- Addiction is a health problem that affects the body and brain, but it also has psychological and social roots. The genetic or biological explanation of addictions can lead to helplessness, because it establishes as the cause aspects of the person that cannot be changed. Paying attention to the psychological and social background of smoking makes it possible to move forward.
- If you still haven’t quit smoking, it is recommended that you write in a 4-cell table the reasons in favor of continuing to smoke, the reasons against it, the reasons in favor of quitting, and the reasons against it. The goal is to find your own reasons and motivation to start the process. It’s also okay to listen to the part of yourself that prefers to keep smoking and has doubts about the right time to quit.
- It is usually better to quit cold turkey or to plan a brief reduction of no more than 2 weeks. In general, it is usually much more difficult to maintain controlled or reduced use than to quit completely. If you decide to reduce, it’s okay 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 it there, writing a goodbye letter to tobacco, among others.
- It is advisable to keep risky situations in mind and avoid them. These may include smokers’ breaks, bars or parties, alcohol consumption, or other contexts associated with smoking.
- It is recommended to have a list of strategies to fight cravings to smoke, such as: exercising, 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 daily-life place 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 hair salon, the movies, the fair, or sexuality are some examples. This is the time to inform those around you of your intention. It’s okay to avoid risks until you gain more confidence, and it’s also okay to set the goal of not smoking day by day, to feel the experience of achievement each day that passes, and not have the impression that you are facing an overwhelming challenge.
- Withdrawal symptoms last 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 fight 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 defeated the addiction. It’s okay to give space to satisfaction and success, but it is advisable to modulate that experience. Success consists of staying smoke-free and building a life after tobacco. The idea of “having defeated it” can create the notion that the process is over, and that can make you more vulnerable to relapse.
If you’ve made it this far, you can congratulate and reward yourself, no matter how easy or difficult the process is for you. And even if you doubt sometimes, there is a part of you that is building a better life. You’re taking responsibility: you can feel proud of yourself and grateful to yourself. Treat yourself to something :)
And in the next module…
We’ll 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 symptoms or “cravings” have been overcome, the addiction is not over: how does the process continue?
- What myths are associated with tobacco use?
- Besides quitting smoking, how are you going to fill the space 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?