How To Quit Tobacco Addiction

Quitting Smokeless Tobacco Is A Lot Like Quitting Smoking However There Are A Few Parts Of Quitting That Are Unique For Smokeless Tobacco Users

If you use chew, snuff, and/or spit tobacco, this page will provide you with information on how to quit using smokeless tobacco. Several of the tips in the other section may be helpful to you as you try to quit smokeless tobacco. In this section we will point out the differences in quitting for people who use smokeless tobacco.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms What Does Nicotine Withdrawal Feel Like

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms can be broken into two different categories. You might assume that those would be physical and psychological, but in fact all the really unpleasant symptoms that smokers experience when they quit are caused by a mental process, rather than the physical withdrawal from nicotine. The mental process is triggered by physical withdrawal, but that withdrawal is so slight its almost imperceptible.

What Are Some Of The Withdrawal Symptoms Associated With Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking may cause short-term problems, especially for those who have smoked heavily for many years. These temporary changes can result in withdrawal symptoms.

Common withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting include the following:

• nicotine cravings
• anger, frustration, and irritability
• depression
• weight gain

Studies have shown that about half of smokers report experiencing at least four withdrawal symptoms when they quit . People have reported other symptoms, including dizziness, increased dreaming, and headaches .

The good news is that there is much you can do to reduce cravings and manage common withdrawal symptoms. Even without medication, withdrawal symptoms and other problems subside over time. It may also help to know that withdrawal symptoms are usually worst during the first week after quitting. From that point on, the intensity usually drops over the first month. However, everyone is different, and some people have withdrawal symptoms for several months after quitting .

Recommended Reading: How To Quit Beer Addiction

Your Personal Stop Smoking Plan

While some smokers successfully quit by going cold turkey, most people do better with a tailored plan to keep themselves on track. A good quit plan addresses both the short-term challenge of stopping smoking and the long-term challenge of preventing relapse. It should also be tailored to your specific needs and smoking habits.

Remember That Time Is On Your Side

As soon as you quit, you start to get immediate health benefits. After only 20 minutes, your heart rate goes back to normal. Within a day, your bloodâs carbon monoxide level also falls back into place. In just 2-3 weeks, you will start to lower your odds of having a heart attack. In the long run, you will also lower your chance of getting lung cancer and other cancers.

Don’t Miss: How To Admit You Have An Addiction

Be Prepared To Defeat Triggers

Physical withdrawal from nicotine triggers the urge to smoke. Once nicotine is gone from the bloodstream, triggers shift over to the mental associations you have built up over the years. From the first cup of coffee in the morning to the last thing you do before bed, smoking has become a part of who you are.

Triggers will often appear seemingly out of the blue and cause powerful urges to smoke. These can make you feel like you’re back in the midst of physical withdrawal, even though there is no nicotine present in your body any longer. With practice, you can break down old habits and create new ones that are much healthier.

• Distract yourself. Keep your hands busy with a hobby. Making a list of things to do instead of smoking will allow you to quickly switch to one of those activities.
• Keep healthy snacks on hand to help you with the hand-to-mouth association of smoking.
• Avoid drinking alcoholor being around smokers. The time will come when drinking or being around people who are smoking wont bother you, but dont expect it within the first several weeks of smoking cessation.
• Learn to decipher smoking urges. Once you begin to understand what your body is signaling when you experience an urge to smoke, you can make better choices that will become automatic in time.

Medications To Help You Quit

Anyone who has ever tried to quit using smokeless tobacco “cold turkey” knows how hard it can be. However, there are several medications available that may aid in your quitting process. Many of these medications are the same medications that are used to help people quit smoking. Refer to Medications for additional information.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacements give you nicotine without the other harmful ingredients in tobacco. The Food and Drug Administration has approved several NRT products as effective aids for helping people to quit using tobacco products. These products include:

• Nicotine gum — available over the counter
• Nicotine patch — available over the counter
• Nicotine lozenges — available over the counter
• Nicotine inhaler — available only by prescription
• Nicotine nasal spray — available only by prescription

While the FDA has NOT approved the use of nicotine replacement therapy to help people quit smokeless tobacco, over-the-counter NRT products have few side effects and may help you quit. If you enjoy the feeling of having something in your mouth, then it may help you to use nicotine gum or lozenges, which are most similar to smokeless tobacco. The 4 mg nicotine lozenge has been shown to be associated with decreased nicotine withdrawal symptoms and tobacco cravings. Refer to Medications for additional information.

Prescription Medications

Also Check: How Long Does It Take To Get Addicted To Oxycodone

Try Medications Or Therapies To Make Quitting Easier

There are many different methods that have proved successful for many people when it comes to kicking the habit. While it is possible that you succeed with the first attempt, its more likely that you will have to try a range of different coping methods or a combination of treatments to find the one that fits you best.

Medications

There are smoking cessation medications that can mitigate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cigarette cravings. However, more often than not, these medications are part of a comprehensive quit-smoking program monitored by your doctor.

Talk to your physician about possible options for quitting cigarettes. Thus far, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following:

• Nicotine replacement treatment. Nicotine replacement means that you will have to replace cigarettes with other products that contain nicotine. Such substitutes include nicotine gums, lozenges, patches, inhalers, or nasal sprays. This method helps you break your psychological addiction while gradually decreasing the amount of nicotine released to your body.
• Nicotine-free medications. These drugs can help you stop smoking by reducing both cravings and withdrawal symptoms without delivering nicotine to your system. The list of common nicotine-free medications include bupropion and varenicline

Alternative Therapies

If pharmaceutical medications are not your pair of shoes, you can try other forms of therapy that do not involve vaping or prescription drugs.

How Can I Resist The Urge To Smoke When Im Feeling Bored

When you quit smoking, you may miss the increased excitement and good feeling that nicotine gave you. This may be particularly true when you are feeling bored.

Here are some tips:

• Plan more activities than you have time for.
• Make a list of things to do when confronted with free time.
• Move! Do not stay in the same place too long.
• If you feel very bored when waiting for something or someone , distract yourself with a book, magazine, or crossword puzzle.
• Look at and listen to what is going on around you.
• Carry something to keep your hands busy.
• Listen to a favorite song.
• Go outdoors, if you can, but not to places you associate with smoking.

Read Also: How Do People Get Addicted To Drugs

How To Successfully Quit Chewing Tobacco

Cigarette smoking is injurious to health! Weve all heard that before, but what about chewing tobacco? Chewing smokeless tobacco products, although less talked about, is just as bad as smoking if not more. Rather than being inhaled, smokeless tobacco is consumed orally and has been in use for as long as other forms of tobacco consumption.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are two main types of smokeless tobacco chewing tobacco, which is available as loose leaves, plugs , and twists of rope, and snuff, which is finely cut or powdered tobacco that may be sold in different scents and flavors.

Habits like tobacco consumption are a potential death sentence, and whats disconcerting is the fact that the users of such nicotine-laden products are growing by the day. According to a 2014 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, about 3% of the US population over 18 years of age reported the use of smokeless tobacco, making it the largest source of human exposure to carcinogenic, tobacco-specific nitrosamines.

In another 2016 survey done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the USA, an estimated 3.3% of adults are current smokeless tobacco users use is much higher among men than women.

Some of the short-term effects include:

• Bad breath
• Receding gums
• Mouth sores

Long-term effects, on the other hand, can lead to a number of life-threatening health problems including cancer.

Contents

• 9. Start Exercising Regularly

How Can I Get Help Quitting Tobacco

NCI and other agencies and organizations can help smokers quit:

• Go online to Smokefree.gov, a website created by NCIâs Tobacco Control Research Branch, and use the step-by-step personalized quit plan.
• Call NCIâs Smoking Quitline at 1â877â44UâQUIT for individualized counseling, printed information, and referrals to other sources.

Also Check: What Drugs Are Psychologically Addictive

Give Yourself A Break

One reason people smoke is that the nicotine helps them relax. Once you quit, youâll need new ways to unwind. There are many options. You can exercise to blow off steam, tune in to your favorite music, connect with friends, treat yourself to a massage, or make time for a hobby. Try to avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking.

Questions To Ask Yourself

Take the time to think of what kind of smoker you are, which moments of your life call for a cigarette, and why. This will help you to identify which tips, techniques, or therapies may be most beneficial for you.

Are you a very heavy smoker ? Or are you more of a social smoker? Would a simple nicotine patch do the job?

Are there certain activities, places, or people you associate with smoking? Do you feel the need to smoke after every meal or whenever you break for coffee?

Do you reach for cigarettes when youre feeling stressed or down? Or is your cigarette smoking linked to other addictions, such as alcohol or gambling?

Start your stop smoking plan with START

S = Set a quit date.

Choose a date within the next two weeks, so you have enough time to prepare without losing your motivation to quit. If you mainly smoke at work, quit on the weekend, so you have a few days to adjust to the change.

T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.

Let your friends and family in on your plan to quit smoking and tell them you need their support and encouragement to stop. Look for a quit buddy who wants to stop smoking as well. You can help each other get through the rough times.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges youll face while quitting.

Most people who begin smoking again do so within the first three months. You can help yourself make it through by preparing ahead for common challenges, such as nicotine withdrawal and cigarette cravings.

Read Also: How To Convince An Addict To Go To Rehab

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.

Serenity Prayer To Quit Smoking Image

It takes a lot of courage to accept your weaknesses In fact, one must not feel ashamed about them. Its not easy to stop craving something that has been a part of your routine.

The first step to change is to accept what you are going through. If you are willing to invite a miracle into your life, Accept and let it go. It helps to inspire change, no matter how hard it is.

After acceptance, courage organically enhances, and you get inspired to quit from within. After few ways, you will understand the difference between being a smoker and overcoming it.

The wisdom leads to freedom, whether from smoking or any other addiction.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Most Addictive Illegal Drug

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.

How Cbd Oil May Help You Quit Smoking Cigarettes

CBD has a versatile therapeutic profile. People use it to relieve a wide range of conditions and symptoms, including pain, muscle spasms, tremors, seizures, sleeplessness, autoimmune conditions, neurodegeneration and dementia, and more.

Recently, CBD has garnered the attention of psychiatrists and addiction experts for its potential in dealing with tobacco addiction.

Here we explain how using CBD oil can help you quit smoking cigarettes.

Also Check: How To Stop An Addiction

How Can I Resist The Urge To Smoke When Im Having Coffee Or Tea

You may be used to smoking when drinking coffee or tea , and you may associate good feelings with drinking a hot beverage. When you give up smoking, expect to feel a strong urge to reach for a cigarette while drinking coffee or tea. Although you do not have to give up coffee or tea to quit smoking, you should expect that coffee or tea will not taste the same without a cigarette.

Here are some tips:

• If you used to smoke while drinking coffee or tea, tell people you have quit, so they wonât offer you a cigarette.
• Between sips of coffee or tea, take deep breaths to inhale the aroma. Breathe in deeply and slowly while you count to five, and then breathe out slowly, counting to five again.
• Try switching to decaffeinated coffee or tea for a while, particularly if quitting has made you irritable or nervous.
• Keep your hands busy by nibbling on healthy foods, doodling, or making a list of tasks for the day.
• If the urge to smoke is very strong, drink your coffee or tea more quickly than usual and then change activities or rooms.
• When you quit smoking, drinking coffee or tea without smoking may make you feel sad. Focus on what youâve gained by quitting.

Tobacco Nicotine And E

There are effective treatments that support tobacco cessation, including both behavioral therapies and FDA-approved medications. FDA-approved pharmacotherapies include various forms of nicotine replacement therapy as well as bupropion and varenicline. Research indicates that smokers who receive a combination of behavioral treatment and cessation medications quit at higher rates than those who receive minimal intervention.37,40,162167 Interventions such as brief advice from a health care worker, telephone helplines, automated text messaging, and printed self-help materials can also facilitate smoking cessation.163 Cessation interventions utilizing mobile devices and social media also show promise in boosting tobacco cessation.168 It is important for cessation treatment to be as personalized as possible, as some people smoke to avoid negative effects of withdrawal while others are more driven by the rewarding aspects of smoking.

Don’t Miss: How To Rid Of Addiction

Prayer To Quit Smoking Cigarettes Images

Lord, I came to you to put my true desires in front of you. I want to be a non-smoker, healthy, clean, and better person. My smoking habit is consuming all my energy, and I am feeling sick. Please help me to overcome my craving and stop smoking forever. Amen.

God says those who will ask, they will, without doubt, receive. Therefore, Instead of focusing on your craving and trying hard to stop your hand from reaching cigarettes, find something else to do.

Habits, such as remembering your wish list and asking God to give you the strength to fulfil it is better than focusing on your struggle. In order to do that, make a list of the change you want in your life. Set the alarm and use this small but powerful Prayer to quit smoking every time the alarm reminds you.

Father, Thank you for every blessing you gave me and keep giving me. I am willing to follow your path and become a new and better person. I ask you to guide me, protect me, strengthen me and allow me to eliminate all the harmful acts I have been doing. Amen.

Prayer for Husband to Stop Smoking Images

Dear God, the savior of my family, I am asking you to help me get my life on track again. My husband is trapped in a smoking habit, and I am worried because Its affecting his health now. Please have mercy on him and inspire him to quit smoking for the sake of his family and his health. Amen.

Deliverance from Smoking Cigarettes Images

Prayer for Someone to Quit Smoking Marijuana Images

FAQS

#3 Can smokers go to heaven?