How to quit smoking

No matter how long you have smoked, or how old you are — quitting smoking can improve your life significantly. And make it longer. Yet, there’s culprit called nicotine. A drug naturally found in tobacco, and a highly addictive substance. That’s why many people claim that quitting smoking was the hardest thing they ever did. Still, it’s very possible.

Why quit?

Smoking is each year responsible for 480,000 deaths in the United States alone. This makes up about 20% of all deaths in the country. Including this, smoking is responsible for almost 90% of all cases of lung cancer and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

That should, of course, be a good reason to consider quitting. If not only for your sake, for the sake of your friends, children or partner. And even if you are 45 years old and have been smoking half your life — quitting will do you good. In fact, people who quit smoking before the age of 50 cut the risk of dying in the next 15 years in half, compared to those who continue to smoke. They also enjoy a healthier life with lower instances of illnesses and an increased well being.

Why is quitting so hard?

Many people know that quitting smoking is hard. Nicotine, one of the 4,000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke, is a substance found in the tobacco plant. As mentioned above, nicotine is highly addictive, and can actually be compared to cocaine or heroine in addictiveness.

Only 10 seconds after the smoke from a cigarette is inhaled it’s absorbed by your body and travels through your bloodstream to your brain. There, nicotine acts both as a stimulant and a sedative.

After inhaling on a cigarette there’s a kick that comes from the adrenaline released by stimulation of the adrenal glands. This, in turn, causes the blood pressure, heart rate and respiration to increase. Whether or not it acts as a sedative depends on the smoker’s nervous system and the amount of nicotine consumed.

Aside from this, nicotine indirectly causes a dopamine response from the brain regions that control pleasure and motivation. This is believed to be the cause behind the pleasurable sensations that come from smoking — and what ultimately makes cigarettes so addictive.

As the effects of the nicotine starts to wear off, your body starts to crave more. This could be just two hours from your last cigarette, and eventually leads to craving more and more. Until, one day, you find yourself hooked.

How to quit

If you have decided to quit — congratulations! Or maybe you have tried a few times and relapsed. Don’t despair — only 7% of those who quit succeed the first time, and less than 5% succeed by quitting cold turkey. Just try again — and know that now you’ll be better prepared for the challenges ahead.

The American National Cancer Institute recommends a system called START. START is an abbreviation that stands for:

• Set a quit date.
• Tell family, friends, and coworkers you plan to quit.
• Anticipate and plan for the challenges you will face while quitting.
• Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car and workplace.
• Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

Set a date

Set a definitive date for when you’re going to quit smoking. This will help create a concrete mental image of when you are no longer going to be lighting a cigarette with your coffee. Also try not to choose a time you think will be stressful, since studies have shown that people are more likely to successfully quit smoking when they’re happy.

Tell others

If you tell your friends, family and coworkers that you’re going to quit smoking, you establish a support network. If you really feel like a cigarette after a stressful morning at work, your coworkers can help keep you motivated and remind you why you quit. Also, you will be held accountable for your choices. The more people you tell, the greater the incentive to keep your fingers off the lighter.

Anticipate and plan for the challenges ahead

If you have already tried to quit before — you have an idea of what’s waiting ahead. The first week might be the toughest, so prepare for a few rough days. Also make sure you avoid your triggers — or at least prepare to handle them.

Triggers could mean the smell of cigarettes, seeing ashtrays or morning coffee on the porch. If you usually smoke with your morning coffee, keep a pen and paper ready on the porch or maybe a cinnamon flavored toothpick to keep you occupied. This might involve changing your routines a little, like having your coffee in the kitchen for a while.

Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products

This is self-explanatory, but it’s not easy to remember everything. Remove the ashtrays, lighters and other things that remind you of smoking. If you smoke in the car it might be a good idea to clean it out as well, to get rid of any smell and eliminate the triggers. You should also consider making your home a smoke-free zone. The less temptation, the better.

Talk to your doctor

Finally, it can be a great help to talk to your doctor. It’s one of the best things you can do if you want to quit smoking, as it’s been shown to more than double the odds of you succeeding. Write down any questions you may have, including any nicotine replacements, like patches or gum (which can also increase your chances), before you consult your physician. If you use these methods — and accept help from your friends, family and doctor — you may soon have smoked your last cigarette.

If you consider quitting — don’t hesitate. Contact one of RingMD’s competent doctors today and let us help you succeed. Once and for all.