If you are looking for advice on how to quit smoking, the first thing you need to know is that quitting tobacco has both short-term and long-term health benefits. According to the American Cancer Society (American Cancer Society), only 12 hours later After quitting smoking, blood carbon monoxide levels drop to normal levels.
The Department of Health also offers eye-opening data. Smoking in Spain is the most common The leading single cause of preventable disease, disability and premature death. It is also the recognized cause of 29 diseases (including 10 different cancers).
Why I can't quit smoking?
Quitting smoking is not easy. One of the first tips offered by experts is take your timeQuitting smoking requires a process.
It's A fully integrated habit Make clear and distinct changes in your life and in your relationship with the world around you, perhaps for years to come. If so, your body probably needs tobacco to function now, hence the urge to smoke.
As the Spanish Association for Cancer Control (AECC) states in its guide, tobacco use is associated with physical dependence, But also the continuity of smoking, making it a barrier to the development of the disease habit.
How to quit smoking?
Here's a summary of 10 tips from the Ministry of Health's smoking cessation guide:
- The first step is to find out your level of nicotine dependence on nicotine, and to identify the reasons why you continue to smoke.
- Create a personal list of reasons why you want to quit smoking. Frequently reading and evaluating this list can help you quit smoking.
- Set a definitive smoking cessation date, so that it cannot be postponed and does not coincide with a period of high stress.
- Two weeks before this date, we recommend that you start writing down number of cigarettes, what you consume. This will help you further identify the specific situations in which you are prone to smoke a cigarette to de-automate the habit.
- Once you set a date, it's important to identify an alternative activity that will help you avoid smoking cigarettes.
- The help of friends and relatives is very important. Find a few people you trust who can support you in a difficult moment, your own support group or a group of people you can talk to. For example, you can talk to someone who has successfully quit smoking.
- Don't get sucked into negative thoughts. Remember that bad moments will become less and less intense, and you can use relaxation exercises For moments of tension or stress.
- When you are experiencing nicotine withdrawal, use distraction techniques. Drinking a glass of water, drinking juice, holding something in your mouth, or chewing gum often helps.
- Resist the first moments. Desire does not accumulate. It's important to hold off in the first few moments when the urge to smoke arises.
- Remember, the goal is to quit smoking completely. Don't settle for just a reduction, Because it can cause you to go back to smoking after a while, just like before.
How to proceed if the degree of addiction is very high?
When nicotine addiction is high, the best thing to do is to seek professional help. Psychological medical help can be very effective. In addition, your doctor or nurse at your health center will be able to advise you on what resources are available to you.
In addition, you should know that there are some medications that can relieve withdrawal symptoms. These are: nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, nasal sprays, etc.), bupropion and varenicline. The last two drugs require a prescription.