How Does The Body Become So Dependent On Nicotine
Why is nicotine so addictive? When you light up a cigarette and take a puff, you are inhaling chemicals into your body. If youve often thought that the first drag of your smoke is the best, its because your giving your body the substance it craves. Once inside your mouth, nicotine enters your bloodstream and travels straight to the brain. Did you know that nicotine will reach your brain much faster than an injected drug into your veins?
Shockingly, nicotine changes many things about your body. Your heart will beat faster, and your blood pressure increases. The metabolism changes, and many people can lose weight while smoking. Consequently, when you stop, you will notice weight changes. Lastly, the blood vessels tighten because the drug deprives the body of much-needed oxygen. The vessels adjust to try to assist the body in pumping adequate blood to all the organs.
Shakes Numbness And Rashes
At day 11, I still suffer from insomnia and itching, but the rashes are clearing, sweating nearly stopped, shaking almost gone, and my head seems a bit clearer too.
There are still some tiny tremors in my hands, and the neuropathy is down to just the toes instead of half of each foot.
I needed professional help as I had severe withdrawal symptoms of a DT nature with hallucinations, a possible seizure, and fear I would fall over dead any second. I went to ER and detoxed 5 days in the hospital.
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What To Do If You Slip Or Relapse
Most people try to stop smoking several times before they kick the habit for good, so dont beat yourself up if you slip up and smoke a cigarette. Instead, turn the relapse into a rebound by learning from your mistake. Analyze what happened right before you started smoking again, identify the triggers or trouble spots you ran into, and make a new stop-smoking plan that eliminates them.
Its also important to emphasize the difference between a slip and a relapse. If you start smoking again, it doesnt mean that you cant get back on the wagon. You can choose to learn from the slip and let it motivate you to try harder or you can use it as an excuse to go back to your smoking habit. But the choice is yours. A slip doesnt have to turn into a full-blown relapse.
Youre not a failure if you slip up. It doesnt mean you cant quit for good.
Dont let a slip become a mudslide. Throw out the rest of the pack. Its important to get back on the non-smoking track as soon as possible.
Look back at your quit log and feel good about the time you went without smoking.
Find the trigger. Exactly what was it that made you smoke again? Decide how you will cope with that issue the next time it comes up.
Learn from your experience. What has been most helpful? What didnt work?
Are you using a medicine to help you quit? Call your doctor if you start smoking again. Some medicines cannot be used if youre smoking at the same time.
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What Are Some Tips For Quitting Caffeine
Cut down slowly on the amount of caffeine in your diet. Dont make the mistake of stopping totally. Youll likely experience withdrawal symptoms and go back to drinking coffee or soda or taking a headache medication with caffeine in it to make the symptoms disappear. This starts the dependency cycle all over again. Avoiding the withdrawal symptoms is one of the most common reasons why people continue their caffeine habit.
To successfully reduce your caffeine intake, gradually reduce the amount of coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks you have each day. Begin to substitute cold caffeinated beverages with water. Water is a healthy choice and satisfies the need for drinking a liquid. Water also naturally flushes caffeine from your body and keeps you hydrated.
If you are a coffee drinker, gradually switch from regular coffee to decaf. First alternate between decaf and regular, then slowly change to more decaf and taper off regular coffee. Gradually reducing your caffeine consumption over a period of two to three weeks will help you successfully change your habit without causing withdrawal symptoms.
Tips For How Long Does It Take To Get Over Alcohol Addiction
How Long Does It Take To Get Over Alcohol Addiction? When dealing with an addiction such as alcoholism, you need to have a very open and honest approach. You cannot expect to get straight answers from people when you are trying to understand the problem. There are different stages of recovery and there are different ways of healing that can work for different people. What works for one person may not be right for another. You have to find out what works best for you.
Alcoholism is a disease of the brain and is not something that you âcatchâ. It is a disorder that is picked up very easily. People do not get over alcohol addiction the same way that others do. You have to really want to get rid of the problem before you will see results. If you donât believe that you can do it on your own, then you should consult a professional before attempting to âget overâ alcohol addiction on your own.
The first step to answering the question how long does it take to get over alcohol addiction is finding out why you became addicted in the first place. There are several very common reasons that people become addicted to alcohol. These include peer pressure, boredom, stress, loneliness and stress. It also can be inherited. If alcoholic parents had problems with alcohol, chances that their children will also will have problems with it are extremely high.
How Long Does It Take To Get Over Alcohol Addiction?
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How Can I Resist The Urge To Smoke When I’m Driving Or Riding In A Car
You may have become used to smoking while drivingâto relax in a traffic jam or to stay alert on a long drive. Like many smokers, you may like to light up when driving to and from work to relieve stress, stay alert, relax, or just pass the time. There is some evidence that smoking actually does make you feel more awake and alert.
Tips for short trips:
- Remove the ashtray, lighter, and cigarettes from your car.
- Keep nonfattening snacks in your car .
- Turn on your favorite music and sing along.
- Take an alternate route to work or try carpooling.
- Clean your car and make sure to use deodorizers to reduce the tobacco smell.
- Tell yourself:
- âThis urge will go away in a few minutes.â
- âSo, Iâm not enjoying this car ride. Big deal! It wonât last forever!â
- âMy car smells clean and fresh!â
- âIâm a better driver now that Iâm not smoking while driving.â
When you are driving or riding with other people:
- Ask passengers not to smoke in your car.
- If youâre not driving, find something to do with your hands.
Your desire to smoke may be stronger and more frequent on longer trips. Tips for long trips:
- Take a stretch break.
- Plan stops for water or fruit juice.
How Caffeine Tolerance Works
The caffeine found in coffee comes with a similar chemical structure to adenosine. Lets discuss how caffeine works and how the tolerance is built.
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. When you drink coffee, the caffeine found in it goes to your brain, and the most obvious effect that you experience is alertness. Because it makes you feel more alert, it is no wonder that it is heavily consumed by people with active lifestyles or folks that wish to stay awake for an extended period.
Caffeine is closely related to adenosine. Adenosine is created in the brain, and it binds itself to adenosine receptors. When bound, the adenosine weighs you down. It causes drowsiness slowing down brain nerve cell activity.
Now, to a nerve cell, caffeine is eerily similar to adenosine. Hence, when you drink caffeine, instead of the adenosine binding with the receptor, it is the caffeine that binds to the receptor. Instead of slowing down brain nerve activity, this binding increases the speed of the nerve cells.
Some of the effects of caffeine include:
- Pupil dilation
- Increase in heartbeat and blood pressure
- Tightened muscles ready for action
While all these are great, caffeine tolerance can pose a problem.
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Helping A Teen To Quit
Most smokers try their first cigarette around the age of 11, and many are addicted by the time they turn 14. The use of e-cigarettes has also soared dramatically in recent years. While the health implications of vaping arent yet fully known, the FDA warns that its not safe for teens and we do know that teens who vape are more likely to begin smoking cigarettes. This can be worrying for parents, but its important to appreciate the unique challenges and peer pressure teens face when it comes to quitting smoking . While the decision to give up has to come from the teen smoker him- or herself, there are still plenty of ways for you to help.
Tips for parents of teens who smoke or vape
- Find out why your teen is smoking or vaping they may want to be accepted by their peers or be seeking attention from you. Rather than making threats or ultimatums, talk about what changes can be made in their life to help them stop smoking.
- If your child agrees to quit, be patient and supportive as they go through the process.
- Set a good example by not smoking yourself. Parents who smoke are more likely to have kids who smoke.
- Know if your kids have friends that smoke or vape. Talk with them about how to refuse a cigarette or e-cigarette.
- Explain the health dangers and the unpleasant side effects smoking can have on their appearance .
- Establish a smoke-free policy in your home. Dont allow anyone to smoke or vape indoors at any time.
What To Do When Cigarette Cravings Hit
When a cigarette craving hits, it may be tough to resist the urge to smoke. Especially in the first weeks of your quit. One way to help manage your withdrawal symptoms, in addition to nicotine replacements like Nicorette and NicoDerm CQ, is simply to distract yourself. Do something else that takes your mind off smoking, helps lessen stress, or puts you in a situation where you really cant smoke.
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If Weaning Off Doesn’t Work Try Quitting Cold Turkey
Nicotine patches, lozenges, gums and other products can help some people quit, but not everyone can wean off of an addictive substance successfully.
The QuitGo inhaler uses a chewable, soft-tip design that mimics the look and feel of cigarettes, but it delivers only air, flavorings and essential oils to help people quit nicotine and tobacco cold-turkey.
Some companies have started to manufacture products that intend to help people quit nicotine cold turkey in place of nicotine-replacement products like nicotine gum and patches.
One such company is QuitGo, which manufactures a soft-tip inhaler designed to look and feel like a cigarette, but delivers only air, essential oils, flavorings and pyruvic acid . It’s meant to help with the oral fixation that many smokers struggle to beat.
In the nicotine withdrawal timeline, symptoms typically peak at one to three days and then decrease over a period of three to four weeks. For some people, knowing that the worst is over after just a couple days is enough to quit cold turkey.
If that’s not motivation enough for you, you can take some steps to make cold turkey easier:
How Can I Resist The Urge To Smoke When Im Around Smokers
You may want to analyze situations in which watching others smoke triggers an urge in you to smoke. Figure out what it is about those situations that makes you want to smoke. Is it because you associate feeling happy with being around other smokers? Or, is there something special about the situations, such as being around the people you usually smoked with? Is it tempting to join others for routine smoke breaks?
Here are some tips:
- Limit your contact with smokers, especially in the early weeks of quitting.
- Do not buy, carry, light, or hold cigarettes for others.
- If you are in a group and others light up, excuse yourself, and donât return until they have finished.
- Do not let people smoke in your home. Post a small âNo Smokingâ sign by your front door.
- Ask others to help you stay quit. Give them specific examples of things that are helpful and things that are not helpful .
- Focus on what youâve gained by quitting. For example, think of how healthy you will be when all smoking effects are gone from your body and you can call yourself smoke-free. Also, add up how much money you have saved already by not purchasing cigarettes and imagine how you will spend your savings in 6 months.
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Nicotine Withdrawal And Your Mood
As your body adjusts to life without nicotine, you may have mood swings or feel increased anxiety or sadness. If you become depressed or are having extreme sadness, do not ignore these feelings or keep them to yourself. Let someone who cares about you know how you are feeling, and talk to a doctor or another trusted healthcare professional.
Coping With Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
Once you stop smoking, youll likely experience a number of physical symptoms as your body withdraws from nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal begins quickly, usually starting within an hour of the last cigarette and peaking two to three days later. Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks and differ from person to person.
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How To Get Off The Gum
Whether you are using nicotine gum or lozenges to quit cigarettes, or are an ex-smoker who has become hooked on nicotine replacement, the same rules apply.
- Do not, under any circumstances, smoke a cigarette while using nicotine gum or lozenges. An overdose can be very dangerous and will totally sabotage all your good work.
- Buy a little notebook and carry it at all times. Use as many pieces of gum as you wish to calm cravings, but note how many you use and the time so that you know how many a day you are using. Be honest with yourself and dont cheat or forgetthat is important. Most people use 15 to 20 lozenges or pieces of gum a day when they first give up smoking. You want to get a baseline and work down from there.
Kicking cigarettes is no small thing and, as many will tell you, getting hooked on nicotine replacement therapy is not nearly as bad as being hooked on cigarettes. But, and this is a big BUT: nicotine, even in the form of gum or lozenges is a poison, bad for your body, and highly addictive. Long term use can bring on serious health problems, and there are those who say there may be a link to gastric and mouth cancers, as well as dental problems. The bottom line is: nicotine gum and lozenges can be important aids to quitting cigarettes, but it is equally important to not let the aid become a new addiction.
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How Nicotine Withdrawal Works
Depending on how long youâve smoked and how many cigarettes you have a day, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can last anywhere from several days to several weeks.
Nicotine withdrawal involves physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. The first week, especially days 3 through 5, is always the worst. Thatâs when the nicotine has finally cleared out of your body and youâll start getting headaches, cravings, and insomnia.
Most relapses happen within the first two weeks of quitting. If you can get over that hump, the physical symptoms will start to go away — but youâll still be dealing with mental and emotional challenges such as anxiety, depression, and irritability. Those will also taper off after a few weeks.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Over Alcohol Addiction
How long does it take to get over alcohol addiction? What is alcoholism? Can alcohol addiction be quitted? What are alcohol addiction and how do we get over it? These are just some of the questions that people who are grappling with an addiction to alcohol ask themselves or others when trying to come to terms with the disease. Alcoholism is a condition that has affected a person physically, mentally and emotionally.
How Can I Start The Day Without Smoking
Many smokers light up a cigarette right after they wake up. After 6 to 8 hours of sleep, a smokerâs nicotine level drops and the smoker needs a boost of nicotine to start the day. After you quit, you must be ready to overcome the physical need and routine of waking up and smoking a cigarette. Instead of reaching for your cigarettes in the morning, here are some tips:
- The morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. Plan a different wake-up routine, and divert your attention from smoking.
- Be sure no cigarettes are available.
- Before you go to sleep, make a list of things you need to avoid in the morning that will make you want to smoke. Place this list where you used to place your cigarettes.
- Begin each day with a planned activity that will keep you busy for an hour or more. It will keep your mind and body busy so you donât think about smoking.
- Begin each day with deep breathing and by drinking one or more glasses of water.
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