Nicotine: Myth or Truth?
Nicotine is not a good thing! We all know that. It rots teeth and gingiva, makes
one smell bad, causes premature wrinkling of the skin, raises blood pressure
and bad cholesterol, causes hardening of the arteries leading to strokes, heart
attack, impotence, claudication and all kinds of cancers. We all know these
things. Yet some people, many people, can not quit….or so we think.
Let’s break through some of the harmful effects of tobacco company false
advertising that have been perpetuated by enablers in the medical and scientific
communities. Most of these ideas have been repeated over and over in order to
make sure smokers feel helpless in combating their habits. They serve a
purpose for both tobacco companies as well as those receiving funds for
tobacco related research. They help perpetuate the attitude that it’s OK for the
smoker to continue losing the battle against a formidable opponent, tobacco. Let’
s set the record straight, the opponent is not as formidable as it is made out to
be:
Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances in the world: False
Almost all people who attempt to quit are able to do so. Relapses after nicotine
is cleared from your system are not failures per se. They represent the smoker
making a conscious decision to resume the smoking behavior. It is not a
reflection of the power of tobacco over individuals but a reflection of that
individual’s desire to return to the behavior. Often the same line of reasoning
that started the behavior take users back to their addiction.
Nicotine withdrawal takes months: False
Active metabolites of nicotine can not be detected in your urine after 5 days at
the latest. There are no known physiological means for the withdrawal effects to
last longer than a patch regimen that typically lasts for 6 weeks.
You can become a former smoker: False
This is a major pit-fall in most smoking cessation programs and is absolutely
false. "Once a smoker, always a smoker". Ten years after your last cigarette,
you’re still a smoker. You just haven’t smoked in 10 years. People have dreams,
cravings and preoccupations with smoking that smoking virgins will never
experience. There’s nothing special about the cigarette or the nicotine, it’s the
mentality of the individual who once took a puff from a cigarette and now has
imprints of the programmed response years after he acted on it.
Nicotine withdrawal is dangerous and uncomfortable: False
The most dangerous substance of abuse is alcohol. It is the only substance
known that can kill a man by overdose or through withdrawal. In comparison,
the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal is weak and in physiological terms even
weaker than caffeine. Besides, conveniently tapered patch regimens can
essentially eliminate this problem.
Once you decide this is something no longer want in your life then
consider these steps.
Set a quit date: pick a day, any day but stick to it. Don’t make it about the day.
Your quit day is just another day, nothing holy about it. Give yourself a few
weeks to prepare yourself. Make it a personal thing, don’t tell anybody in
advance about the day or even that you’re quitting soon in case it doesn’t
happen. It’s a personal battle. Time: pick a low stress time your life. Right
before the Holidays or final exam or important presentation may not be a good
time. Make it so you have enough mental energy to focus on the “task at hand”.
Prepare slowly: switch your brand, cover the cigarette pack with plain paper.
Reduce the taste and visual association, familiarity and security that you’ve
developed with the brand you’re accustomed to.
Start a smoking journal: keep track of your habit. Write down where, when,
why. As you smoke think about it every time before you light up. Try to curb
your desire gradually, give yourself more and more time between the time you
think about it or crave it to the time you quench your desire. Exercise your self
control, gradually. Nurture the part inside you that controls your urges. Think of
it as weight lifting. Starts lifting light weights before trying for the mother-load.
Disruptive behavior: think of something to do when you get the urge to smoke.
Disrupt your habit from forcing you into the whirlpool of addiction. Do some sit
ups, smell your hands, suck on a lolly-pop, have a glass of water, go for a walk,
recite a mantra, imagine the smell of flowers, …. Something to take your mind
off the subject until the urge passes or something to delay the urge. Practice,
don’t expect perfection. Mentally congratulate yourself for achievements when
you’re successful and for the intention when you are not. Don’t make it a
stressful and anxious occasion that can drive to more smoking!
Eliminate Identifiers: Identify people, places, situations and events that you
associate strongly with smoking. Some friends, drinking, certain meetings, …
can make it difficult to stop smoking. Try to minimize these associations as
much as possible specially over the first 2-3 weeks after your quit date.
After you Quit: Most importantly, never forget that you are a smoker for life.
You will have urges for as long as you live so have a way that you come up with
to deal with the urge other than going back to smoking. Take a deep breath,
take several, put a pen in your mouth, smell your hands, think about how
expensive cigarettes are, think about how much you’d hate to read this pamphlet
again!
Be prepared for the following problems in the first 3 months after quitting:
• Weight gain, no more than 10 lbs.
• Increased appetite, especially for sweet foods.
• Sleep disturbances, nightmares, dreaming about cigarettes!
• Decreased heart rate and blood pressure.
• Irritability, restlessness, frustration, anger, and anxiety.
• Decreased ability to tolerate stress.
• Inability to concentrate and decreased work performance.
• Sadness or depression.