Why it is Difficult to Quit Smoking? There is a strong physical addiction to the nicotine and also a significant psychological addiction to the activities associated with smoking.
Tobacco Needs to Be Taken Seriously
One of the most popular resolutions is the promise to stop smoking. However, it is also the resolution that usually doesn’t last past January.
Tobacco, with its drug nicotine, is probably the most widely abused chemical substance in the world. It is one of the most difficult addictions to conquer. It is difficult to conquer because there is not only a strong physical addiction to the nicotine which basically touches every part of the body but there is a significant psychological addiction to the activities associated with smoking. I have had some patients who struggled more with the psychological addiction than the physical, but both can be a formable foe. Tobacco is dangerous and deadly and needs to be taken seriously.
While tobacco addiction can be a serious and difficult issue to overcome, some individuals may turn to alternative smoking methods that they believe to be safer or less harmful. One such method is the use of bongs, which can filter and cool smoke before it’s inhaled, potentially reducing the number of harmful chemicals that reach the lungs. However, it’s important to note that smoking of any kind can still have negative effects on one’s health, and individuals should always prioritize their well-being when making decisions about tobacco use. For those who are interested in exploring alternative smoking methods, Golden Leaf Shop, an e-commerce brand and smoke shop in Mission, Texas, may offer a variety of products and resources for individuals to make informed decisions about their smoking habits.
Nicotine Addiction is Why it is Difficult to Quit Smoking.
Cigarettes are designed to addict. But why it is difficult to quit smoking? They are chemically engineered to deliver nicotine to your brain. Along with the nicotine, there are numerous other dangerous substances in cigarette smoke that cause devastating health issues. Some of these substances are acetone, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and formaldehyde. These chemicals are added to the tobacco which makes the cigarette even more deadly. These added chemicals are given the general name “tar” and include everything in a cigarette but nicotine and water. The cigarette is manufactured with a deadly delivery system, designed to efficiently send high doses of nicotine to the brain. As you inhale the cigarette smoke, the tar infiltrates your lungs, and the nicotine “rides the tar” into the bloodstream. As the cigarette smoke is inhaled there are over four thousand compounds present in that smoke to make that “rush” of nicotine faster and more enjoyable. Out of the over four thousand compounds present in cigarette smoke, at least sixty of them are known to be carcinogens (cancer-forming chemicals). Nicotine along with these added chemicals is one reason why it is hard to quit smoking
Tobacco is quite insidious with its consequences. Unlike cocaine, heroin, or other dangerous drugs, tobacco’s nicotine and poison can go undetected for many years. Tobacco can gradually create an addiction to nicotine and gradually kill. Tobacco is legal and accessible, but it is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world, causing almost half a million deaths in the United States annually.
As people smoke cigarettes they are not only exposing themselves to the dangers of tobacco but also their loved ones and friends they smoke around. Second-hand smoke was once considered harmless but we now know better. Second-hand smoke is poisonous and it kills. It is estimated that exposure to second-hand smoke causes an estimated three thousand lung cancer deaths each year among non-smoking American adults.
What to Expect When you Quit Nicotine
Nicotine withdrawal is a very unpleasant process to go through. For you see, when you take nicotine away, your body craves it and makes you feel like you need more nicotine or you will die or get sick. Your body will rebel with all kinds of symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, depression, fatigue, hunger, trouble sleeping, thirst, decreased attention span, agitation, irritability, anger, and frustration amongst many others. The above symptoms can occur in just a few short hours after your last cigarette. They will be at their worst two to three days later and can last for weeks. Another reason why it is difficult to quit smoking is not only the physical withdrawal from nicotine that a smoker goes through but also the emotional and mental withdrawal. In quitting tobacco, there are physiological and emotional changes that occur. For you see, smokers just don’t depend on nicotine physically. They depend on it behaviorally and psychologically. Smoking is what they do when they get together with friends. And, in fact, it is a major means by which they blow off steam when they are feeling tense. It is what they do while drinking their morning coffee or relaxing after dinner. That is why breaking the bondage of nicotine addiction can be difficult and, in fact, be harder to quit in some instances than heroin or cocaine. A patient of mine that was involved in polysubstance abuse (including tobacco) stated to me, “It (tobacco) was the hardest to quit, and it was the last to leave.” He went on to say, “The thoughts of tobacco use still haunt me.” But, breaking the bondage to your nicotine addiction is of vital importance for you and those around you. Breaking this bondage is well worth the effort.
Tips to Help You Quit Cold Turkey
So, we see the significance of breaking the bondage to nicotine/tobacco addiction. It is so important from the physical side as well as the mental side, but also, and even more importantly, from the spiritual side. We know why it is difficult to quit smoking so here are some tips to get you through.
- Prepare yourself with a good reason and motivation to quit. The best reason for a Christian is not wanting to have anything in your life that comes before your relationship with Jesus. Don’t face the difficulty of quitting smoking without Jesus.
- More then tossing your cigarettes in the garbage you need to prepare to go cold turkey by lining up support in advance such as your pastor, your spouse, or ask your group leader at RU to hold you accountable.
- Avoid triggers. Certain habits that you do every day that lead you to your next smoke need to change. What you need to do instead of picking up your cigarette with your morning coffee, pick up your Bible and read it. Instead of lighting up a cigarette on your drive home, put in a preaching CD or a Joy Belle music CD. Instead of a cigarette after dinner, take a walk and meditate on the things of God.
- Clean House. When you are ready to quit consider cleaning out your home of anything that retains the smell of cigarettes.
- Don’t give up. Get Moving. Activity is a great way to curb cravings. Some mild exercise could do us all some good. An activity can also be getting involved in your local church or chapter. Getting out of the house and being around people will take your mind off smoking and instead put your mind on Jesus and others.
- It is difficult to quit smoking (which can be done easily by taking treatment at intenstive outpatient rehab near you) but the rewards of quitting are both physical. mental, and spiritual. Your health improves when you quit as your chances of a heart attack and cancer goes down. Your mental health improves, but also your relationships with Jesus and those around you will improve when you quit.
Why Should You Quit?
Friend, regardless of where you may be in your struggle with nicotine addiction, the good news is that there is life after cigarettes. Please trade in your cigarettes for Christ Jesus and your nicotine for the name above all names – Jesus. Let Him, the Truth, make you free…finally! Let your resolutions for 2020 bring glory to God! I Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which is God’s.”
Other resources to help you quit smoking:
10 Principles for Overcoming Stubborn Habits
13 Tips For Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits
The Dangers of Vaping and Electronic Cigarettes
Don’t be afraid to fail, success is in never giving up
Complete Set of Topical Addiction Recovery Books
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More About Dr. George Crabb
One Response
Thank you so much for this blog. I have been trying to quit smoking for the last 6 years, and I am doing my best. This blog is certainly very helpful in pointing out the reasons as to why you must quit smoking. I am using some quit smoking tablets, lets see how that goes.