Quitting smoking is not that difficult, but is it also difficult to keep it up…? With the following three methods you will certainly succeed!
Successful stop attempt
There is only one important condition for a successful quit attempt: You have to want it yourself . People who quit under pressure from those around them usually don’t make it. Even if a GP or specialist says that it is necessary, this often proves to be insufficiently motivated. Anyone who wants to quit smoking must be convinced that it really has to be done this time!
Most difficult moments
Hardly anyone decides to quit smoking overnight. The realization that quitting is really necessary usually has to grow. It is difficult to simply give up a habit that has often existed for years. Most smokers genuinely enjoy their cigarettes. Smoking is in their system. During the course of a day they often think: just have a cigarette. When they have to have a telephone conversation, over a cup of coffee, before a difficult job, after a difficult job, when stressed, in a traffic jam. If you stop, you will have a particularly difficult time during those regular smoking moments. And in all those moments you have to be motivated enough and know that there are good reasons why you never touch a cigarette again.
In addition to nicotine addiction, there is also the psychological addiction that must be broken. What kind of smoker are you? A casual smoker? Are you a regular smoker, a stress smoker or do you smoke to maintain your weight? It can be useful to first determine this for yourself if you want to stop.
Reasons to quit
There are plenty of good reasons to quit. If you know how bad smoking really is for your health, you can easily convince yourself that quitting is necessary.
- Smoking is one of the unhealthiest habits. It can cause cardiovascular diseases, emphysema, strokes, pneumonia and bronchitis, among other things. In all cases of lung cancer in the Netherlands, 90% can be attributed to smoking. Smoking also plays an important role in the development of stomach, liver, bladder and pancreatic cancer.
- Smokers smell unpleasant: clothes, hair, skin and breath smell like cigarette smoke
- Smoking is not very social: research shows that passive smoking is almost as harmful as smoking
- Smoking is expensive: smoking 15 cigarettes per day costs more than €1,000 per year
- Smoking is ugly: it gives a gray skin color, causes premature aging of the skin and yellow teeth
The 3 effective quit methods
Want to stop yourself, without help? There are many people who succeed. And there are also many people who could use some help, especially if they have already tried to quit a few times in vain.
With these 3 methods you increase your chance of successfully quitting!
Nicotine substitutes:
How do they work?
Nicotine is the addictive component of cigarettes. If you stop smoking, but still consume nicotine, you will suffer less from withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, hunger, binge eating, bad mood and concentration problems. With nicotine replacements, the substance enters the body via tablets, chewing gum or patches.
How effective are they?
Studies have shown that the tablets help 20% of people quit. The chewing gum scores 17% and the patches 13%.
Who are they intended for?
Nicotine replacements are intended for people who smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day. However, they are not suitable for heart patients.
How should they be used?
Every day for 12 weeks. Afterwards, use must be phased out.
What are the advantages?
You first break free from the habit, the mental addiction. Only then do you say goodbye to nicotine and therefore to physical addiction. That makes the process easier.
What are disadvantages?
Nicotine is toxic, so the substitutes are a temporary remedy. Smoking is absolutely prohibited, as it can lead to nicotine poisoning. Substitutes can cause headaches, nausea and dizziness.
Where are they available?
They can be purchased at drugstores and pharmacists.
Medicines:
How do they work?
There are also medications that suppress the withdrawal symptoms. This makes it easier to quit smoking. It is not known exactly how they work, but they are officially approved as anti-smoking pills in the Netherlands . Because these are heavy medications, they are only available with a doctor’s prescription.
How effective are they?
Exact figures cannot be given, because the effectiveness of the different medicines is measured in different ways. For example, the effectiveness of one pill has been independently researched, while the effectiveness of the other pill has only been investigated by the manufacturer. Yet another has not yet been sufficiently researched. Roughly speaking, the medications help about 17 to 44% of people quit smoking.
Who are they intended for?
As I said, they are heavy drugs that are not suitable for everyone and are only intended for heavy smokers, for whom other methods have not helped. In combination with nicotine substitutes, they can sometimes cause high blood pressure.
Anyone who wants to use nicotine replacements in addition to the medicines (the so-called combination therapy) must absolutely first discuss this with the doctor.
How long should they be used?
All drugs must be taken for at least 12 weeks.
What are the advantages?
They reduce withdrawal symptoms, so you have less cravings for smoking.
What are the disadvantages?
The medications can have side effects, such as nausea and insomnia. There may also be other unwanted effects, but these differ from pill to pill. For example, weight gain is mentioned as a possible side effect with one drug and dizziness with the other.
Where are they available?
By prescription at the pharmacy.
Professional help:
How do they work?
There are different types of professional help available. For example, there are telephone coaches who guide quitting. They give advice and discuss difficult moments. Institutions such as the GGD and Home Care provide special (quitting smoking) courses.
Even more intensive is drawing up a personal plan with a behavioral therapist.
How effective are they?
- With the help of the telephone coach, 8% of people quit
- 16% of people stop individual therapy
- Group therapy is only known to be more effective than quitting without help.
Who are they intended for?
For everyone who feels comfortable with this.
How much time do they take?
- You will have about 5 conversations with a telephone coach over one to two months
- Quit smoking courses consist of approximately 9 meetings in about 3 months
- The duration of individual therapy varies per person.
What are the advantages?
It can give you just the push you need to keep going. With tips for the difficult moments and a listening ear. For group training, stopping together is often very stimulating.
What are the disadvantages?
It takes time and energy and you are not relieved of the withdrawal symptoms.
Where is help available?
Stivoro can help you find guidance. Sometimes there are costs associated with guidance. Click here to find help. So that you can manage to stop!