Smoking is one of the global problems of mankind, on which every third man on the planet is dependent. It did not bypass the female part of the population. So, according to statistics, the number of women smokers is slightly less - nicotine addicts of the beautiful in the world is 7% out of 100. Before deciding on such a serious step as quitting smoking, you need to understand the depth of the problem. We'll talk about this and how long it takes to quit smoking.
Why quit smoking?
There are good reasons to give up addiction:
- None of the smokers can boast of a perfect sense of smell. So, they can not fully feel the aroma of the product due to a violation of the functions of the nose. The most correct way out in this case is to stop smoking. Then, to restore the ability to smell aromas, it will take about six months.
- Skin condition can be a good argument only for girls. Noticing deterioration, for them the question of how much time it takes to quit smoking, as well as how to do it and whether to abandon a bad habit at all, is especially acute. Indeed, in the presence of nicotine addiction, the skin loses its elasticity, becomes dull and prone to the appearance of rashes.
- The opinion of others. Once the question of how much time it takes to quit smoking, few people worried. Rather, the opposite - before smoking was in fashion. Today, one of the main trends is a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, smokers who are too dependent on the opinion of society, it is better to abandon nicotine at all.
- If you are a smoker, but decided to quit this habit, then you immediately reduced the risk of getting cancer several times. According to statistics, more than 50% of people suffering from this addiction suffer from lung cancer. The remaining 50% share oncological diseases of the larynx, brain and neck.
Also one of the important reasons why many people give up smoking is finances. Today, a pack of cigarettes is on average three to four loaves or one dozen eggs. So, if everything is carefully calculated, then a month you can buy 20 loaves of bread and 20-30 eggs instead of 30 packs of tobacco. And these products will not only preserve your health, but also bring him considerable benefits. So think it over.
How long does it take to quit smoking?
No one has an exact answer about the time it takes to get rid of nicotine addiction. It will be enough for someone to decide on this step, and in the morning he will no longer reach for the next dose of nicotine. It will take a week for someone, someone for a month.
Many mistakenly believe that giving up any addiction is just a matter of psychology. That is, by tuning yourself in the right way, you can easily give up nicotine or, for example, alcohol. From the point of view of medicine, this is far from the case. There are times when a smoker with twenty years of experience decides to quit, but doctors strongly do not recommend this because of the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the best option for such people is to reduce the number of cigarettes per day, and eventually reduce them to one per day. Then it will take a lot more days, weeks, months to completely get rid of smoking as a habit.
Stages of nicotine addiction
Experts share the power of dependence on nicotine in 3 stages:
- A person who smokes up to 10 cigarettes daily is in the first stage of addiction. As a rule, such people do not run around the corner immediately after eating, but their mood periodically depends on the presence of nicotine in the blood. This category of men and women often thinks about how to quit smoking and what will happen if they do.
- Being in the second stage, the smoker needs 15-30 cigarettes every day. Often he is in a hurry to inhale the next dose of harmful substances immediately after sleeping with a cup of invigorating coffee, as well as after eating. Nicotine-dependent people at this stage often suffer from gastritis, all kinds of allergies, as well as from sudden changes in blood pressure. They often have insomnia and impaired brain function.
- In the third stage, the smoker experiences a constant craving for a pack, which he can easily destroy a day (at the same time, he independently harms his health). Sometimes a person can smoke one and a half, and even two packs of cigarettes. Such people rarely wonder how long it takes to quit smoking. They, as a rule, are even afraid to think that in one day they will cease to be addicted.
It is clear that the easier the addiction, the easier it is to get rid of it. Therefore, when diagnosing a third stage in yourself, you need to seek help from a specialist who will help your body in the fight against a bad habit.
Today, many experts are researching methods that could help humanity overcome nicotine addiction. So, there are 5 tips from scientists on how to quit smoking. We will discuss them further.
Deadline
Deadline - the first and very popular way today to abandon anything. Just set for yourself the exact day and time when you will forever forget about nicotine and will never return to the habit of smoking. Thanks to this method, initially a person reduces the number of cigarettes per day, then refuses them at all.
Replacement therapy
Replacement therapy - method number 2. Now it is very popular and in demand. So, many former smokers used nicotine patches or chewing gums based on this substance. Despite the unpleasant taste of chewing gum, a person does not have a desire to take a cigarette in his mouth, since the jaw is already engaged and is “at work”.
A diary
It would seem that today no one is resorting to the help of this grandfather's method, which is in third place. However, many of those who decide to give up cigarettes once and for all have experienced great stress. A person, as you know, in such a situation feels weak, lethargic and depressed. Therefore, keeping a diary on the number of cigarettes smoked per day, week and month will help get rid of discomfort.
Scientists say that you can not create additional stress to the body by giving up another habit, for example, from sweets or coffee at the same time as smoking. It’s better to load yourself gradually. Otherwise, there is a risk that all bad habits will remain “in place”.
Communication
It would be nice if you - the person who decided to quit smoking - had the same friend. During the test for the body, you could ask him exciting questions and get the necessary support. An excellent option today is communication through social networks. So, you can always and everywhere be in touch with a person who has gone through what you are going through now.
In addition, social networks in themselves can be an excellent impetus for giving up a bad habit. According to studies, those who promised to quit drinking / smoking / cursing / eating sweets on their page on one of the social networks are more successful in achieving their goals. This is because such a loud statement can increase the risk of public pressure with an unfulfilled promise.
Sport
Sport is another one of five ways that, like nothing else, helps to distract from thoughts about another cigarette. Scientists have proven that an attack of the most acute craving for a pack with dangerous contents lasts no more than 10 minutes. Therefore, you need to consider the option of doing something particularly interesting and healthy for your health at this time. As soon as you begin to notice that you are missing something, you want to go to the balcony and inhale the next dose of nicotine - stand on the bar or take several approaches for the abs / buttocks.
Also, experts say that if you want to quit smoking, you can turn to non-standard methods for help. Nobody knows how to quit smoking once and for all, but many resort to the most tested of them:
- Lime. This product is not loved by many, but, as you know, it certainly does not harm health. Many smokers simply use sliced lime to distract themselves. It is believed that the peel of the fruit replaces nicotine gum and reduces cravings for another cigarette.
- Fruit tree resins are also useful if you want to get rid of nicotine addiction. Alternatively, you can use resin from cherries, apricots or apple trees.
- Bad smells. Most smokers do not feel what the people around them feel when they inhale the smell of smoke. Therefore, when smoking, try to inhale some fetid aroma, which over time will become associated with cigarettes, and, possibly, craving for them will disappear.
Total
How long it takes to quit smoking, and patient reviews about some ways to quit this habit are very different.
Simple nicotine gum helped one. Others struggled with addiction for months by inhaling unpleasant odors. There is also a separate category of people who got rid of cravings for nicotine over the years. Therefore, we can conclude that the rejection of cigarettes is a purely individual task that everyone will cope with, depending on the strength of mind, state of health and the presence of moral support from loved ones. These recommendations to quit smoking yourself will be useful to many.