As a smoker, you have certainly thought about quitting smoking for good. The negative health consequences clearly outweigh the benefits of smoking, and although the necessary motivation seems to be there, quitting smoking can become an incredibly challenging task.
Quitting smoking means overcoming two types of addiction at the same time. Smokers are not only physically dependent on tobacco but also psychologically. To help you succeed in quitting smoking, we have compiled the best tips and aids here and will introduce you to an alternative to smoking at the end of the article.
Quitting Smoking: Physical Dependence
Smoking triggers a series of physiological reactions in the body and brain within seconds. This is mainly due to the nicotine contained in cigarettes. About 30% of the nicotine in a cigarette is released through smoking and absorbed through the respiratory tract.
In the brain, nicotine binds to receptors, triggering the following reactions in our body: the heart starts beating faster, skin resistance decreases, and skin temperature drops slightly. Additionally, gastric juice production increases and digestion is stimulated. This allows food to be metabolized faster, and nicotine suppresses appetite by causing nausea.
Nicotine also constricts blood vessels and leads to an increase in blood pressure. By stimulating pressure and pain receptors, it causes heightened pain sensitivity. The half-life of nicotine is about two hours and it is then broken down by the liver.
Quitting Smoking: Psychological Dependence
Nicotine increases dopamine production in the brain. The main function of dopamine is the reward effect, which usually follows positive experiences. Smokers perceive this as a feeling of calm and immediate well-being.
Furthermore, other brain areas are stimulated, making a smoker feel more alert and better able to concentrate. During a smoking cessation, withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability develop.
Tips for Quitting Smoking:
For quitting smoking to be successful in the long term, both the body and mind must be kept busy. For this reason, we have divided the quitting smoking tips into two categories.
Tips for the Body:
- Stay active: Many smokers complain about weight gain after quitting. This can be prevented by sufficient exercise.
- Replace negative habits with positive ones: To keep your mouth busy, try drinking more water or chewing gum.
- Avoid situations where you usually smoked: For example, people often smoke more when drinking alcohol or in the morning with a cup of coffee.
Tips for the Mind:
- Think about the money you can save by not buying cigarettes.
- Set a firm date to quit smoking.
- Make a list of the benefits of quitting smoking.
- Find things to successfully distract yourself: Like a new hobby or simply spending more time with friends and family (preferably non-smokers).
Quitting Smoking Therapy:
If you feel you cannot quit smoking on your own, you can consider one of the following therapy options. These mainly focus on successfully overcoming the 7 phases of quitting smoking.
- Acupuncture
- Medication-assisted smoking cessation
- Hypnosis
- Nicotine replacement therapy
- Behavioral therapy
- Homeopathic remedies
- Inpatient rehabilitation
Snus as an Alternative to Smoking
For quitting smoking, you have two options: the cold turkey method, where smoking is stopped abruptly, or the reduction method, where nicotine intake is gradually reduced.
Snus can help you gradually wean your body off nicotine, as you can choose the nicotine content in your Snus product. Products like Soldat Extreme WDP have a high nicotine content of 45 mg/g. Edel Citrus AW has a lower content of 15 mg/g, and edel CBD Mint contains no nicotine at all.
