Most people realize that smoking is bad for their health. Still, it is estimated that more than 43 million adults in the United States smoke. Many smokers really do want to stop but have a difficult time quitting – and for good reason: Nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals known, and quitting smoking can cause difficult withdrawal symptoms. Here are some tips for how to stop smoking, hopefully for good:
• Get help. If you have smoked for a long time it will probably be difficult to stop smoking completely on your own. Talk with your primary care doctor about how to quit and what methods he or she suggests. You can also join a “stop-smoking group” through a community center or a local hospital. Explore the resources of major health organizations such as the American Lung Association which has the Freedom from Smoking program available online with extensive resources to help you quit.
• Tell friends and family that you’re quitting. Friends and family who don’t smoke or who have already quit can be good sources of motivation to stop smoking. They can help you resist picking up the habit again when cravings are high. Tell your work colleagues as well. People might also be more considerate about not smoking around you if they know that you’re trying to quit.
• Set a quit date. Experts suggest setting a quit date and then sticking with it. You may never feel ready to quit. But once your supports and plan of action are in place and you have spoken with your doctor, then setting a quit date might help.
• Talk about medications with your doctor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (see below) states that using FDA-approved stop-smoking medications can double a person’s chance of quitting and lists seven medications approved for such use. Different types of medications can be prescribed by your doctor. Nicotine-replacement-therapy agents such as gum or nasal sprays can be part of an effective strategy for stopping smoking, and can actually increase your chance of quitting by 50 to 70 percent. Medications that don’t contain nicotine, such as buproprion hydrochloride (Zyban®) or varenicline (Chantix®), have also been approved to help people quit smoking.
Medications can help people stop smoking, but they aren’t for everyone. Discuss these drugs with your doctor to find out if medication is the right answer for you. Some people shouldn’t take these medications because of a medical condition or because they’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Check with your doctor before using any over–the-counter or prescription drug to help you stop smoking. Some of these drugs can cause severe changes in mood.
It’s important to realize that a drug won’t make you quit. It’s just an aid. You’ll still have to change your behaviors and put other supports in place to help you stop.
• Learn from the past. If you’ve quit before but picked up the habit back again, take an inventory of what was going on when you re-started the habit. Were you anxious or stressed? Learning stress-reduction skills or getting treatment for anxiety is an important part of the equation for many people who stop smoking. Many people smoke because it says it calms them down, but this is only partially true. In reality, the habit actually promotes anxiety through its addicting nature. Get help for anxiety or other mood imbalance or disorders. Talking with a psychologist may help. Trying relaxation techniques, getting a massage, or learning yoga might also help you relax naturally. Yoga in particular has been shown to help specifically with addictions.
• Replace bad habits with good ones. When a craving is strong, put that energy toward exercising or eating healthfully. Take up a hobby that you’ve always wanted to start, or get back to an art project you put down a while ago. Most people who smoke have put so much energy into that activity that when they quit they have to learn new activities to replace the unhealthy one. This requires some patience and time in order to see results and feel better.
• Reward yourself. When you’ve quit, reward yourself with something special – like perhaps with a book or a dress you’ve wanted. It’s important to keep up your self-esteem and do little things to reward yourself for your efforts.
• Help others quit. Once you quit, telling others about how you did it can help them and help you. This teaching can help motivate you to remain a non-smoker. Tell other people what worked for you and what didn’t help.
• Don’t give up. The American Cancer Society states that it is never too late to quit. Your body will experience immediate short-term and long-term beneficial health effects when you stop smoking. Reach out for help, and get started on your plan to stop smoking for good!
