Post by Ann on Oct 24, 2008 7:49:02 GMT -5
Quitting guide
Getting Ready
Once you decide that you are ready to quit smoking, the next step is to make a specific plan that will work for you. This section will walk you through the necessary elements of an effective quit smoking plan, including deciding whether nicotine replacement is right for you. QuitNet members use the interactive Quit Wizard tools to build their personal plan.
Why Quitting Is Hard
Quitting is difficult for two major reasons:
physical addiction
psychological addiction or ‘habit’
Being dependent on cigarettes is due to both of these factors. Many people who have quit using hard drugs like cocaine and heroin have said quitting smoking is just as tough, if not tougher. In order to quit smoking successfully, it is necessary to break both the nicotine addiction and the ‘habit’. We can’t emphasize this point enough.
Physical Addiction
Within just 7-10 seconds of inhaling cigarette smoke, nicotine begins affecting your brain. Nicotine acts on cells in the “reward center” of the brain. This results in feelings of pleasure and alertness- the "hit" that your body comes to expect. When bloodstream nicotine levels are at their peak, the brain is highly stimulated. However, within just 30 minutes, your body has cleaned out most of the nicotine. You then feel tired, jittery, depressed, or fatigued. You begin to crave another cigarette, and the cycle continues. This cycle, which increases in intensity and frequency over time, is part of what makes cigarettes so addictive. Essentially, smoking becomes a never-ending battle of trying to stay within the ‘comfort zone’.
Psychological Addiction or “Habit”
Ever wonder how cigarettes got to be such an important part of your life? Here’s one explanation:
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who studied behavior change in the early 1900s. He observed that dogs normally salivate when they are given food. In his experiments, he rang a bell just before he fed his dogs. As a consequence, the dogs began to associate the bell with the presentation of food. Over time, they would salivate if he simply rang the bell without putting out any food. They had learned “Hey… when the bell rings, it means I’m going to be fed.”
The same thing can happen with smoking. After smoking many, many cigarettes, various things become “paired” with cigarettes and can bring on the urge to smoke. For example, if you smoke every time you drive in your car, simply getting into the car can trigger powerful cravings. It’s like your brain says, “Hey, I’m in the car now, looks like I’m getting nicotine soon!” Likewise, if you smoke each morning when you first get up, this time of day can lead to powerful cravings for cigarettes, even long after you’ve quit smoking. For most people, breaking these connections is one of the most important steps in quitting.
Want a few other explanations for your habit? B.F. Skinner did a series of animal experiments to study how habits are formed. Although it doesn’t seem like rocket science these days, Skinner found that when behavior is reinforced or rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated; similarly, if a behavior is punished, it is less likely to be repeated. This makes it easy to see why smoking is tough to stop: there are many powerful “reinforcers” involved in smoking. The “kick” of nicotine is probably the strongest reinforcer, but social acceptance from other smokers and the perception that smoking is relaxing are other reinforcers to consider as well. Likewise, many people who try to quit are “punished” by withdrawal symptoms and give up their efforts to quit.
Understanding the Smoking Equation:
People have varying difficulties with either the physical or psychological aspects of quitting smoking. Maybe you smoked to experience the “hit” of nicotine or to avoid strong withdrawal symptoms. If so, physical addiction will underlie many of your triggers. Or… perhaps being in certain places or experiencing certain emotions often made you want to smoke; thus, psychological or behavioral elements will be behind your triggers. Most likely, though, you’ll find both areas are involved in your smoking patterns to some degree. It is important to think about why you smoke each time you have a cigarette. QuitNet members use the “Why do You smoke” tool to figure this out. This will help you identify your triggers. Once you have identified your reasons for smoking and your triggers, you can go about breaking them one by one. Nicotine replacement medicines can be an important part of this process.
found on quitnet
Getting Ready
Once you decide that you are ready to quit smoking, the next step is to make a specific plan that will work for you. This section will walk you through the necessary elements of an effective quit smoking plan, including deciding whether nicotine replacement is right for you. QuitNet members use the interactive Quit Wizard tools to build their personal plan.
Why Quitting Is Hard
Quitting is difficult for two major reasons:
physical addiction
psychological addiction or ‘habit’
Being dependent on cigarettes is due to both of these factors. Many people who have quit using hard drugs like cocaine and heroin have said quitting smoking is just as tough, if not tougher. In order to quit smoking successfully, it is necessary to break both the nicotine addiction and the ‘habit’. We can’t emphasize this point enough.
Physical Addiction
Within just 7-10 seconds of inhaling cigarette smoke, nicotine begins affecting your brain. Nicotine acts on cells in the “reward center” of the brain. This results in feelings of pleasure and alertness- the "hit" that your body comes to expect. When bloodstream nicotine levels are at their peak, the brain is highly stimulated. However, within just 30 minutes, your body has cleaned out most of the nicotine. You then feel tired, jittery, depressed, or fatigued. You begin to crave another cigarette, and the cycle continues. This cycle, which increases in intensity and frequency over time, is part of what makes cigarettes so addictive. Essentially, smoking becomes a never-ending battle of trying to stay within the ‘comfort zone’.
Psychological Addiction or “Habit”
Ever wonder how cigarettes got to be such an important part of your life? Here’s one explanation:
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who studied behavior change in the early 1900s. He observed that dogs normally salivate when they are given food. In his experiments, he rang a bell just before he fed his dogs. As a consequence, the dogs began to associate the bell with the presentation of food. Over time, they would salivate if he simply rang the bell without putting out any food. They had learned “Hey… when the bell rings, it means I’m going to be fed.”
The same thing can happen with smoking. After smoking many, many cigarettes, various things become “paired” with cigarettes and can bring on the urge to smoke. For example, if you smoke every time you drive in your car, simply getting into the car can trigger powerful cravings. It’s like your brain says, “Hey, I’m in the car now, looks like I’m getting nicotine soon!” Likewise, if you smoke each morning when you first get up, this time of day can lead to powerful cravings for cigarettes, even long after you’ve quit smoking. For most people, breaking these connections is one of the most important steps in quitting.
Want a few other explanations for your habit? B.F. Skinner did a series of animal experiments to study how habits are formed. Although it doesn’t seem like rocket science these days, Skinner found that when behavior is reinforced or rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated; similarly, if a behavior is punished, it is less likely to be repeated. This makes it easy to see why smoking is tough to stop: there are many powerful “reinforcers” involved in smoking. The “kick” of nicotine is probably the strongest reinforcer, but social acceptance from other smokers and the perception that smoking is relaxing are other reinforcers to consider as well. Likewise, many people who try to quit are “punished” by withdrawal symptoms and give up their efforts to quit.
Understanding the Smoking Equation:
People have varying difficulties with either the physical or psychological aspects of quitting smoking. Maybe you smoked to experience the “hit” of nicotine or to avoid strong withdrawal symptoms. If so, physical addiction will underlie many of your triggers. Or… perhaps being in certain places or experiencing certain emotions often made you want to smoke; thus, psychological or behavioral elements will be behind your triggers. Most likely, though, you’ll find both areas are involved in your smoking patterns to some degree. It is important to think about why you smoke each time you have a cigarette. QuitNet members use the “Why do You smoke” tool to figure this out. This will help you identify your triggers. Once you have identified your reasons for smoking and your triggers, you can go about breaking them one by one. Nicotine replacement medicines can be an important part of this process.
found on quitnet