Posts Tagged ‘what happens when you quit smoking’
How Smokers Quit
Let’s talk about why we smoke. It may come as no surprise to smokers but most nonsmokers do not understand how strongly addictive tobacco products can be. Like an old school advertisement used to say, “It’s what’s inside that counts.” It begins with nicotine.
Nicotine is a drug that is a natural component of tobacco. Nicotine is highly addictive and is considered by many to be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. The longer one smokes the more the body becomes physically and psychologically dependent on nicotine.
Researchers find that smokers must break their psychological and physical dependence in order to become smoke free long term.
Once smoke is inhaled the nicotine is carried deep into the lungs. Once in the lungs it is absorbed quickly directly into the bloodstream and travels through the body.
Nicotine exerts a dramatic affect on many parts of the body such as the heart and blood vessels, hormonal system, metabolism, and the brain.
Unfortunately nicotine is found in breast milk and even in cervix mucous secretions of smokers. During pregnancy, nicotine freely crosses the placenta and has been found in amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants.
Now here’s the way the psychological addition takes hold so deeply. Once inhaled the nicotine triggers pleasurable feelings that induce the smoker to crave smoke more. This drug also acts like a depressant by interfering with the way information travels between nerve cells.
Once the nervous system becomes adjusted to the presence of nicotine, smokers find their habit increasing by several additional packs per week. Additionally, their blood nicotine levels increase proportionally.
Once level of tolerance to the drug is developed by the smoker the smoking habits continues to increase.
What Happens When Smokers Quit
According to the American Cancer Society, the following benefits are experienced once smokers break the habit.
20 minutes after smoking stops the heart rate and blood pressure drops.
12 hours after stopping, carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal.
2 to 3 weeks after stopping circulation improves and lung function increases.
1 to 9 months later coughing and shortness of breath decreases. Additionally the cilia fain lungs regain normal ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce risk of infection.
5 years after quitting the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker of 5 to 15 years.
10 years after quitting the cancer death rate is ½ that of continuing smokers. ”
So How Do I Quit?
Use these 5 Top Tips To Begin Your Life As A Nonsmoker
1. Eliminate guilt. Changing a habit takes several weeks so a few missteps are part of the normal pattern of change. Don’t beat yourself up should you finding yourself smoking again after you’ve started your program.
Guilt triggered emotions and reactions cause more failed non-smoking results than any single other factor. Be kind to yourself and forget about guilt. You will be successful if you follow this program.
2. Decide on a date when you will become a non-smoker (set it close enough to be realistic but not so close as to be stressful)
3. Write the date on a 3 X 5 business card and look at it at least twice a day for the next 30 to 45 days (in the morning before getting out of bed, at noon/optional, at night as the last thing you do before retiring)
4. Spend some time during the day visualizing yourself as a non-smoker. It may take a while to get comfortable with this exercise but it is well worth the effort. Find a quiet spot where you won’t be interrupted for at least 15 minutes.
Turn off the ringer on your phone and let everyone know you need some quiet time. See yourself involved in activities as a non-smoker. Enjoy the feelings, sights and sounds that would naturally be part of the surroundings that you are visualizing. Allow yourself to spend as much time as you want, enjoying activities as a non-smoker.
5. Most often there are events, activities, which have created habit patterns that are directly connected to smoking. For some it is the first cup of coffee in the morning. Others find when they are out socializing with friends they smoke more than at other times.
Review your own smoke related habits for situations that tend to contribute to heavier smoking than other activities. Eliminate or modify the frequency of times when you engage in those activities for the next 30 to 45 days.
Alex Rich
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-smokers-quit-137879.html
Anyone have any tips on how to successfully stop smoking?
I want… I NEED to stop smoking.(cigarettes by the way). I know my health is going to go downhill from here…and I don’t want that. I’m only 21 and want this to end before I start having children. I have health insurance…and was going to talk to my dr. But has anyone out there quit for good? If so, any tips?
Start chewing gum or putting tic taks in your mouth or something that keeps your mouth busy besides cigarettes. You have to decide you need to quit for yourself, not your mom saying you should quit or your coworkers. When you feel like you need a cigarette, go and distract yourself with something else. Go and read a book or take a bubble bath. Take your mind off of the situation. If the information availible isn’t enough to make you quit then here this: Smoking is a very dangerous addiction. It will cause disease and or death in your lifetime if you don’t make 2008 your year. Smokers will die an average of 12 years older than nonsmokers ( do you want to have a long life???) There is an increased risk of cancer and stroke with smoking. Causes Larynx Cancer, Lung Cancer, Oral Cancer, Bad Breath, Stained Teeth, Hoarse Voice, smoky odor and risk to asthma to your children ( glad you are considering that in your quitting plan. It shows it has importance in your life. ) Quitting Smoking has so many benefits to your health and well being. You should go to a website where you can connect with other smokers who are going through the same thing you are for support~ it helps to know that you’re not alone… Quit Cold turkey~ it’s one of the easier methods Stop carrying cigarettes with you… Work on it one day at a time… don’t think about tomorrow, next day, next year, your time is now. Don’t dwell on the fact that you are depriving yourself of a cigarette but rather that you care enough about yourself to try and fix your problems. Be proud that you are not smoking! Avoid social situations which would trigger the urge to have a cigarette such as going to a bar. Make a list of the positives of quitting and when you want a cigarette get out the list. Drink Fruit juice the first few days as well as veggies. Practice deep breathing exercises when you have a craving. If you encounter problems and stresses in your life assure yourself that smoking will not fix the problem but probably make it worse! I hope that I have helped you!
Best Wishes, Molly
