Conquering the Fear of Quitting Smoking
The addiction to nicotine is the world’s single most dangerous epidemic, and also, the most preventable. Billions worldwide are addicted to nicotine, and many will try to quit dozens of times without success. In this article, I hope to shed some light on the facts about your addiction, and also some ways of coping with the uncomfortable side effects of cessation.
Making the decision to quit is the easiest part, but actually putting down the cigarette and lighter can be a seemingly impossible undertaking. It is understandable however, for smoking has been there when you needed it most. When you are bored and waiting around in public, or stuck in traffic, or even getting off a long flight, the cigarettes are always there for you, easing the tension of daily life. The first question I would like to present you with is this: “Does the actual act of cigarette smoking remove any stress from your life permanently?” Permanently is the operative word there, because although cigarettes may distract you, they only serve to delay feelings of stress and anxiety.
Many people fear quitting for various reasons, and I will now address some of the more common concerns that those quitting are faced with, while laying out the facts for you.
1. “I’m afraid if I quit, I will gain a tremendous amount of weight!”
Weight gain is generally caused by your body trying to counter balance the loss of one addiction by replacing it with another. When you smoke, the nicotine releases the blood suger from your pancreas into your blood stream, so when you quit smoking, you will begin to eat more regularly. Keeping an eye on your diet and maintaining an exercise program can counter balance this symptom.
2.”The anxiety is simply too great, I need cigarettes because the withdrawal is unbearable!”
While the withdrawal can be very uncomfortable, bear in mind that these physical symptoms are very short term, and will only last for 3-7 days. You have tricked your body into thinking it required something which it does not, so the discomfort is your body readjusting to a non chemical dependent status.
3.”How will I deal with stressful situations without cigarettes?”
Naturally, you have tricked yourself into believing that cigarettes help you deal with stress, but think back to before you were a smoker(if you can.) How did you deal with stress? Are you now, as a smoker, less stressed than you were before overall? I can make a bet that most of you dealt with the same amount of stress before you were a smoker as you do now.
After addressing these concerns, the only way to quit smoking is to simply stop doing it. As simple as it sounds, that is the truth. There are many options and aids to help you quit smoking, but in my experience, the all natural method (no patches/gum) made me feel healthier, and actually helped me to stay quit much more effectively than common anti-smoking products. Good luck to you in your life changing decision to quit, and look to your local department of health for further information.
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