How to give up smoking

How to give up smoking
27-03-2010 10:52 PM

Some smokers accost by saying \"Do not tell me why I should stop smoking, but tell me how to stop. It is worth mentioning that 5 - 16 % of smokers are able to stop for six months at least with out aid means or medical treatments. But, the studies pointed out that the smokers who use medical treatments are able to stop for more than six months from those who do not use them.

Besides, the supportive behavioral programs increase the proportion of the success average of giving up smoking program. It can be said that it is not only one correct way to follow in order to stop smoking, but there are some keys for the success of giving up smoking program. There are 4 major factors:

- Making the decision to give up smoking.

- Choosing a specific appointment and a giving up plan.

- Dealing with the withdrawal symptoms.

-The constancy of giving up smoking.

Making the decision:

This decision must come from the person himself, that there could be some around this person who want him to stop smoking. But the true decision comes from inside this person. There are some points that the more belief in them increases the success proportion of making the decision such as: the convention that there is proportion of being infected with smoking complications, that this person will make a serious and honest attempt to stop, and finally the convention that the benefits he could make out of giving up are more than those of smoking \"if they are found\".

Choosing a specific appointment and a giving up plan:

Whenever the decision is made, this person becomes able to specify an appointment, which is considered a very important step. Usually, the appointment is made through the next days that this person can be given a chance to think deeply, to have an interlocution with him, and to discover all about smoking inside him: why does he smoke? Why should he stop? What makes him smoke? And other questions. The smoker can use pen and paper to record his thoughts that he can use them later.

There are many ways to give up smoking, one of them is by reducing the cigarettes he smokes gradually, usually this way is not recommended because practically it looks hard to implement. Another way is to completely give up smoking not gradually. There are some steps that help in the preparation for this stage and in its success:

- Telling family and friends about the giving up decision and the specific day (announcement for him).

- Specifying the plan which will be followed..... Is he going to use

Nicotine alternatives? Is he going to join special programs for giving up?

- Starting to make himself get used to the expression \"no ... thank you .... I do not smoke\"

- Trying to find himself a supportive system (friend, family member, it is better if this person gave up smoking before)

- It is preferred that the appointment synchronizes with appropriate circumstances not with incidental life troubles (family, work problems, tests .....etc) that the timing dose not fail and in order not to lose the bet with himself and get frustrated.

Totally, it can be said that the success to give up is a commitment and a plan issue not a coincidence.

In the day specified for the giving up, this person should:

- Never smoke

- Get ride of everything related to smoking (cigarettes, lighter, ashtray, and others).

- Try to remain active by practicing sport or loved hobbies.

- Drink a lot of liquids.

- Avoid places or gatherings that could increase his desire to smoke.

Dealing with the withdrawal symptoms:

After giving up smoking, some people suffer from some symptoms that could be physical such as (headache and feeling tired) or psychological such as (worry and additional nervousness). Usually those are simple symptoms that do not threaten life and could be passed by using suitable treatments or by practicing relaxation exercises. Some consider it hard to lose the connection between smoking and doing a specific behavior (smoking while watching television or smoking while drinking coffee....etc ).So, this person should think quietly about how to lose these wrong justifications connected to this behavior, specially as they do not depend on a correct base.

Besides, there are another wrong justifications that smoker use to continue smoking \"I will have this cigarette until this crisis pass\" \"today is not the right day, I will start tomorrow\". This happens with no clear reason or a justification to delay. He also says \"I do not have failings except for smoking\" or \"how could smoking be harmful while my grandfather smoked for his whole life and had nothing\" and other justifications that could bring him back to smoking again. Smoker can write these justifications to discuss it quietly and neutrally.

Avoiding people whom he used to smoke with or places where he used to smoke in and changing some of his habits such as changing his way to work or having juice instead of coffee, helps in getting over the first stage successfully. Besides, he can use other alternatives such as a gum free of sugar, nuts, or siwak. This person who gave up smoking must restrict commit to the promise he made with him self after a deep thinking,

The constancy of giving up smoking:

It is the most important step that the person seeks. A lot of people say \"we gave it up for many times then smoked again \". We should pay attention that one cigarette means that you smoke again. Here, we should mention that the desire to smoke after giving it up is not usually continuous, but comes and goes quickly and keeping yourself busy helps in getting these moments over.

Gaining weight after giving up smoking:

The expected gained weight makes some think of not giving up smoking, although their weight increases slightly and its dangerous can not be compared to smoking dangerous. Besides, such increase can be overcomes by following instructions such as eating as lot of fruits and vegetables, reducing fats, and exercising regularly specially walking which reduces tension and keeps them physically active.

What are the benefits someone makes out of giving up smoking?

Luckily, the physical changes occurred because of smoking begin to retrograde during the first minutes. For example, after twenty minutes, blood pressure and heartbeat come back to their normal average. During the next hours, carbon dioxide decreases and oxygen increases. Later, smell and taste senses improve. The positive changes continue for days and weeks. As a result, the infection average of cancer, stroke, and heart failure decrease. Celerity and skin appearance improve. These are some of the most important reasons that one should seek to improve his life and enjoy it clear from diseases. Thus, we notice that there are many benefits one can make just by giving up smoking.

The available treatments:

The treatments used for helping those who want to give up smoking vary .For example: nicotine alternatives, medicinal and psychological treatment. Nicotine alternatives are used for saving a particular proportion of nicotine during the day. They are better than cigarettes that they only contain of nicotine and are free from the other harmful substances. These alternatives have many forms. Stickers which last for 16 - 24 hours and then replaced by another one, usually the treatment using stickers last for two months. The nicotine gum which is considered one of the quickest alternatives for its effect. It is used according to this person need and the treatment last for 1 - 3 months. Also, there is the nicotine spray .They began to use it on 1998 by using a particular quantity and the treatment last for 6 months. In addition to other alternatives nicotine sweet and the nasal spray.

But for the medicinal treatments, there is the Bupropion Zypan, a medicine used for treating depression, which was discovered to help in giving up smoking. It reduces both the withdrawal symptoms and the desire for nicotine. This medicine is given by a medical prescr iption after the doctor evaluates the case. The treatment last for 12 weeks.

One of the medicines that are used recently is the Chantix which reduces the withdrawal symptoms, this medicine led to a lot of positive results.

The Chinese needles and the silver abutting treatments are also used. Their benefits lie in reducing the withdrawal symptoms and the desire for nicotine by instigating the brain to excrete particular substances.

Usually, it is recommended to participate in more than one treatment method to get the best results.

Dr.Moubarak Ghareib combating smoking clinic doctor