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Breathe Easier: Quit Smoking
by
Dr. Sonja Benson
Tobacco
use and addiction continues to be a major problem in the United States.
Most people who smoke know all the reasons why they should quit and a
large majority of them even say things like "I really should quit. I
want to quit. I don't know how." Most smokers have attempted to quit
at least once; it may take a few attempts to finally "kick the habit."
Here are some things to think about that may help motivate you to think
about quitting:
Children who grow up in a smoking household are much more likely to
become smokers than children growing up in non-smoking households.
Quitting smoking reduces or eliminates the risks of passive-smoking
induced diseases in children including respiratory infections and middle
ear disease.
The
risks of large weight gains following quitting smoking are low. The
average weight gain is 5 lbs. Evidence suggests that quitting smoking
may also be related to favorable changes in body fat distribution.
Former
smokers have fewer days of being ill, fewer health complaints and better
overall health status than current smokers.
There are several things you can do to begin the process of quitting
smoking. First, you can decide if you want to quit cold turkey or if
you need to ease yourself into quitting. Easing into quitting is
sometimes called nicotine fading and is a process of reducing nicotine
intake. Keep in mind that you aren't helping your efforts if, in the
fading process, you either smoke more cigarettes, inhale more deeply or
smoke further down on your cigarette than you normally would. Fading is
a procedure to help you quit, not a way to smoke safely. There is no
way to smoke without health risks.
In fading, you can use a method called brand switching where you change
brands every week to two weeks to cigarettes that have lower levels of
nicotine. You can also fade your nicotine intake through behavior
changes in your smoking habit. Here are some tips for decreasing your
smoking and preparing to quit altogether:
Delay tactics:
Delay your first cigarette of the day by 15 minutes each day.
Placement:
Keep your cigarettes in an inconvenient location. When you go to smoke,
only take one cigarette at a time. For example, keep your cigarettes in
your car when you're at work. Only get one cigarette from the pack at
each smoke break.
Location:
Designate non-smoking areas for yourself and gradually decrease the
number of smoking locations.
Distraction:
Keep your hands and mind busy. Rubbing stones or stress balls can
alleviate some of the nervous energy. Use appropriate substitutes such
as cinnamon sticks or sugarless gum/candies.
Finally, you can quit cold turkey. Some research suggests this is a
more healthful approach while other research suggests that decreasing
nicotine intake can be a method to increase the success of quitting.
Either way you begin to quit, you'll need to prepare yourself mentally
as well. Keep in mind that you quit one day at a time. Urges to smoke
will pass whether you smoke or not and they only last a few minutes.
Keep a positive attitude.
Quitting is a process. Start by setting a quit day. At that day, get
rid of your cigarettes and all your smoking paraphernalia. Remember
there are two dependencies: physical and psychological. Addressing both
increases your odds of successful quitting. A mental health
professional can help you work through the psychological piece of
smoking cessation.
Copyright
©
2006 by Sonja Benson, Ph.D.
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