The reasons for quitting smoking are different for every individual. Possibly they want to be healthy, want to be stable financially, or protect their family. Consider your specific interest in smoking cessation as you prepare to quit. Keep on reminding yourself. Moreover, it would help if you had the potential to encourage yourself to quit smoking for good.
You must consider the following factors for quick smoking cessation and plan your strategy accordingly.
Identify Smoking Triggers
When you smoke, it becomes a part of your life in numerous ways. Your smoking is connected to various activities, emotions, and individuals. These goods or materials may “trigger” or “turn on” your desire to smoke when you come across them. Recognize and focus on smoking triggers and build strategies, and a plan to cope with them.
Develop Coping Plan
Smoking cigarettes makes you dependent due to the presence of the substance nicotine. When you quit smoking, your body must adapt because nicotine is no longer present in your system. This is referred to as withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms make you uncomfortable, but they are manageable. Making a plan to deal with withdrawal ahead of time will help you stop smoking and improve your health.
Search for a Suitable Quit Smoking Aid
Consult your healthcare provider, including a doctor or pharmacist, about the best method to stop smoking and what feels best for you once you’ve studied how addiction works and the various quit smoking aids. There are options for aiding in smoking cessation (such as gum, the patch, an inhaler, or prescription drugs like Chantix or Zyban) that might help with cravings and withdrawal. However, if you’ve used any medicine previously, you may want to try something new this time.
Smoking Cessation and FDA Approved Products/Medicines
Drugs used for smoking cessation may help with addiction and withdrawal symptoms. However, they work best when taken as part of a thorough quit-smoking program supervised by your doctor. Discuss your options with your doctor to see if an anti-smoking drug is good for you. The following choices have been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy
The possibility of smoking cessation doubles if you use a nicotine replacement medication or any other FDA-approved treatment to treat nicotine withdrawal.
There are many nicotine replacement treatments, including nicotine patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers, and nasal sprays. These medications function by lowering nicotine cravings and alleviating withdrawal effects. Common examples of the FDA approved drugs include Bupropion SR (Zyban) and Varenicline (Chantix). Nicotine is not present in these pills. It decreases nicotine withdrawal symptoms and helps you fight the desire to smoke.
Similarly, Varenicline (Chantix) is a pill that reduces cigarette cravings and makes smoking less pleasurable. However, they are only prescribed for short periods. It is the duty of your doctor and pharmacist to guide you about the benefits and drawbacks of each medication. In addition, they will assist you in guiding the correct use of these medicines.
These therapies allow you to concentrate on overcoming your psychological addiction while also learning new habits and emotional regulation.
- E-cigarettes (vaping)
Nowadays, it is a common perception of young people that vaping helps them quit smoking. On the other hand, the FDA has not authorized this as a smoking cessation technique. Vaping has also been related to serious lung illness in recent articles, raising concerns about its safety.
The FDA does not regulate or approve any E-cigarette products in the United States. According to the FDA, vaping is not safe for children, young adults, pregnant women, or individuals who do not already use tobacco products.
Moreover, it isn’t easy to know what’s in e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes contain nicotine in the liquid form, which has several harmful health impacts. It may cause high blood pressure and diabetes, particularly detrimental to children and teenagers’ growing brains. However, no evidence is available on the long-term implications of vaping on one’s health. In the light of information available, it was advised by health authorities to avoid vaping.
- Be Physically Active
One of the most effective ways to quit smoking is a physical exercise that decreases stress and gets rid of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It also helps you to get in better shape. You will look and feel better if you work out daily. This might help you feel more secure in your choice to stop smoking. It is not necessary for physical exercise to be rigorous to be beneficial. If you’ve been a heavy smoker or have a medical condition for which you’re undergoing treatment, beginning a strenuous exercise regimen may not be safe. Consult your doctor to determine the appropriate amount of exercise for you. Walking is one of the most beneficial workouts you can engage in. Begin with slow walking and small distances.
- Behavioral and Motivational Therapies
The regular actions or practices associated with smoking are linked to nicotine addiction. Therefore, acquiring new coping skills and changing destructive behaviors are the main goals of behavior therapy. Self-help publications and websites may provide various options for motivating yourself to quit smoking.
If other ways of quitting smoking are not working for you, this could help. A professional practitioner uses thin metal needles to trigger pressure points on your body. Spots on your ears, in particular, seem to increase brain chemicals that help you stop smoking. However, it hasn’t been conclusively shown in studies that it works for this purpose. You’ll need numerous sessions, and you should check to see whether your insurance covers them unless you’re OK paying for them out of pocket.
- Manage Stress and Emotions
The level of stress increases in your life whenever you disrupt your routine. Even though it is a beneficial change, quitting smoking is no exception. If you tend to smoke to relax during stressful times, you may experience more stress. When you give your body nicotine, it fools you into feeling calm. On the other hand, nicotine is a stimulant. It elevates your heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline levels rather than calming your body. There are effective methods for coping with stress that do not include the use of nicotine.
