Even heavy smokers know that smoking is a bad habit that has a harmful effect on health. Many people dream of quitting smoking, but fear 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 accurate to talk about "tobacco" than "nicotine" addiction. According to the WHO International Classification of Diseases, tobacco addiction 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. That is why 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 tissue-damaging free radicals.
More than half of smokers dream of giving up this harmful habit, but before you can 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:
"The stimulus»
This type of smoking behavior occurs in those people who believe that a cigarette stimulates them, strengthens them and removes fatigue. The addiction of such people is psychological, and quitting smoking causes symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia and asthenia.
"Cigarette game»
People with this type of behavior drink a little, often "socially" 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 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 comfortable and relaxing.
"support"
This type of smoking is necessary for a person to reduce emotional stress. Such people smoke in moments of shyness, anger, insecurity and in unpleasant situations.
"thirst»
This type is associated with physical dependence on nicotine. The decrease in the level of nicotine in the blood forces a person to smoke, despite all the stops. 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". More often than not, they cannot explain the reason for smoking.
All of the above types of smoking behavior can occur either in isolation or combined in various combinations.
Tobacco addiction progresses with increasing smoking experience and passes through 3 stages of development:
- Phase 1 - initial. A smoker smokes occasionally because of psychological dependence. Physical dependence is not observed at this stage.
- 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 one pack of cigarettes a day?
- Do you like to smoke within half an hour of waking up?
- When you quit smoking, did you have a strong urge to smoke again and were bothered by "withdrawal symptoms"?
If you answered yes to all 3 questions, you are very 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 form addiction to nicotine. As soon as a smoker takes a long break from smoking, the level of these substances in the blood decreases and a "withdrawal syndrome" appears: desire to smoke, anxiety, decreased attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, discomfort and ill-treatment. A person develops a cough, insomnia and other somatic symptoms. The duration of such a period can vary from several days to several months. This is why doctors recommend that those who quit smoking take special pharmacological medications.
Interesting facts about smoking
| Facts 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 wrinkling, hearing loss, skin cancer, tooth decay, emphysema, osteoporosis, heart disease, stomach ulcers, miscarriages, spermatogenesis disorders, psoriasis, thromboarteritis obliterans, cancer of more than 15 organs |
| Annual mortality from smoking (WHO) | more than 7 million people (of whom 1. 5 million are women) - one person every 6. 5 seconds |
| Annual mortality from exposure to second-hand smoke (second-hand smoke) (WHO) | 1. 2 million people (of whom 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 were unable to cope with the painful withdrawal symptoms and the attempt was unsuccessful. In addition to willpower, you may need special medication or specialized help.
Tobacco addiction is one of the strongest addictions and develops much faster than, for example, alcohol addiction. That is why it is very difficult to treat.
1. Drugs
Doctors use two types of medications to treat nicotine addiction: nicotine replacement medications (NRTs) and medications that do not contain nicotine. These products are good both for those who want to quit 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 dependence, and WIP provides only a time delay for solving 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 is no longer pleasant for the smoker.
ANR starts 1 week before the expected smoking cessation date and continues for 12 weeks. In the period from 8 to 35 days of treatment, it is recommended to completely quit smoking.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- the treatment period for ANR is several times shorter than that for NWP; the drug does 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 lactation.
Nicotine replacement drugs
Nicotine replacement products (NRT) are designed to deliver nicotine directly into the human body to replace regular smoking. Such products are available in the form of tablets, patches, gum, sprays and inhalers. Smoking cessation 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. Gum, sublingual tablets and sprays work faster, but nicotine stays in the blood for much less time. The fastest acting drug is the nicotine spray. After its application, the effect occurs within 60 seconds.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- alleviates withdrawal symptoms; suitable for people who do not want to quit smoking completely; the minimum number of contraindications.
- consultation with a doctor is required before use; It cannot be used under 18 years of age, during pregnancy and lactation.
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 Eriksonian hypnosis, cognitive psychotherapy and several other techniques. After only 2-3 sessions with a psychotherapist, the patient's need to smoke goes away.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- pronounced therapeutic effect; increases the effect of drug treatment; Only 2-3 sessions are required.
- requires qualified specialists; 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 alleviate withdrawal symptoms and physical cravings for smoking. Most often, a course of 3-10 procedures is used, during which needles are placed in acupuncture points on the arms and legs. Another popular method is a needle button, which is placed under the skin of the kidney for a long time. The moment the urge to smoke arises, the patient suppresses it and the urge goes away.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- does not require the use of medications; short course of treatment; no contraindications or side effects;
- requires high patient motivation; You can only trust a qualified specialist.
4. Consultation with the doctor
The first stage of nicotine addiction is psychological addiction. It is most often associated with the "smoking ritual". The reason may be the company involved, the association of smoking with a cup of coffee or driving a car. In young people, the initiation 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 to quit smoking can be a conversation with a doctor - for example, a psychotherapist or a narcologist. Awareness of the harm to health and the help of a specialist will help to remove the conditioned reflex that causes the desire to smoke.
There are free consultation centers whose operators will give advice over the 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 various programs and courses aimed at overcoming smoking addiction.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- consultation with a doctor increases the effectiveness of any type of therapy; allows you to do without the use of medications if you are very motivated.
- will help only with a weak degree of addiction; high motivation is required to quit smoking.
5. Behavior therapy
This group of measures aims to create favorable conditions to quit smoking or to reduce 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 is much easier to quit smoking or reduce its intensity.
- Decide whether to quit smoking immediately or gradually. If not immediately, make a plan to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
- If you decide to quit smoking immediately, set a date in advance when you will do so. Try to time it to coincide with an event that is important to you. On the eve of this day, smoke twice as much to saturate your body with nicotine.
- If you often smoke at work, allow smoking to coincide with holidays or weekends. Try to find a smoking cessation partner.
- When quitting smoking, try not to smoke as long as possible after sleeping and eating. Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from your sight. Try not to smoke in the presence of children, relatives and in society. Frequently visit places where smoking is prohibited.
- Do not buy cigarettes in advance, try to smoke only half of the cigarette.
- If you feel the urge to smoke, do not smoke immediately. An acute urge to smoke lasts 3-5 minutes. Before doing this, do some exercise or take a light walk.
- Try to periodically quit smoking for a while: half a day, a day, a few days, etc.
- Go to the gym. Active physical exercise increases the production of pleasure hormones and relieves withdrawal symptoms.
Advice from doctors for those who want to quit smoking
Nicotine addiction occurs on psychological, emotional and physical levels. According to doctors, when quitting smoking, the main key to success is strong motivation. That is 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 therapy drugs are no less dangerous.
Therapy for nicotine addiction should be comprehensive and individually tailored. There are several techniques developed that can effectively combat the problem. Treating addiction is a serious and time-consuming task. Without a doctor's consultation and supervision, achieving 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 is suitable for 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 selected the most popular questions and addressed them to our expert.
- Why is it so hard to quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction affects all areas of the human body: psychological, emotional and physical. In terms of the strength of the bond, doctors compare it to alcohol and drug addiction. When you quit smoking, a "withdrawal syndrome" occurs. Facilitating these manifestations is the most difficult task. Treatment requires a long-term, comprehensive and professional approach.
- Is it possible to suddenly quit smoking?
With explicit motivation, this approach to the problem will be more effective. If you have a strong addiction, doctors recommend quitting immediately. Nicotine replacement therapy or nicotinic receptor blockers will help ease withdrawal symptoms.
- How does smoking go?
When you quit smoking for several days and sometimes months, symptoms of the so-called "withdrawal syndrome" appear: the desire to smoke, anxiety, decreased attention, restlessness and irritability, weakness, discomfort and ill-treatment. 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 may continue for one to several more 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, he increases the chance of heart disease or stroke by 30-50%. Every "occasional cigarette" can turn a former smoker into 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 taking breaks, which leads to weight gain. Sometimes, during smoking, there is a disruption in the endocrine system, leading to weight loss. After quitting smoking, the weight can return to the previous level.