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Adverse Effects Of Smoking, And How To Kick The Habit!

January 25th, 2010

Why do people smoke? This is a potent question that everyone answers differently. Usually though, the answer incorporates a few of these elements – for the nicotine kick, in order to appear “cool”, or for stress relief. For these reasons, smokers are willing to live with the chances of emphysema, asthma, or cancer.

Apart from lung disease, nicotine also works as a stimulant by increasing the heart rate. On the other hand, nicotine withdrawal sends the smoker into a restless state, which can be “calmed” down only by a cigarette. This ultimately results in a cycle leading to high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, restlessness and other mental problems.

The very first puff on a cigarette starts this lethal chain – the materials entering the body with each inhalation include carbon monoxide(a potent toxin, depriving oxygen from the body and generating carcinogenic free radicals), hydrogen cyanide(a very poisonous substance), and coal tar – which deposits itself inside the lungs, slowly destroying the thin capillaries and forcing the membranes to collapse upon each other. Apart from these, there are nearly 400 other toxins in trace amounts, which over the years build up and turn the body into a wasteland.

A lot of people are aware of the risks associated with smoking. Some of them accept their doom cheerfully, while others try to quit but fail to do so due to their physical and psychological dependence on the nicotine fix. For them, nicotine patches or sprays can occasionally be useful.

So when you’re helplessly caught trying to quit and being unable to, what do you do?

Firstly, set a date for quitting and make that public. Make sure that you cannot smoke at any point in your daily life without having to answer uncomfortable questions to whoever sees you. Enlist the support of your friends and family(your mother might be most glad to help!) in preventing you from smoking at home.

Try to avoid being around your smoker friends, since that will only increase your desire to have a puff. Get rid of the apparatus you associated with a leisurely smoke – ashtrays, lighters, tobacco, a favourite evening Tshirt, etc. Preferably, engage in a new occupation or hobby to change your routine and keep your mind off smoking until you grow used to being without it.

In the end, we all wish to live a happy, healthy life. I feel that a life where mornings are spent coughing up globs of phlegm, with our lungs slowly giving way, is no way to live. So quit smoking, and feel the quality of your life improve dramatically!

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How To Ditch The Cigarette?

January 25th, 2010

Long-time smokers often lament that they have fallen a slave to the habit. While some accept that fate cheerfully, others constantly try – and fail – to quit. Even if you’re a smoker who has fallen into the “quit-and-start-again” cycle, there is still hope for you if you play your cards right. Here are a few things to keep in mind while trying to quit smoking:

Figure out what makes you want a smoke. Do you habitually smoke after a meal, while watching TV, or after a stressful conversation? Identify these triggering factors and make sure you find out alternative ways of dealing with them. This will be the toughest part.
Tell everyone you know that you’re quitting. That way, you won’t be able to smoke in front of people without reminders of your decision to quit. Embarrassment, or potential embarrassment, is a potent force for anyone. Then again – some friends may join you in quitting, which will make it even easier!
Put away your entire smoking apparatus. Apart from tobacco products, lighters, ashtrays etc, also put away your favorite “smoking T-shirt” if you have one. Preferably, rearrange your home and office to make it less familiar, and to prevent triggering memories of your beloved “smoking haunts”.
DO NOT smoke “just one” after a rough day. That will start you off on the slippery slope back into the land of phlegm-filled lungs, smoky smells and nicotine. No matter how strong the temptation to smoke one cigarette and never to do it again, you must resist it if you want to quit. Cold turkey, no concessions, is often the best way to break an addiction.
Create a reward-punishment system. Allow yourself a small treat for every day spent without a single cigarette, as well as bigger rewards for one week or one month without a smoke. This could be as small as a sweetmeat, a matinee, or go up to a five-star dinner. Also implement some punishments – like having a hated relative stay over – every time you fall prey to the temptation.

The key to successfully quitting smoking is in … well… quitting. No matter how much you plan, you’ll never know how likely you are to succeed until you actually wake up one day realizing that you’ve been cigarette-free and don’t feel like smoking anymore. So take a deep breath, mourn the loss of your beloved poison for a few minutes, and resolve never to turn back to it.