Support for those quitting smoking
An FAQ taken from alt.support.stop-smoking long ago, in 1995-03-31. I don't know if that list still exists, but the FAQ has some merits.
1. What is the best method for quitting?
The method(s) an individual uses to help them quit smoking is a matter best left up to that individual and their doctor. Many people prefer one method of quitting over another, and most have had to try several different ways or techniques before finding a suitable method. Three of the more common methods used are:
* Nicotine-based patches
* Nicotine-based gum
* Plain and simple cold turkey.
The Patch provides a constant release of nicotine throughout its life. The gum allows you have more control over the dosage. As things get bad, you can pop a piece in to get an instant (almost) fix. Some people have even used both the Patch and the gum.
Cold turkey is generally not recommended unless one is fully prepared as it can be extremely difficult, taking a great deal of willpower. However, cold turkey can also be a very quick and effective method as well.
The best thing to do is consult with your family doctor and see if he or she has recommends. However, experience in this group has shown time and again that no method is effective unless you want to quit smoking! Your desire is the most important ingredient in the process.
2. How can I prepare for quitting?
The best way to prepare to quit smoking is to set up a plan. This could include any one of the the following suggestions, although you may wish to alter some to suit your own personal needs. Other suggestions include:
* Set a quit date!!! You should try to set the date around a stress-free time, although there is no perfect time as there will always be bad times such as exams, tax time, holidays, vacations, parties, etc.
* If you plan on using the Patch and you require a prescription to get it, set a doctors appointment.
* Gather all the information that you can on quitting including tips, motivational material, etc.
* Join a support group such as Smokers Anonymous.
* Look into restarting an old hobby or perhaps starting a new one such as joining the gym or taking an aerobics class and getting into shape -- the idea here is to keep busy, exercise and breathe smoke-free air!
* When the quit day actually arrives, get rid of all remaining cigarettes ashtrays, etc - you might even clean the ashtrays and use them for candy dishes :-)
* Try to keep a positive frame of mind. Nobody ever died from quitting smoking!
3. Why is quitting so difficult?
Quitting smoking may be one of the hardest things that you will ever do. This is primarily because smoking is actually a three-fold problem: it is a psychological, social, and physical addiction to the drug nicotine.
Before you quit smoking, all your emotions were medicated with a cigarette: you relaxed with nicotine, you laughed with nicotine, you wept with nicotine, and you digested with nicotine -- just to name a few. Nicotine was your last drug before you slept and your first when you awoke. No wonder that, suddenly deprived of all that, your psyche goes into overdrive for a little while.
Without nicotine, ex-smokers are suddenly forced to deal with situations on their own. This can be a difficult task but the important thing to remember is that things will get better as an ex-smoker finds new ways of handling old situations.
4. Why am I having sleeping problems?
You are going through one of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Some people have difficulty sleeping while others can never seem to get enough sleep. Group members have found that one of the best things a person can do if they are experiencing sleep difficulties is to reduce or eliminate your caffeine intake temporarily. Many have found an additional connection between caffeine and cravings, so in this regard you may be helping to stop two problems at once.
Starting an exercise program should also help you sleep better. In the case of not getting enough sleep, many have found success in trying to take a nap when and where ever possible. Remember, this condition is only temporary as your body is adjusting to and healing from the absence of the nicotine.
5. How long will the physical withdrawal last?
Physical withdrawals, as described above, are said to last anywhere from 48 hours to two weeks. This can vary from person to person depending on the amount that you smoked and your psychological make-up. Many in the group have found the physical effects typically last between 3 to 7 days.
6. I tried the Nicorette gum and was pretty happy with the results, but, the gum for some reason really bothered my stomach.
The package directions for Nicorette gum suggests that you should chew a piece with small chews every minute or so. The package also states most of the nicotine will be released within the first 30 minutes. If you chew Nicorette like regular gum before the nicotine is released, this could and probably will, upset your stomach. Note that after the 30 minutes you can treat it as regular gum and chew as often or as vigorously as you want.
7. Why do I dream more using the Patch?
As a smoker your sleep state is or was not as deep as it is now. This is probably due to difficulties in breathing, etc. With a deeper state of sleep you are able to dream and with the addition of the Patch overnight, you may experience increased or more vivid dreams. While the exact reason for having more vivid dreams while using the Patch is not known, it is a very normal and very common experience within the group.
8. Can't I have just one last one?
Like with any addiction, smoking is something that should be given up completely. It is not safe to smoke a single cigarette as this could send you right back to smoking as much or even more than you did prior to quitting. It's just not safe. Remember -- you're only a puff away from a pack-a-day!
9. What can I do to encourage someone who is trying to quit?
* Do not pester someone who is trying to quit smoking or who is in the initial stages of thinking about quitting as it is probably the worst thing someone trying to offer support can do -- also do not nag, insult, or attempt to shame a smoker into quitting.
* Let your spouse/friend/roommate know that no matter what happens that you value him/her as a person (even though you may disapprove of their smoking) and that you respect him/her for trying to break free from their addiction.
* Learn to listen non-judgmentally and attempt to understand and see the problems of quitting a powerful and seductive addiction through the smoker's eyes.
* Remember to praise a smoker for even the smallest effort in trying to quit or cut down -- quitting is a process and it takes time!.
10. Just how am I harming my body by smoking?
Every cigarette you smoke harms your body - simple as that! A better analogy might be to suppose you lived near a chemical plant that emitted a number of toxic wastes that had seeped into the town's drinking water, so that every time you took a drink of water, it did a small but definite amount of damage to your body.
After you'd lived there for a few years, you might notice that you didn't have quite as much energy as you used to. After five or ten years, you might notice that quite a few of the townspeople seemed to be getting ill with one thing or another. In the same way, every cigarette you smoke damages your body.
Smoking is a silent and patient killer. In simple terms, the more you smoke, the greater the damage you do to your body and to those around you who breath your second hand smoke too!
For your information:
* Lung cancer risk increases roughly 50 to 100 percent for each cigarette you smoke per day.
* Heart disease risk increases roughly 100 percent for each pack of cigarettes you smoke per day.
* Switching to filter-tip cigarettes reduces the risk of lung cancer roughly 20 percent, but does not affect the risk of heart disease.
* Smokers spend 27 percent more time in the hospital and more than twice as much time in intensive care units as nonsmokers.
* Each cigarette costs the smoker 5 to 20 minutes of life.
* A smoker is at twice the risk of dying before age sixty-five as a non-smoker!
