First, let me be clear: I was a real smoker who truly loved to smoke cigarettes. I wasn't some 'take it or leave it' kind of cigarette 'user' who now stands on the nearest soap box to spew b.s. I picked up from a Quit Smoking commercial. No, I dearly loved my Marlboro reds - in a box. Don't get me wrong, I hated them too. I hated the cost of them, hated smelling like cigarettes. I hated what I knew they were doing to my skin, lungs, heart not to mention the potential for suffering through illness like cancer and COPD. But, none the less, like any true addict, I loved to feed that addiction more. The longer I went without a drag, the better I knew giving in would be. This turned my initial half-hearted attempts at quitting in to a game with myself where I'd pause for a day or two, then give in. As any smoker knows, there's no better cigarette than the one you have to wait for. Second only to a smoke that accompanied a cold beer or great engaging conversation.... well, you get the idea. That mindset, however, is what makes it so hard to quit.
"So, why did I quit?" you might ask. Well, I'll tell you. It was everything I mentioned hating about the habit (cost, smell, skin, health - sadly enough, in that order!) and then there was the terrifying thought of spending the last 10-15years of my life on oxygen while my lungs slowly shut down causing me to be incapacitated while in pain, until I was dead. I've seen it happen and I decided not to roll the dice because the risk of that being my end, of my family having to take care of me while they watched me slowly suffocate to death, was too great. This article is about what I did to quit, and what you can do too.
BEFORE YOU QUIT -
1. Get Real & Get Smart: If you're one of those who 'wants to want to quit', you aren't ready to start the withdrawal process. You need to psych yourself up a bit first or you're destined to fail. First, do a little research on what cigarettes are doing to your body - and your mind. Yeah, cancer is always a risk as with heart disease, COPD, etc. But any addict knows how to play the name-game of this person or that uncle who smoked all their lives and died in their sleep at 95. Skip that. Look into the current facts about what smoking is doing to your health. Smoking cigarettes is wiping out your Vitamin C which makes you far more susceptible to colds and allergies. The oils in natural tobacco are enough to clog your pores, but the additives from the tobacco company are the real killers, your skin is aging rapidly - far more rapidly than a non-smoker's. It's also cutting off blood flow and restricting your capillaries - which don't make for a nice complexion. But that's minor compared to what smoking is doing to other parts of your body. For instance, your lung capacity is diminished from it's full potential which means you aren't getting a complete stream of oxygen to your brain - this means you aren't as smart as you should be. The ingredients in cigarettes - including the premium brands - are pretty scary. Ammonium Hydroxide (that's a fancy way of saying "household ammonia") is just one tasty additive. There are plenty more. You can check them out by the horse's mouth; go to the R. J. Reynolds Company (makes Marlboro and many, many more) website at www.rjrt.com. Tobacco companies are required by law to list those ingredients though they do well trying to make them seem harmless but showing the FDA or GRAS notes beside them. Keep in mind that it's the combination of most of these toxins that are killing you... also, while some are in food and other household products - they aren't intended to be smoked.
Oh, yeah - you also smell pretty bad. Even if you only smoke outside and hold the cigarette above your head (like I did) while standing upwind - you stink like an ashtray. After you've stopped smoking, you'll see what I mean.
2. Get Your Plan Together: If you're much of a smoker at all, quitting cold turkey is a very unpleasant waste of time. Be smart and get prepared. First check into some quit assist programs. If you're a light daily smoker, you should try some nicotine gum. Use it every time you want to smoke a cigarette. There are different milligrams (2mg, 4mg) and you should read up to decide what's best for you. Some people get the hiccups from the gum. If this happens to you, don't sweat it. Chew a few times, then park the gum inside your cheek or under your tongue. You'll still get the nicotine but in a smaller dose. If, however, you're a pack or more a day smoker, invest in patches AND gum. Again, read about the patches to determine what dosage you need but the patches are to wear 24/7 - then you still chew the gum as urges flare up. Plan to have some hard candy or nuts, grapes(whatever) with you to help ease the stress. Snacking helps. Remember, the withdrawal is temporary - you need to do what you need to do to get through it. You can work off the snacks later.
3. Plan to Be Aggravated and Uncomfortable: If quitting an addiction were easy, it wouldn't be an addiction. Being addicted means something (in this case, cigarettes) is controlling you and making you do things you don't want to do... waste money, stand outside in the rain & cold, stink, poison yourself, etc. So before you quit you need to be aware of what to expect. There is NOTHING that will make you stop craving cigarettes entirely except time. Yes, the patches and gum help, but you have to tough it out for a while. That means it won't be fun. Be ready for it instead of giving in at the first struggle. Remember that you'll be cranky and you'll feel frustrated, just plan to deal with it as best as you can. If you've ever been to the beach you know that if you're caught off guard a good wave will knock you on your tush, but if you see it coming your can stand strong - though you'll still feel the pressure - and remain on your feet.
4. DON'T Announce You're Quitting to Everyone: I know everyone says you need to tell family and friends so that you have a support system but this isn't exactly true. Telling everyone that you're about to begin one of the toughest struggles people commonly face (and fail) is setting yourself up for A LOT of pressure. More pressure is the last thing you need. When people notice you aren't smoking, just tell them you're trying to cut back and that maybe you'll give it up entirely. That's the truth and maybe you will. You don't need the stress of "I CANT fail now that I've told everyone!" - that's enough to drive you right back to smoking. Besides, if you've ever seen this situation before you know that having a band of cheerleaders when you really just want to gouge out someone's eyes (I told you it'll be rough) is too much for anyone to bare. You already know you want to stop, you don't need your co-workers, friends and family nagging you about it.
Now You're READY to QUIT
1. Prepare For Your First Day: Think of your triggers and be prepared to use the gum. Do you smoke right when you first get up? If so, have gum lying beside your bed to grab it before your feet hit the floor. Put on a patch right away if you're using them. Do you smoke at certain places at work (designated smoking section, behind the building, etc)? Plan to steer clear of those areas and when it gets time for that typical break be sure to have something else to do - and plenty of gum. Also make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Being dehydrated makes you feel rundown and weak. This makes it tough to fight the battle. Have your snacks prepared too and ready to go in the morning. Have your breakfast planned out and ready to fix right away. Again, not eating properly makes you rundown, weakening your chances at succeeding. Plan to stay busy. If you're starting your first non-smoker day at home, then have a project ready. You'll have plenty of energy from your nerves looking for that fix (and all the toxins that normally slow you down) so getting some good old fashioned housework finished should be no problem. If you're quitting at work, be most careful to stay away from the places you smoke and, again, stay busy.
2. Set Goals & Reward Yourself: Remind yourself that you're saving money and plan for a short-term goal reward. Set a number of days, maybe a week and tell yourself that WHEN you get to that point you'll reward yourself with whatever. Maybe a special date, or maybe a new pair of shoes, special restaurant, whatever you want. Should probably avoid alcohol though, smoking and drinking go hand-in-hand. Whatever you choose, when you get there you can say to yourself "I did it!" and this affirms not only your determination but your ability to succeed.
3. Remember That Every Day is One Day Closer to Easy Street: Remind yourself that quitting is temporary. It WILL become much much easier and you'll start to feel like the non-smoker you've become. Withdrawal is temporary and the day you quit your body begins to heal. While it may feel like you have a long way to go, you're already part way though it. Tough it out for a while. The first week is the hardest. For me, it was the 4th day - WOW! That was bad. I think I spent 95% of that day planning to get a pack of cigarettes - but I didn't! I kept telling myself that I'd wait it out another hour. Then when that hour came I'd give myself another hour. Before I knew it, the cravings subsided. Do what you need to do; if you need to be alone - be alone. If you need to give in to the munchies - give in. Cigarettes are poisoning you at the very least (fatal lung, mouth, or throat cancer at worst), so it's worth an extra pound or two that you can always loose later. If you need to punch things - find a pillow and go to it. Scream in to it, whatever it takes to not smoke. *Except using smokeless tobacco (snuff) - this a VERY bad idea! Do a little Internet research on what people look like with their tongue and jaws removed. Replacing one killer for another is a VERY bad idea*
4. Stay Healthy: You've taken a step toward bettering your life. Don't stop there. One thing that really helped me through the bad times was my treadmill. There's nothing like running (or fast walking) to ease aggression. When you're craving nicotine, you're nerves are in high gear. Wear them out! Sweat, breathe hard, work off the aggravation. Then, after you've finished your work out, you feel a little healthier (as we all do after a work out) and who wants to suck in a stick of pollution after a good jog? The other thing, as I mentioned earlier, is that the healthier you are, the stronger you are mentally & physically to fight the addiction.
5. Don't Quit Quitting: Remember, if you don't meet your goals at first, you can always start over. Part of the reason you shouldn't tell everyone that you're quitting is because it's too hard for some people to get it on the first try. Sometimes it takes lots of tries before you're able to really make it stick. Taking the pressure off by saying you're "cutting back" makes it easier to "keep cutting back" if you don't quit entirely the first time you try. Start again. Each time you try is another step toward the goal. Eventually, you'll be able to put them down for good - as long as you really want to quit.
It's been over a year and a half for me smoke-free and I absolutely love it! I love being free of those chains. I'll be honest, there are still days where I have thoughts that I'd like to sit down and have a cigarette, but they're only thoughts, not cravings. I sometimes just remember how I used to love them. But I never forget how much I hated them and I don't crave them anymore. And I NEVER lie to myself by saying "I can have just one". You can quit and you deserve to. Don't give up! Remember that it's a FACT that cigarettes are taking away from your health - and your wallet. They aren't getting any cheaper and you aren't getting any healthier. It's time to stop, for good.
No comments:
Post a Comment