand it.

At the same time, both live a busy life, periodically go to the gym, cinema and concerts, go rafting, fishing and mushroom picking.They often do it together.

So what is the power of an addiction and why are some people able to resist it and others not?

“Let's smoke, comrade, one at a time...”

Everyone is already more or less aware that the smoker's addiction develops at the level of the body and at the level of the psyche.Physiological dependence develops over time;Nicotine becomes a necessary link in the metabolism.When its content decreases, the body feels the lack of something familiar and signals: "I want more!"

Advertising for anti-tobacco products is based on this addiction, asking to switch to an electronic cigarette instead of a regular cigarette or to chew special gum, that is, trying to deceive the body.

But experts (psychologists, narcologists) know that the main reason for addiction is psychological.This is why you started smoking, even before your first cigarette.Freud defined smoking as a consequence of oral fixation, the desire to return to a state of comfort and security next to the mother's breast.For the same reason, people overeat or chew something incessantly.For this reason, among other things, the myth was born according to which those who stop smoking risk gaining weight.This only happens if they fill the void with food without addressing the root cause of the addiction.

There are other reasons for smoking: for some it is a way to concentrate, for others it is an aesthetic ritual or an invented image.Note: In old movies everyone smokes.Aristocrats and actresses aesthetically blow smoke rings;a cigarette among the soldiers serves as a symbol of brotherhood;cowboys smoke a cigar or cigarette;Holmes and Poirot are very good while smoking;there is nothing to say about the Indian peace pipe.Perhaps these are the machinations of tobacco companies who are trying to join the ranks of their victims.“I would ban it even now if I found a virtue equally advantageous,” said Napoleon III.

A romantic atmosphere creates a belief: if you light a cigarette, you are a macho or a fatal beauty;intelligent and mysterious;above others, chosen;a creative person;a good guy, a true friend.Everyone chooses what they want and is offered only one remedy: nicotine.

The environment plays a huge role: if parents smoke, the child takes this as a model from childhood;if there are many smokers in a company, there is a desire to join the majority, especially if it is a new job (class or group of an educational institution) and the person wants to join the team.Teens may experience peer pressure to demonstrate their maturity.And, of course, simple human curiosity.

What happens when you stop smoking?A person finds himself out of place in the company, shy and unable to meet a girl without a cigarette, experiencing constant discomfort, stressed for any reason, nervous, irritable and so on.Many run the risk of collapsing and picking up the "pacifier" again.

Talking about the dangers of smoking to health: lung cancer, gangrene of the extremities, problems with blood vessels, heart, stroke, heart attack, damaged skin, difficulties with pregnancy, problems with potency, the prospect of dying early - they do not enlighten, but only irritate smokers.

Even if your voice is hoarse, plaque has appeared on the teeth and tongue, cough in the chest, shortness of breath, phlegm, pain, insomnia, throbbing in the temples - the first symptoms of impending problems - this does not help you overcome your addiction.Education (reminders for schoolchildren and parents, conferences from doctors, instructions from sports coaches, etc.) plays an important role in the prevention phase to avoid smoking the first cigarette.

Not everyone is worried about the money issue: they say, I can afford it.A car, a trip and other pleasures, which theoretically can be bought with saved money, are for a smoker a symbol of deprivation and limitation in other needs.

That's why, if you decide to quit smoking, it's important to get to the root of the problem: understand what smoking brings to you (what it eliminates) and how to satisfy this need in a different way.Otherwise, the smoker will be hindered by the fear of losing something by giving up nicotine and will be left without support and support.

Realize that this is an addiction and you are not losing anything, but you are getting rid of it.

Ways to get rid of addiction

• "Various proprietary techniques. Here are two: "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. I interviewed a dozen ex-smoking friends and three of them responded that this book had helped them.It was written in 1985 and is still the world's most popular guide to quitting smoking.Postulates:It's easy to start living nicotine-free at any age;willpower is not only not necessary, but rather an obstacle.Those who quit smoking with the help of willpower, according to the author, experience torment, due to the feeling that they are overcoming something, enduring difficulties.There is no point in fighting tobacco smoking: war is exhausting.You just need to make a conscious decision and "do not hope, but know that you have already stopped smoking by making such a decision."And everything will be painless.The author uses his experience as a former smoker with 33 years of experience and convincingly conveys to readers that they will only benefit from giving up the addiction. “Four Stinky Sighs” by Vladimir Zhdanov- a well-known technique.Designed to awaken an aversion to smoking.To do this, the sensations of smoking are brought to the maximum: tobacco smoke must be held in the mouth, chewed with the mouth closed and the head thrown back.After 30 seconds, you can push the smoke into your lungs.You will want to cough, you will choke, you will start to feel sick, but you will have to take 2 more puffs while chewing the smoke.The fourth time you have to breathe in lungs full of smoke.Then, tensing your abdominal muscles, cough for a long time.Record on the package the date and time you took 4 smelly breaths.You can't smoke anymore.If it becomes unbearable, chew the smoke again.
• With the help of a doctor.If you trust traditional medicine more or suffer from chronic diseases, you can contact a medical center.Discuss with a specialist whether to quit immediately or gradually, whether it is worth initially replacing the cigarette with something else.The doctor will recommend a diet, select sedatives, antidepressants, monitor blood pressure and monitor changes in different stages.
• Codification, hypnosis.It affects the subconscious, the goal is to develop a conditioned reflex against smoking.The specialist can put the patient into a state of hypnotic sleep, but this is not necessary.

So, once my good friend downloaded for his mother, a smoker with almost 30 years of experience, a psychotherapeutic session aimed at quickly getting rid of addiction.The mother watched the video and a few days later the family suddenly realized that she did not smoke.It doesn't last, I even threw away the opened package.Surprisingly, but true: more than 10 years have passed since then.

• Neurolinguistic programming.One of the assumptions (axioms) of NLP is: “Change can be instantaneous”.Various NLP techniques aim to quickly replace negative consciousness with positive, reprogramming ones.You can contact a psychologist who uses this method.
• Acupuncture.It changes the conditioned reflex, which is smoking.The reflexologist acts on certain points and interrupts the chain of impulses.

You yourself can, every time you want to smoke, massage with your finger the point in front of the throat, in the center of the pit at the base of the neck, in the hollow.

Press hard until it hurts, count to threeand let go.Repeat 15 times.It is best to carry out the procedure while sitting or lying down: weakness and dizziness may occur due to the decrease in pressure.

• Sudden abolition of cigarettes in a new environment, with one move.Settling in a remote location without access to cigarette products or traveling with non-smoking friends.In a month you can change: purify yourself and get used to not smoking.Radical and effective.
• Throw yourself into work, sport and creativity.Participation in conferences, festivals, competitions, etc.You need a calendar without days off, a busy schedule to quit smoking.The point is to make it interesting, so you'll be less likely to remember your habit: sorry, addiction.
• Restructuring of consciousness: passion for spiritual teachings, healthy lifestyle, leaving for an eco-village, pilgrimage to holy places and the like.One of my friends quit smoking, getting carried away by Torsunov's lessons, Ayurveda and Krishnaism.Many years have passed since then, she has stopped being a Hare Krishna, she is neutral towards religions, but she still doesn't smoke.

Here it is important to monitor your own roof, that is, your own psyche;there is the risk of becoming a fanatic, a sectarian, a hostage of black teaching.But in general it is an effective method;it is not for nothing that in rehabilitation centers alcohol or drug addiction is often mistaken for adherence to some religion.

• Substitutes: electronic cigarette.The method is controversial.Now they say that using it is harmful, the substances inside are toxic, and the effect of the cigarette itself as a means of quitting smoking is small.However, there are people who it really helped.Nicotine gum, tablets, patches, hookahs, herbal cigars, vaporizers and the like.Allan Carr categorically urges you to stop smoking immediately, once and for all, and forget about these cigarette substitutes.But, as practice shows, many people use them successfully.For example, the colleague mentioned at the beginning of the material stopped smoking, gradually reducing the number of cigarettes, while taking popular anti-smoking pills.He had a powerful motivation.So you can choose any method, stick to the decision to get rid of cigarettes forever.
• Stop it, that's all.An old friend of mine, a one-time chain smoker with 20 years of experience, did just that, without books, techniques, chewing gum or e-cigarettes.And he doesn't think it's difficult to do it alone.After all, the main thing is to decide!

Advice for the brave

What time to start a new life?There is an opinion that if a cigarette helps you relax after hard work, you should give it up on vacation, when you are not already stressed.If, on the contrary, you are used to smoking on holiday, during the period of abstinence you must load yourself up with maximum activity.

Another approach- on the contrary, choose a situation that makes your head spin to understand: if you survived such stress without a cigarette, you can continue to live without it.Carr himself, after examining these options, came to the conclusion that it is not necessary to choose the time so as not to procrastinate and not delude oneself.The best time is RIGHT NOW.

1. If possible, remove anything related to smoking from sight, hearing and smell.Get rid of ashtrays, lighters, cigarettes.
2. If you decide to stop gradually, purchase a package only after finishing the previous one.Do not accept blocks.Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke per day.Smoke the cigarette only halfway and don't take deep drags.Wash your hands, change your clothes so you don't smell tobacco.
3. Try to consciously be in a balanced state, avoid stressful situations.
4. Try to take an interest in something.If you already have a hobby, dedicate more time to it.
5. Treat yourself to pleasant physical activity: slow jogging in the morning, gym, fitness, yoga, wushu...
6. Breathing exercises have proven to be excellent in combating smoking.Try yoga breathing or other similar practices.They help saturate the body with oxygen, calm the mind and soul.It is better to train with a trainer first - he will make sure that you perform the exercises correctly.
7. Massage and meditation will also help you relax and have fun without using nicotine.
8. Avoid places and companies where people smoke, try not to breathe the smoke.But do not go to extremes, so as not to leave society and feel loneliness.If your friends smoke, this is not a reason to avoid or envy them, change your attitude towards the situation: you have already freed yourself, but they have not yet done so.It is not smoking that gives them pleasure, but they cannot enjoy life without a cigarette.
9. Those who have gone this way say that the first week is the most difficult (but it is quite possible to endure!), and after three weeks without nicotine, the body is cleansed, rebuilt and improvements occur.

Treat your condition as a mild ailment, try not to succumb to brain tricks like “just a cigarette”, “it's hard not to smoke now, I'll choose the most appropriate time to quit”.Keep a diary: “I stopped smoking – the consequences every day.”Notice how you feel and record the result: a week, a month, three without poisoning yourself.

If it's difficult for you to quit smoking instantly, try this scheme:

The first 10 days – 15 cigarettes a day.
Another 20 days - 10 cigarettes.
Next month: no more than five pieces a day.
Then, each week, reduce the number of “nicotine sticks” smoked by exactly one piece.As a result, in three months you will reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke to zero.

Review your diet

In general, sweets help overcome drug addiction, but prefer slow carbohydrates, such as fruit (rather than candy).

• Drink more clean water - it cleanses the body and reduces nicotine cravings.
• Be sure to eat honey: mix a teaspoon in a glass of water in the morning and drink on an empty stomach.
• Replenish vitamin C reserves: Nicotine removes it from the body.Citrus and currant juices will replenish your supply of this vitamin and help you in your anti-tobacco campaign.
• Avoid alcohol and coffee.Eat less spicy, smoked and salty foods - all this causes smoking.Advisedliver, boiled potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, peanuts, peas, beans, bread, sea fish, carrots and other products with a small content of nicotinic acid.

Therefore, it became known as easing the desire to smoke.cold salad (!) fromboiled potatoes, fried aubergines and fresh cherry tomatoes.

• Carry with you and chew when you want to smoke: cheese "laces" (if you want, in a pack of cigarettes, just watch the calories so as not to gain weight);pineapple - fresh or candied without sugar;nuts, seeds (preferably pumpkin seeds);dried fruit.
• Drink milk: now it is due to you "for its harmfulness", it cleans the lungs, throat and bronchi.
• Running lemon and honey through a meat grinder (1:1) will also help eliminate the effects of smoking.For a month, eat a spoonful before meals.

How to reduce the urge to smoke: popular advice

1. Chew horseradish and plantain (fresh leaves in equal quantities).The juice should be swallowed and the vegetables should be spit out.Don't drink or binge.Repeat several times a day.

For the same purpose, use ginger, calamus root, a sprig of fresh cherry or turnip.

2. Before smoking, dip your cigarette in some fermented milk product (kefir, yogurt, etc.).Smoking will be unpleasant, the habit will weaken.
3. The old-fashioned method is to mix dried oats with tobacco.
4. Pour boiling water (1 liter) over the oats, rye, millet and barley (all 100 g), and keep on the heat for 8-10 minutes.Filter the broth and place it in a thermos.It will be ready in a day.Drink half a glass 3-5 times a day before meals.

Oats are generally very helpful for withdrawal (withdrawal) symptoms.It perfectly restores vitality, calms, improves sleep and instills an aversion to nicotine.

There are many cooking recipes.Before going to bed, you can grind cereals (1 tablespoon) and add cooled water (2 cups).In the morning, boil and drink instead of tea.

5. Decoction: St. John's wort (1 tablespoon), wild rosemary (0.5 tablespoons), boiling water (600 ml).Continue on low heat for 20 minutes.Then dilute half with water.Sugar, honey or jam - to taste.They drink this tea 5-7 times a day, but you should not take it late in the evening.The admission course is one month.Warning: it is dangerous to use for pregnant and breastfeeding women, for tuberculosis patients and for people whose skin reacts to the sun.

Warning: it is dangerous to use for pregnant and breastfeeding women, for tuberculosis patients and for people whose skin reacts to the sun.

6. Add chicory, nettle, mint and valerian to the black tea (ratio 2:1:1:1:1).Use as a tea.
7. Take equal proportions of blackcurrant, oregano and mint leaves.Make an infusion in a thermos (5 tablespoons per liter of boiling water).Drink 100 ml 30 minutes before meals.The course lasts one month.
8. Eucalyptus (1 tablespoon leaves) plus boiling water (400 ml).After an hour, add glycerin and honey (1 tablespoon each) to the resulting infusion.Drink a quarter of a glass 4-5 times a day for a month.
9. Burdock juice mixed with water.Drink before going to bed for a month.

Burdock, by the way, is actively used in the treatment of cancer patients, so it is useful from all sides.

10. And finally, the most exotic way.You need to take the prawns, dry them in the shade, then grind them into powder.A small amount of this powder is mixed with tobacco and smoked.After that, even the most avid smoker should forget about his addiction.

Good luck and may the Force be with you!