- Addiction is a health problem that affects the body and the brain, but it also has psychological and social roots. A genetic or biological explanation of addictions can lead to helplessness, because it sets as the cause aspects of the person that cannot be changed. Focusing on the psychological and social background of smoking makes it possible to move forward.
- If you still haven’t stopped smoking, it is recommended to note down in a 4-cell table the reasons in favour of continuing to smoke, the reasons against it, the reasons in favour of quitting, and the reasons against it. The aim is to find your own reasons and motivation to start the process. It is also fine to listen to the part of yourself that prefers to keep smoking and has doubts about the right moment to quit.
- It is usually better to quit all at once or to plan a brief reduction of no more than 2 weeks. In general, it is often much more difficult to maintain controlled or reduced use than to quit completely. If you decide to reduce, it’s fine to accompany that phase with small actions that prepare you to quit, such as introducing new habits, smoking a different brand of tobacco, choosing 2 places where you used to smoke and stopping doing so, writing a goodbye letter to tobacco, among others.
- It is advisable to keep risky situations in mind and avoid them. These may be smokers’ breaks, bars or parties, alcohol consumption, or other contexts associated with smoking.
- It is recommended to have a list of strategies to fight the urge to smoke, such as: doing sport, wetting your hands or your whole body, calling someone to talk about anything except the urge to smoke, or mindful breathing exercises.
- When Quit Day arrives, we suggest cleaning the house, the car, the office and any place in daily life of tobacco and its accessories (lighters, commercial products, photos in which you appear smoking, ashtrays, etc.). It is also a good time to schedule (if possible, as a routine) any pleasurable activity: massages, the hairdresser, the cinema, the fair, or sexuality are some examples. It is time to inform those around you of your intention. It’s fine to avoid risks until you gain more confidence, and it’s also fine to set yourself the goal of not smoking day by day, to feel the experience of achievement each day that passes, and not have the impression of facing an overwhelming challenge.
- Withdrawal syndrome lasts at most 28 days. It can be very unpleasant, but it is temporary. Although its onset cannot be avoided, there are things you can do to cope with it.
- There is a phenomenon called the “pink cloud”, which consists of a great euphoria generated by the feeling of having managed to quit smoking, of having beaten the addiction. It’s fine to make space for satisfaction and success, but it is advisable to moderate that experience. Success consists of staying smoke-free and building a life after tobacco. The idea of “having beaten it” can create the notion that the process is over, and this can make you more vulnerable to relapse.
If you’ve made it this far, you can congratulate yourself and reward yourself, no matter how easy or difficult the process is proving to be. And even though you sometimes doubt, there is a part of you that is building a better life. You are taking responsibility: you can feel proud of yourself and grateful to yourself. Treat yourself to something :)
And in the next module…
We will see how to maintain abstinence after the first few weeks. Specifically:
- What benefits are there to staying smoke-free after the first few weeks? How does the body recover?
- Even if withdrawal syndrome or “cravings” have been overcome, the addiction has not been overcome: how does the process continue?
- What myths are associated with tobacco use?
- Apart from quitting smoking, how are you going to fill the space that tobacco leaves in your life?
- How has smoking affected your identity? If there were positive traits associated with smoking (seeming older, interesting, attractive, etc.), how can those facets be maintained after quitting smoking? Who do you want to be after quitting tobacco?
- What signs indicate the danger of relapse?