How to overcome the urge to smoke. What foods reduce the craving for smoking? Physiological craving for cigarettes

Most people who smoke have more than just bad habit, but a real drug addiction, fixed at the physiological and psychological levels. Therefore, many smokers who set the goal of quitting cigarettes find it very difficult to complete their task.

However, you cannot give up, because quitting smoking is real way save and extend healthy life. You can cope with addictions by using: psychological techniques, and specially developed products. Modern medicine offers a wide range of medications to help people who decide to quit smoking.

Useful facts

In the first few days, it is quite easy to suppress the urge to take a drag from a cigarette. But later there comes a period when thoughts about smoking arise constantly. All smokers who are trying to quit are subject to such crises. dangerous habit. This normal process which must be experienced.

The timing of exacerbation may differ for all people, but there are time periods that are common to those who quit smoking:

the first occurs approximately 10-14 days after quitting cigarettes and also lasts about 2 weeks;
the second may last throughout the third month;
the third critical period occurs between 7 and 8 months without nicotine;
the fourth - the longest - can last up to 6 months after the first year.

Of course, from time to time all former smokers want to return to the past, even those who got rid of the addiction several years ago.

But after a year and a half of living without inhaling toxic substances, it becomes easier and easier to overcome such attacks until they remain only on the edge of consciousness.

Artificial substitutes

If traditional methods and self-hypnosis do not help well, irritability, aggressiveness, insomnia appear, attention and memory deteriorate - this indicates a strong dependence on nicotine at the physiological level. In this case, in order to stop the desire to smoke, you can try to use means that ensure it enters the body in another way:

A patch that is applied to the forearm or thigh. Changes to a new one daily, giving a certain dose through skin covering. The standard course lasts from 8 to 10 weeks, and after 3 weeks you need to take a package with a lower dosage.
Chewing gum with nicotine. Among quitting smokers, it has a fairly high prevalence, since it simultaneously reduces the need for smoking by psychological level. However, the product does not have a very pleasant taste, and it should remain in the mouth for at least half an hour. In addition, it can cause diarrhea.
The most popular tool is an inhaler, which imitates the real process of smoking by inhaling. From a psychological point of view, this is an optimal device, however, it has its drawback - to get the desired effect, you will have to puff from 70 to 90 times.

Items that replace a cigarette

The psychological dependence that causes the need to smoke is usually very strong in company or during activities that require concentration and attention, as well as during prolonged stay in one position. Simply put, this process fills the pauses that a person takes for rest.

People who have gone through this problem advise how to overcome the urge to grab a cigarette:

instead, pick up a pen, a lollipop, a toothpick, a twig or a stick;
It is advisable to keep on hand foods that help keep your hands and mouth occupied and at the same time help reduce cravings for nicotine - pumpkin seeds, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and any other nuts, beans, beans, lentils, sunflower seeds, bananas, citrus fruits, canned pineapple.

Drinking regime

Pure water is generally an excellent assistant in the functioning of the body, and sufficient quantity liquid discourages the frequent need to absorb tobacco smoke.

As soon as you feel the urge to smoke, you should drink a glass cool water or herbal infusion in slow sips.

The following drinks can help in this difficult task:

mint tea without sugar;
strong black tea with lemon and sugar;
unsweetened green tea with lemon balm;
decoction of chamomile and fennel;
infusion of valerian, peppermint and cumin;
eucalyptus and yarrow, brewed and cooled;
vegetable and fruit juices, preferably without sugar or as unsweetened as possible;
decoction oatmeal, taken within a month.

Products that spoil the taste of tobacco

Sometimes a good result is achieved by using aversive weapons of struggle, after which the cigarette seems disgusting. This often leads to people quitting smoking quickly and for a long time. It is most convenient to use rinses for this purpose:

an aqueous solution containing tannin and glycerin;
a very weak (pale pink) solution of potassium permanganate;
water with a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil added;
sweet drinks, except coffee;

The procedure must be repeated at least once every 3 hours or more often if you want to smoke. After a week or two, the thought of the taste of tobacco will no longer seem so attractive. The course of rinsing can be repeated as needed.

Change of activity

How to overcome the desire to smoke by switching between different activities will be suggested by advice from people who have successfully overcome the bad habit:

Doing many small things around the house has a positive effect: doing laundry, cleaning silver items, changing bed linen and towels, preparing a complex dish, washing dishes.
Performing pre-planned exercises, preferably active ones, at a fast pace. Usually after 10 minutes the need to smoke goes away.
Favorite music also reduces the craving for smoking; it is better to listen with headphones or sing along whenever possible.
Breathing and meditative practices, mastered even superficially, help well.

Conclusion

There are many more ways designed to rid a person of tobacco addiction - this includes acupuncture, and special massage, and hypnosis and coding techniques. But most effective means is the motivation of the smoker himself, so you definitely need to come up with reasons for quitting smoking, write them down and constantly talk about them.

Popular wisdom says: smoking is harmful to health! And this is not just a philosophical statement, but a scientifically proven fact. Inhaled cigarette smoke burns mucous membranes oral cavity, respiratory tract and organs digestive tract. It contains a set of toxic compounds for the human body: hydrogen cyanide, isoprene, acetone, N-Nitrosodimethylamine, acetaldehyde and a psychoactive substance - nicotine alkaloid, which is considered an addictive stimulant, causing mild euphoria.

Takes the strongest blow respiratory system: the smoker’s lungs fill with mucus, darken, and small bronchi become blocked. As a result, cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing appear, which are a harbinger of the development of “smoker’s bronchitis,” pneumonia, and cancer. According to the conclusion of the first category TB doctor, Nikolai Pavlovich Gordeev, five years of nicotine addiction is enough for partial deformation of the respiratory organs.

Folk remedies will help a smoker get rid of a bad habit if he does not have the strength to cope with it on his own. Remember to achieve positive result it takes desire, perseverance, patience and time. Recovery internal organs will not happen right away.

Quitting smoking will improve your health, fill you with vigor, energy and strength.

Where to begin?

Recipe for success - positive attitude and a strong desire to overcome addiction. Quitting smoking without these aspects is impossible. Remember, a universal way to break out of the nicotine web has not yet been invented. Half of ex-smokers believe that it is better to try to get rid of the bad habit suddenly. Others believe that it is much more effective to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke per day until you quit smoking completely. This method does not have such a stressful effect on the human body as the first.

You need to start fighting a bad habit with a clear justification of the reason that prompted you to overcome the addiction. This could be preservation, improvement of health, desire to avoid chronic disease or save children from a bad example and negative influence tobacco smoke, doctor's advice, desire to increase performance, improve potency, skin condition, request loved one, pregnancy planning.

Two days before quitting a bad habit, it is recommended to smoke twice as many cigarettes as usual. As a result of oversaturation of the body with nicotine, tobacco will lose its taste, and it will be easier to get rid of addiction.

The most difficult period is the first two days after quitting smoking. “Nicotine withdrawal” develops, a kind of milestone that determines the outcome of the attempt. Having overcome it, the chance of parting with the cigarette rapidly increases, but if you break at the turning point, further struggle is considered useless.

First of all, choose the moment when it is more convenient to get rid of nicotine addiction. If you are used to smoking while relaxing in company, it is optimal to increase your work/study load during the period of abstinence from cigarettes. If a bad habit helps you relieve stress and concentrate, you need to quit it during the holidays, when there are prerequisites for it. nervous overstrain No. You can plan to quit smoking on a date that is important to you (anniversary, birthday).

To smooth out Negative consequences giving up nicotine addiction 15–20 days before the start of the fight against bad habit It is recommended to take vitamin-mineral complexes with nutrients A, C, B, E, R.

If you like to stop smoking gradually, first develop intermediate goals, achieving which can lead to a complete cessation of nicotine addiction. For example, reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke by 3 to 5 every day, break the bad habit after two weeks, drink three sips of water before each puff, which will ultimately eliminate the desire to use tobacco. Intermediate goals will help distribute forces rationally and set the pace of movement on the path to progress.

Then find out under what circumstances the desire to smoke arises. Write them down on a piece of paper. Next to it, add reasons motivating you to get rid of your bad habit. Every day, in the morning, at lunch and in the evening, review the list, adjust it, and supplement it if necessary.

Purposefully make smoking inconvenient for yourself:

buy cigarettes in one store, geographically remote from your place of work or residence;
do not smoke “for company”;
Do not carry cigarettes, matches, lighters with you, give them to colleagues/friends;
stop buying packs in blocks “in reserve”, purchase only after finishing what you started;
smoke only half or 2/3 of a cigarette;
reduce the tightening depth;
buy cigarettes only with a filter;
wash your hands, brush your teeth, change clothes after smoking to get rid of the smell of tobacco;
remove the cigarette from your mouth between puffs;
if you want to smoke, restrain yourself for at least five minutes, try to distract yourself, forget about the bad habit, overcome the thirst for a dose of nicotine;
when buying a pack of cigarettes, record its cost, and by the end of the week, add up the costs and determine how much money you will save by giving up smoking;
replace a bad habit with a new hobby, physical exercise;
avoid situations that encourage you to take another puff (don’t be nervous);
get rid of ashtrays and cigarettes in the workplace, in the house, in the car.

In the fight against nicotine addiction, make sure that the number of cigarettes you smoke decreases every day. Under no circumstances should you stop and keep their number at the same level. This will lead to renewed smoking intensity and will undo your efforts.

Throughout the entire period of fighting addiction, it is recommended to use folk remedies, the action of which is aimed at reducing cravings for tobacco products and cleansing the body. In addition, it is recommended to switch to healthy eating, saturate your diet with vegetables, fruits, and lactic acid products. Avoid pickles, smoked meats, meats, and alcoholic drinks that encourage you to take a couple of “extraordinary” puffs.

Let's look at how to help the body eradicate a bad habit using natural remedies.

The duration of treatment with folk remedies is 30 calendar days.

Ginger.
Every time you have a craving to smoke, put a piece of it in your mouth instead of a cigarette. When chewed, the spicy taste of ginger dulls the desire to take another puff. The result of this technique surpasses the effect of chewing gum and anti-tobacco lozenges. In addition, ginger root has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic, antioxidant and sedative effects. It reduces arterial pressure, increases immunity, potency, freshens breath. Recipe for preparing an anti-smoking drink: peel, chop medium-sized ginger root, squeeze out the juice of one lemon, combine the ingredients, pour 200 milliliters of boiling water. Then add 15 milligrams of honey and leave for two hours. Divide the finished broth into three equal portions and take between meals. Pumpkin seeds, calamus root, and bird cherry will help overcome the desire to smoke a cigarette. During an attack, when the body requires a dose of nicotine, chew these medications slowly.
Antinicotine tea.
To prepare the drink, you need 5 grams of green leaf tea and 2 grams of crushed chicory root, stinging nettle leaves, valerian officinalis, aromatic rue, peppermint, pour 400 milliliters of boiling water. Leave the tea for an hour and a half, strain. Take 100 - 150 milliliters daily 2 - 3 times a day. To enhance the effect of anti-nicotine tea, additionally add 5 grams of raw beets, the juice of one lemon, and 5 milliliters of honey. In addition to satisfying the desire to smoke, herbal tea cleanses the body of toxins.
Eucalyptus infusion according to the recipe of Professor Filatov.
The solution relieves the pain that a smoker experiences after quitting a bad habit. To prepare the decoction, take 15 grams of eucalyptus leaves, pour 150 milliliters of boiling water, leave for one hour. After the specified time, strain the solution, then add 15 milliliters of glycerin and 15 grams of honey. Take the resulting decoction seven times a day, 40 milliliters.
Rinsing the mouth with a solution baking soda, rhizomes of snakeweed, copper sulfate.
This method reduces the craving for tobacco products. In the first case, to prepare a solution, 15 grams of soda are dissolved in 150 milliliters warm water. In the second, 15 grams of ground rhizomes of the snakeweed are mixed with 150 milliliters of water, boiled over low heat for three minutes. The resulting broth is covered with a lid, left for 50 minutes, and filtered. You need to rinse your mouth before every urge to smoke. This method causes a gag reflex and nausea, which develop an aversion to tobacco products.
Smoking a pipe filled with herbs.
Mix the following dried ingredients in equal parts: club moss, European hoofed grass, lingonberry leaves. Grind the herbs in a coffee grinder, compact 15 grams of the raw material into a smoking pipe. Recommended for use instead of cigarettes. Smoke two “portions” of this pipe per day. After each “session” you need to immediately drink 500 milliliters mineral water. The course of combating nicotine addiction is nine days. To cleanse the lungs of tars and toxins, doctors advise smoking the following medicinal herbs (instead of cigarettes): azalea, rosemary, ginseng, coltsfoot grass, mullein leaves.
Massage.
This method of eliminating nicotine addiction is used by Chinese specialists. Its essence is to activate the point located in front of the throat at the base of the neck in the middle of the pit to facilitate weaning from cigarettes. Intensive massaging of this area reduces the craving for tobacco and makes a person feel better during the period of restructuring of the body. Minimal amount repetitions - 15 times. You need to massage the point on the throat every time you want, take a few puffs, at least three times a day.

As you can see, there are many traditional methods How to help your body quit smoking and improve your health. Usage medicinal herbs, plants, healthy products and massage can reduce cravings for cigarettes, cleanse internal organs of toxic substances received from tobacco smoke, normalize the activity of the nervous system, restore emotional balance.

Immediately after quitting a bad habit

Regularly smoking from two to several dozen cigarettes a day causes the body to become accustomed to the systematic intake of toxic substances. Quitting tobacco products leads to temporary imbalance metabolic processes. The process of restructuring the body to life without cigarettes takes up to 60 days.

Consequences of “withdrawal syndrome” or the body’s adaptation to life without tobacco smoke

For quick and reliable relief from alcoholism, our readers recommend the drug "Alcobarrier". This natural remedy, which blocks cravings for alcohol, causing a persistent aversion to alcohol. In addition, the Alcobarrier launches recovery processes in organs that alcohol has begun to destroy. The product has no contraindications, the effectiveness and safety of the drug has been proven clinical studies at the Research Institute of Narcology.

Decreased immunity: susceptibility to ARVI diseases, disorders of the respiratory and digestive systems.
Weight gain.
The habit of taking a smoke break among ex-smokers is replaced by a desire to have a snack. To maintain weight, it is recommended to eat low-calorie foods, eat vegetables and fruits, and limit intake bakery products, fatty foods(butter, cheese, smoked meats, lard). The main condition for preservation slim figure– do not overeat before bed, eat small portions four times a day. Exercise regularly, do not replace a cigarette with sweets. Better eat grapefruit, cucumber, apple.
Mood swings.
In addition to physiological dependence, the smoker develops psychological addiction. Having lost a bad habit, a person experiences emotional discomfort, which worsens during an attack of puffing.
Sleep disturbance, insomnia.
Sore throat, dry mouth.
Feeling of restlessness, anxiety.
Cardiopalmus.
Cough.
Pain in the heart area.
Decreased concentration.
Sweating.

Whenever discomfort immediately after quitting smoking, do not despair, after two weeks they will decrease and go away. Nicotine chewing gum/ patch, sedatives (tinctures of hawthorn, peony, valerian), B vitamins, ascorbic acid can reduce painful consequences and support the body on the path to recovery.

Remember, most relapses occur in the first three months after a person stops smoking. Therefore, during this period it is not recommended to announce that you have begun the fight for health. When asked by friends or colleagues to smoke, it is better to say that you simply don’t want to. This will save you from unnecessary answers, explanations and interrogations. Promise yourself every day that you will not put a single cigarette in your mouth. Over time, this “cautious” tactic will bring the desired result.

Let us consider in detail what reactions occur in the body when quitting smoking.

Blood is restored, heart function is normalized. This is due to the fact that when you inhale cigarette smoke, liquid connective tissue undergoes intense coagulation. This is how the human body tries to remove microscopic harmful particles that penetrate the respiratory system with tobacco. However, this leads to muscle overload and increased risk heart attack. When you give up a bad habit, this danger disappears.
When nicotine leaves the body, tremor (shaking) of the hands disappears, nervous system calms down.
Two hours after the last puff, poisonous carbon monoxide leaves the blood, and the rapid heartbeat returns to normal.
Blood circulation in the palms and feet is normalized. This occurs as a result of expansion blood vessels after nicotine is removed from the body (two hours after smoking).
Three days after quitting tobacco, the recovery process of the lungs begins: inflammation goes away, mucus, dirt and toxic substances of them.
The sense of smell and taste improves.
In two weeks, the skin will look healthy and “smoker’s wrinkles” will disappear.
After a month after quitting nicotine addiction, the psycho-emotional state of the ex-smoker normalizes. Behavior will become balanced.
Will improve physical form, shortness of breath will pass.
A year after completely quitting smoking, the risk of developing cancer, chronic bronchitis, diabetes mellitus. In addition, you will extend your life by three months.
Every year your health will improve and your health will get stronger.

Having overcome the critical period in the first three months, having lasted half a year without cigarettes, the likelihood of breaking the habit and not returning to it in the future will exceed the chances of resuming smoking.

Conclusion

Smoking is a bad habit that strengthens the dependence between the consumer and the cigarette every month. Consequences of abuse tobacco products deplorable: ischemic disease heart, decreased potency, infertility, miscarriages, cancer, Chronical bronchitis, hearing loss, emphysema, heart attack, hypertension, stomach ulcer, Buerger's disease.

Quitting smoking, restoring the functioning of internal organs with the help of folk remedies help you regain your health, overcome addiction and breathe life into your full lungs.

Remember, every day you live without taking a puff, you increase your life expectancy by six hours.

Get on the path healthy image life and don’t go back to a bad habit!

There is no need to be afraid, embarrassed, or follow the lead of this desire, since there is nothing shameful or dangerous in this, and if you give in, then there is no point in deciding to quit.

Everything is surmountable, including the desire to smoke

The period of acute desires lasts on average up to 4 months - would you agree, not long at all? I wonder what the most acute time does not occur immediately, but after 5-10 days of non-smoking, when the enthusiasm and joyful uplift from realizing one’s own capabilities ends.

Each person who quits smoking has their own threshold for the severity of the desire to smoke, the frequency and duration of the “attack” period. But all critical periods are similar and there are only four of them: the second half of the first month, the third month, 7-8 months and within a year to a year and a half after failure. In the future, the desire to smoke becomes dull and is quite easy to overcome.

Let's get started!

Is there anything I need to do to overcome acute attack desire to smoke?

Undoubtedly. But before you do anything, you should work out your own tactics of behavior in such cases.

Replace a cigarette with a toothpick, stick (fans alternative medicine They recommend bird cherry), rolled into a tube with paper.
Say to yourself your own formula, which includes the most important motivating factors that led to quitting smoking.
Abruptly change your occupation at the time of an attack. If you were sitting, get up and walk, at least to the closet with the papers you need for work, or, while at home, straighten the curtain on the window, change the towels in the bathroom, do minor homework. Call the phone, look out the window, think about the weather, in general, any actions that are acceptable in a particular situation. The attack has passed - return to the interrupted activity, and if the need for it has disappeared, then calmly go about other things.
Switch not to any activity, but to a pre-planned activity that is pleasant to you. For some it’s listening to their favorite musical composition, for others it’s playing solitaire or mahjong on the computer.
Use physical switching techniques. For some it is the famous rubber bracelet on the wrist, for others it is a series of deep breathing movements, light gymnastic exercises.
Learn breathing exercises. It is not necessary to master the entire system (the Nishi system is recommended for smokers), but take the most simple exercises Can. This is, for example, a breath-holding system: if an acute attack occurs, light a cigarette, stop breathing as much as possible possible time, then resume it, and repeat if necessary. Another option is hyperventilation followed by cessation of breathing. For 3-5 deep, long breaths - so many long exhalations, and then the breath is held for a slow count of 15-20, can be repeated if necessary. As a rule, one or two such exercises are enough.

The advice “not to think about it” is simply meaningless, especially in the first critical period. This desire comes from the body’s need for nicotine, from the fact that once a person decides not to smoke, the body cannot immediately adapt to work in new conditions.

At the first manifestation of the desire to smoke, “turn on” your own plan to overcome it. Individual recommendations in general article It’s impossible to give, but everyone is free to choose something suitable from the list below and combine techniques.

This approximate options solving the problem of how to overcome an acute attack of desire to smoke. The main thing is to remember that these attacks will become weaker and occur less frequently over time, and the fight against them will gradually become automatic.

Quitting smoking is a serious step. To do this once and for all is a heroic act. Which, however, every smoker is capable of. We will tell you how to act competently at first, when your hand is still constantly reaching for a cigarette.

There will be no further stories about how bad smoking is. This article is for those who have already realized this fact, threw away the pack and are trying not to buy a new one. We took the situations in which it is most difficult to hold on, and two people - our author Maria and expert Mikhail Khors. Masha, a former smoker who quit 1.5 months ago, told what happened to her during this time and how she dealt with temptations.

Party
Masha:“The first party where I lit up during my withdrawal ended with me smoking half a pack of cigarettes in one gulp. Spending time in pleasant communication, I, like probably many, relax and lose vigilance. Especially if everyone nearby is smoking with pleasure.

If so, I decided, then such weak-willed individuals who cannot sit still without taking a breath every 10 minutes are definitely not allowed to enter the parties. I decided to appear in companies only urgent need until I want to smoke less. By the way, this took 15 days, and during this period no one stopped loving me or forgot me.

After about 2 weeks, I met with friends who were smoking like 3 locomotives, and several times I courageously refused the offered cigarettes. I won't say that it was easy for me. However, I didn’t suffer that much. Yes, for a while, while you think you want to smoke, the fun will be a little sour. But then the cigarette completely ceases to influence the process of enjoying communication. After all, it probably doesn’t prevent you from enjoying life by the fact that at every party you don’t eat 1.5 kilograms of cottage cheese with raspberry jam, and your neighbor at the table sits and gorges himself on it. After all, cottage cheese is for you this moment not interesting, and you didn’t come here for him. The same thing will happen with a cigarette, sooner or later.”

MICHAEL HORSE:

About the breakdown:“If such problems arise and a person is not able to endure even a few days (which happens quite often), then you can approach it from the other side. Most cigarettes are smoked unconsciously, out of habit. But this process needs to be made conscious. At the first stage (about 1 week) you do not need to limit yourself. But start smoking in an unusual way. For example, if you did it in a company, now smoke exclusively alone. Most often she held a cigarette in right hand? From now on - only on the left. Have you ever drank coffee at the same time? This means coffee separately, cigarettes separately. This technique will allow you to think while inhaling about smoking itself, and not about family-work-vacation, that is, turn the habit (automatism) into a controlled process. And, as you know, you can only manage what you control. This will make it much easier to first reduce the number of cigarettes and then give them up altogether.”

About friends:“Every quitter must understand that they will definitely offer him cigarettes. You will be provoked. And often - close people, that is, those who will especially clearly feel the change in your life position. Imagine that you and your friends are sitting on chairs and chatting, and then one of you gets up and continues the conversation while standing. How will others feel? Mild discomfort and a desire to seat the person back in his usual place. Smokers feel the same way when one of them quits.

The latter begins to involuntarily put pressure on the others, because he shows his strong-willed qualities and fortitude. Most smokers want to quit, even if they stubbornly say otherwise. This is evidenced by statistics according to which 90% make an attempt to give up the habit at least once in their life, and 50% more than three times. And offering a cigarette to someone who has left the “company” is a way to protect yourself from yet another reminder that it’s time to quit. Maybe he’ll break loose and become his own again. Therefore, it is advisable not to advertise the victory over tobacco in the first 2-3 months.”

About wishes:“As long as a person tells himself that he “wants” to smoke, it is very difficult to give up tobacco. There is a constant struggle with myself. It turns out that the citizen simultaneously wants to smoke and quit, that is, he has 2 mutually exclusive desires. But everything falls into place if you call a spade a spade. Indeed, when we start a habit, we have a desire to quit. But that feeling that is commonly called “I want to smoke” is no longer a desire, but a craving (scientifically called abstinence), a manifestation of dependence on any drug, that is, in this case, the body’s need for nicotine, which will weaken within 1–2 weeks. Tell yourself (or better yet, write it down on paper): “I don’t want to smoke, but addiction is trying to force me to do it.” When the phrase becomes familiar, it will be much easier to cope with attacks of cravings, because you will have to fight not with your desires, but with what interferes with their fulfillment.”

Stress
Masha:“If parties could be excluded from life for a while, then with everyday minor troubles the situation was more difficult. The boss yelled and she went and smoked. Complex work that requires a non-standard approach - only after a smoke break. If you get stuck in a traffic jam, your child is sick, your tights are torn—all of us have plenty of reasons to be nervous. And after every little shake, the hand reaches for a cigarette. However, it is completely unclear how the latter helps resolve the situation. The tights won't be sewn up, the child won't recover... Then maybe we should admit that smoking at such moments only gives false feeling peace of mind? I kept this thought.

I must say that the need to procrastinate after stress was a problem for me, because I get nervous several times a day. But I knew for sure: it is better to suffer from not smoking than from smoking. And that a cigarette has no effect on conflict situations. And that the craving for it will definitely pass. There are millions of non-smoking people in the world living in harsh conditions, – and nothing, they cope. After all, stress can and should be overcome in other ways. Sport in reasonable doses helps a lot. Every day I ran to the fitness club, danced, lifted dumbbells, and hit a punching bag. In general, I changed a bad habit into a useful one.”

MICHAEL HORSE:“Many people believe that a cigarette helps relieve stress and relaxes. This is self-deception. Quite often, a smoker’s craving is superimposed on an exciting situation. And if he takes a smoke break at this moment, he will feel relief - because the annoying discomfort from not having smoked for a long time has gone away. That is, the citizen removes one of the stress factors, forgetting that non-smokers never encounter this at all. And for smokers, the manic need for a cigarette arises from the use of the cigarettes themselves.”

Smoke break at work
Masha:“Colleagues pour out in a crowd into the smoking room to discuss painful issues - how not to go with them? This is sacred, almost a ritual - 5 minutes of rest at the end of every hour, you have the right! Well, of course, you need to be distracted. But why does this have to be so? Breathe some air outside, drink tea, do some exercises, sit on the ears of a non-smoking employee (I believe there are such people in any team).

Personally, I joyfully announced: “Smoke break!”, but instead of a cigarette, I did small things, rebooting my brain. In short, come up with your own ritual. And believe me, nothing extraordinarily important will happen to them there without you, and if it does, you will find out about it when they return. Is a five-minute delay with information really worth your ruined lungs?”

MICHAEL HORSE: “ Smokers believe that cigarettes are a way to relax. In reality, people take a break to pray. Because if they don’t stick to their usual schedule, they will feel irritated and stressed. This is easy to check: if you offer to a smoking person to be distracted by rest as many times as he likes, but not to pick up cigarettes, it turns out that without the latter he doesn’t need breaks. And don’t think that once you start, you’ll lose your friendships. It is not true. And if people stop communicating simply because one of them quits smoking, then they don’t really need these contacts.”

Boredom
Masha:“During the withdrawal period, most often I tried to smoke out of boredom. It seemed that by twirling a cigarette in my fingers, taking a drag with a thoughtful look, I would get rid of the state of toil and pass the time doing a pleasant activity. Sounds stupid, doesn't it? Is this simple three-minute process - lighting and a few puffs - really capable of somehow entertaining a sane person? Of course not. And yet, having forgotten about all other temptations, I still sometimes want a cigarette when I'm bored.

At first, I almost forcibly distracted myself from such thoughts. Every week the desire to smoke for this reason became weaker and weaker. Now, when it arises, I simply don’t pay attention to it. I can only endure a couple of seconds after everything I’ve endured.”

MICHAEL HORSE:“Boredom is a mental reaction to the lack of change. Based on this definition, in order to cope with it, you need to organize changes for yourself. And Masha is doing absolutely the right thing, forcibly drawing the vector of her attention into some things that can distract and occupy her. Conversely, everything routine causes boredom. And what monotonous action is present every day in the life of every smoker? That’s right - bringing a paper tube filled with dried grass to your mouth, inhaling and exhaling poisonous smoke.”

This is a transcript of a broadcast (I do 3 times a week) conducted in our group V social network In contact with. In it I analyze the answers to the questions: How to fight the desire to smoke, what can you do when you feel the urge to smoke and really want to smoke? What to do during surges? We will consider all these questions in this broadcast. And I answer questions from past broadcasts. You can ask your question for the next broadcast in the comments to this article or video.

You can either watch the recording of the broadcast or read its text.

It will not be possible to cover the entire topic in half an hour, so we will outline the top points and touch on the main issues. Which will be continued in future broadcasts. Well, it is important to divide desire into four components. The first two, craving for a cigarette and a strong desire to smoke - pure water physiology from body restructuring and nicotine withdrawal. The third and fourth are mental cravings and pressures.

Physiological cravings and surges are caused not only by physiology, but also by the work of our psyche. That is. You quit smoking. The first three days. Here you have physical ailments, headache, insomnia, irritability, whatever. And on top of all this is a general discomfort from the situation. You have lost a friend and helper in this life. In fact, you are experiencing loss. And the complex of feelings is similar to the physical loss of something real. It's really painful and unpleasant. Moreover, our whole life revolved around smoking. It accompanied us almost everywhere, except for sleep. Life changes, lifestyle changes, it's hard. In general, sheer stress and trouble. Why are you asking to quit smoking?

Let's go through it in order.

Physiological craving for a cigarette. How to deal with it.

Well, the reason is clear. Restructuring of the body's functioning and nicotine withdrawal. That is, withdrawal. It lasts 2-3 weeks. There are several options for passing it.

1. Quit stupidly using willpower.

It's called Tupone-smoking. Squeeze the buns and move on. We go through all the troubles, all the breakdowns on our own, and move on with our lives. On the plus side, more confidence in yourself and your abilities. And all the pain from quitting smoking will be remembered. In the end, there will be less chance of breaking down. 2% of those who quit by force of will reach a year without cigarettes. Such a small percentage is due to the fact that most fail in the first days.

2. We use medications.

Working with your self-concept

I-concept - I-smoker. That is, you perceive yourself as a smoker. You behave like a smoker. Reactions like a smoker. Thoughts like a smoker. Accordingly, all reactions come as from a smoker. It doesn’t matter where the craving comes from, what’s more important is how to work with it. Now it hits you. You want to smoke. When you remember moments of smoking, they are all in the first person. Moreover, when you remember and think about a cigarette, you begin to have physiological reactions. Since the psyche practically does not see the difference between fantasy and reality. Accordingly, the body also remembers the buzz from a cigarette. It remembers him, and the anticipation of a cigarette arises. Waiting for a buzz. And who wants to break themselves off? This is a gift. And you start to feel uneasy. The body wants, the psyche wants. You feel bad. The best way- Dissociation. Remember from the outside. Not from the first, but from the third person. How you walk, what you do, how you bring a cigarette to your mouth, light it. Then there is no personal connection. That is, you see another person. And then you will see the ugliness of this situation. You may smell a stench, cough, or have a sore throat. And the desire will go away. Then you are no longer a smoker, but HE is a smoker. You will literally have to rewrite your memories. But it really helps.

Mental craving for cigarette

Here everything is much more complicated, and probably simpler. There are hundreds of reasons. Let's give an example, the simplest one so as not to raise personal stories. A person does not smoke for a month or two. It constantly breaks, I want to smoke. What's going on with him? This is clearly not nicotine withdrawal. It's long gone. At the same time, the smoker leads an unregulated lifestyle. Lack of sleep. Poor nutrition. Stress. Smoker friends. They smoke at work. People smoke everywhere. In general, this behavior can be called a “dry smoker.” When a person quits, but at the same time leads the same lifestyle as before. This is especially noticeable for alcoholics and drug addicts. The person is in remission, he is in a fix, but at the same time he hangs out with old friends who are drug addicts/alcoholics. Most likely, such a person will lose his temper sooner or later.

IN in this example You can highlight your lifestyle and environment. Lack of sleep and poor nutrition- This is a very serious catalyst for stress. And stress leads to breakdowns. The psyche with such a lifestyle is shaken, and quite small problem how a person can be carried. The fact that a person does not break down is literally a miracle. A well-crafted will. I can only envy you.

So what should we do here? Give me a book to read? Find some mega way that will help change everything? Well, hoping for this is like hoping for a miracle. You need to work on yourself, you need to do something. Something needs to change. In this case, I would take care of sleep and nutrition, thanks to which I would begin to feel much better. As a result, the number of rolls would begin to decrease sharply. The craving would also go away. That is, here, well, as in any situation, it is important to find some key moment, starting to change which we will change everything. Well, like a tangerine at the bottom of the pyramid, you pull it out and everything changes.

Well, one more thing, you must always remember why you quit. What you got and will get by quitting smoking. What will change in your life that you are giving up by smoking again?

That's probably all there is to it.

In general, the problem is that most people hit a wall - this needs to be done, that needs to be done, change here, edit there. What if it doesn’t work out, but there’s something simpler, but I don’t like it? Everybody wants magic pill, undoubtedly. I lit a pill that worked like a cigarette, and everything went away. There is no stress, my beloved friends are around, everything is wonderful. This only happens in fairy tales. And here we can only say one thing - you need to try and do it. The only way. Well, or wait for a roast rooster, when it arrives you will change something in your life.

So, that's it with the theme. Let's move on to questions from past broadcasts.

Questions and answers from past broadcasts

Julia

Hello

I chose this question because it is a classic trap of dependent consciousness. Write a lot about addiction, but nothing specific. Julia, first of all. Smoking is not a habit, it is an addiction. Nicotine addiction. In psychology, this is a manifestation of addictive behavior realized through smoking. That is, with the help of smoking you satisfy some of your needs, compensate for something, run away from something. And herself nicotine addiction- This is one of the manifestations of addictive behavior. And this is clearly visible in the question. If they don't help you medicines Most likely, you have a number of reasons why you don't want to quit. You don't want to. This is called ambivalence, I want and I don’t want. Well, or I want to want to quit smoking.

The fact is that medications really help with nicotine withdrawal. Just a fact, statistics. And if you continue to smoke while taking them, and they practically do not help, then you need to look at what is happening in your life. Why do you need smoking? When do you smoke most often? In front of whom do you smoke most often? What do you think this is connected with? Or you haven’t made the decision to quit, and are waiting for a miracle from different ways. Respectively. Answer yourself the questions listed above. See how you can eliminate stress from your life as much as possible. Still, try to decide to quit smoking. I have a feeling that there is a problem with this too.

Ivan

Sergey, is smoking really a slow suicide?

Ivan, obviously yes. This is called self-aggressive behavior. Auto-aggression is aggression directed at oneself. If you paint it on your fingers and start from the beginning, you get the following picture. Very simplified, but still. The psyche always chooses the simplest ways to solve the requests of its owner. Here we have a classic smoker. Childhood, self-doubt, the opinion of the majority decides, everything is as always. I want to look more mature and cooler. And suddenly he has Magic wand, by lighting which he can change his mental condition. Just like that, with a snap of your fingers. And every year the habit of looking for such solutions becomes stronger. The skill to find “magic” solutions appears. Instead of going in for sports and getting pleasure and health, the smoker gets it almost instantly by lighting a cigarette. Well, except for health, of course. Although for the first decades the effects of smoking on health are rarely felt. Instead of solving problems at work, he puts them off by lighting a cigarette, and very often they are solved or fall off on their own. In principle, they are also resolved; That is, a smoker literally shifts responsibility for his entire life onto a cigarette. Do you think that if we start digging around this smoker, we will find a confident person? The addict is looking for his own universal and too one-sided way of survival - avoiding problems, avoiding reality, suicide. Roughly speaking, one can actually put an equal sign between an addict and a suicide. There is even a saying in narcology that addiction is not the fear of death, but the fear of life. A person is afraid to live and looks towards death.

It is clear that it is painted roughly. And in the context of smoking, suicidal moments are usually not particularly pronounced, unlike drug addiction or alcoholism. But still.