“Is your best friend killing you?” asks wellness coach and founder of “Transform Yourself” Isabella Dreyer. The friend she is referring to is your crutch, your emotional support, your habit, your addiction – your cigarette. “Giving up smoking is like giving up a very close friend. The only problem is that this ‘friend’ is slowly killing you. It impacts on your relationships and your health,” she adds.
A report, issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), reveals that while smokers identify tobacco use as harmful, and express a desire to reduce or even stop using it (with on average 35 million people wanting to quit on an annual basis), more than 85% of those who try to quit on their own relapse, generally within the first week.
Research shows that nicotine acts on the brain in a number of ways. Nicotine activates the reward pathways in the brain, which regulate feelings of pleasure. In particular, smoking increases the levels of dopamine. This reaction is considered to be similar to that of other drugs, and is believed to be why smokers find the act so pleasurable.
Dreyer adds that there are two aspects to this addiction – the physical and the emotional. “It takes three days, after treatment, for nicotine to clear from the body. After three days your body will not crave the nicotine anymore, but the challenging part is the emotional addiction.” She adds: “When you get stressed at work, or the boss shouts at you, you want the comfort of your ‘friend’. The reason is that you have become addicted to the dopamine ‘rush’ (the feel-good sensation ) you get from smoking. Unfortunately that feelgood rush only lasts for a short while. Although your body doesn’t need it any more, emotionally you still want it.”
The NIDA agrees, stating that behavioural factors can impact the severity of withdrawal symptoms should you decide to quit smoking. “For some people, the feel, smell, and sight of a cigarette and the ritual of obtaining, handling, lighting, and smoking the cigarette are all associated with the pleasurable effects of smoking and can make withdrawal or craving worse.” Nicotine replacement therapies, such as gum, patches, inhalers, medication, etc. can help with the pharmacological aspects – however emotional cravings may still exist.
So, how can you stop smoking and break this cycle? Luckily there are ways of identifying your own emotional triggers and circumventing these, which can go a long way to helping you break up with this toxic friend.
Some tips for how to stop smoking (from Isabella Dreyer):
• Throw away all your cigarettes, lighters and (very important!) ashtrays.
• When work does cause you stress, take 10 minutes and walk around the block. Take deep breaths. “The oxygen will calm you down and you will feel so much better than filling your lungs with carbon monoxide.”
• If you smoke first thing in the morning, set your alarm for 10 minutes later so you don’t have time to smoke a cigarette.
• Keep a bottle of water in your car and apples or carrot sticks to nibble on while you are stuck in traffic. Listen to an audio book or learn a new language so your mind gets distracted.
• For the first couple of weeks after stopping smoking, stay clear of social events where you know smoking will be allowed or friends who smoke will be present.
• Once you’ve quit smoking, place the money you would have used to buy cigarettes in a jar where you can see it every day – treat yourself with that money!
By following some of our tips on how to quit smoking, you can stop this habit that is severely damaging your body and go on to live a longer, healthier life.
The information on Fedhealth Medical Aid is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
