Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Suppressing Nicotine Addiction
• Method 2 of 3: Limiting or Quitting Your Existing Smoking Habit
• Method 3 of 3: Principle of Addiction Formation
• Tips
• Warnings

Attention:this article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.

Many social smokers believe they are not addicted to nicotine, but a lot of research confirms that they simply suppress the same cravings as heavy smokers. Experts warn that prolonged social smoking subsequently leads to strong dependence, and many become addicted after the first cigarette. Smoking in any form is harmful to the body, but the ability to resist nicotine addiction will help to maintain the social smoking habit and not turn into a heavy smoker.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Suppressing Nicotine Addiction

1. 1 Avoid nicotine triggers. Many smokers have noticed that their strongest cravings occur in situations or places where they smoke most often. If you are drawn to smoke at parties, in bars or with a certain circle of friends, and you want to learn how to hold back, then it is better to avoid such triggers until the moment you are about to smoke.
   • The first step in a trigger avoidance plan is to identify personal triggers. Think about the most frequent smoking location / scenarios and compare them with the frequency of wanting to smoke the next cigarette.
   • If you can't avoid the biggest triggers, then you need to develop a plan to stop smoking for a few days. If necessary, try to leave early, armed with distraction measures that will keep you from smoking.
2. 2 Get distracted. One of the best ways to resist the urge, especially in places and situations that are triggers, is to learn how to properly switch attention. For some people, distractions should replace oral fixations. For others, it is important to have something to do with their hands.
   • Identify the activities that are most successful in suppressing the urge to smoke. Do you need to occupy your mouth with something, hold something in your hands or combine these actions?
   • If you have a smoking craving for oral fixation, try chewing gum or hard candy instead. Some smokers like to chew on something crunchy like seeds so they don't think about cigarettes.
   • If you need to keep your hands busy, try carrying a pen and notebook with you. You can rotate the pen between your fingers or draw squiggles to shift attention.
   • You can carry a pack of toothpicks, tea sticks, straws or lollipops with you to change oral retention and keep your hand busy at the same time. Many ex-smokers (and current smokers who cannot smoke at work, for example) use toothpicks, straws and lollipops as a substitute for cigarettes.
3. 3 Restrain and control your cravings. If you find it very difficult to contain yourself on a day when you were not going to smoke, then promise yourself not to take out the pack for another 10 minutes. Then try to distract yourself when that time has passed. Take a walk or read something that absorbs attention, and use a physical substitute (toothpick or candy) to replace your usual activities. You can also squeeze a stress ball to suppress anxiety.
   • If you cannot cope with the desire in any way, then you can subtract the smoked cigarette from the amount allowed for yourself on the planned day of smoking. For example, if on Wednesday you are very tired at work and succumbed to temptation, then on Friday or Saturday avoid situations or companies that are your triggers. This will help you stay within your weekly cigarette limit.
4. 4 Use relaxation techniques. If your social smoking habit turns into a heavy addiction, then use relaxation in stressful situations. There are many methods that will help the smoker, including deep breathing, meditation, muscle relaxation, and yoga.
   • The purpose of deep breathing is to breathe through the diaphragm (under the ribcage) and take slow, even, deep breaths in and out.
   • Meditation can help calm the mind and distract attention from tense thoughts and feelings. Many beginners start by concentrating on their breathing, taking slow breaths in and out. Some also use a repetitive word or phrase (mantra) or visualize images to represent a time or place in a peaceful environment.
   • Progressive muscle relaxation involves the gradual tension and subsequent relaxation of each muscle group, moving from one part of the body to another. This method helps to relieve muscle tension and soothe heavy or anxious thoughts and feelings.
   • Yoga combines stretching and posture with controlled, meditative breathing that can help relax the mind and body.
5. 5 Make time for exercise. Research shows that 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise is excellent at suppressing nicotine addiction. If you have the opportunity to go outside during bouts of the urge to smoke, then go for a run, a long walk, or ride a bike. While at work, engage in low-intensity exercise like squats, lunges, push-ups, or going up / down stairs.

Method 2 of 3: Limiting or Quitting Your Existing Smoking Habit

1. 1 Try nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine replacement therapy, or NTH, is a well-known way to deal with increased cravings. There are many OTC products available on the market and many years of FDA research confirms that there are no significant health risks associated with these drugs.
   • Nicotine patches, chewing gum and hard candy are the most common options for ZTN products that have proven to be effective.
   • There are also stronger prescription drugs for CHN. These include medications such as bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix). Unlike over-the-counter products, these prescription drugs are best used in isolation rather than in combination with other products unless your doctor has recommended specific, comprehensive methods for you. Consult your GP for prescription ZTH medications.
2. 2 Support system. If you are going to quit smoking or cut back on cigarettes by making smoking a controlled social habit, then a support system can help. If you have friends or family members who also want to cope with smoking cravings, you can arrange to go for a walk or run with them. If there are no people with such an attitude among your acquaintances, then you can find like-minded people online.
   • To find a support group on the internet, all you have to do is submit a search query about quitting groups. Longtime members of such groups have already gone through what you are currently struggling with, so they will be able to offer support or give sound advice.
3. 3 E-Sigs. Electronic cigarettes are a smokeless alternative to smoking cigarettes. These products usually contain flavor and nicotine, and some cartridges for such cigarettes may not even contain nicotine.
   • They are not always harmless, but in fact they allow smokers to avoid inhaling real smoke when trying to control (ideally limit) the amount of daily nicotine intake.
4. 4 Visit non-smoking areas. If you find it difficult to get rid of nicotine addiction, then try visiting public places like restaurants and parks that are not smoke-free.Being around other nonsmokers can inspire you. In any case, you will know that there is no way for you to light a cigarette until you leave such a place.
5. 5 Know how to limit yourself. It's okay if you occasionally smoke on your “no cigarette day”. But it's important to understand what this is like cheating yourself while dieting. You shouldn't give yourself a break every day if you don't want to become a heavy smoker. The most important thing is to be able to stop after the first cigarette, if you cannot do without it.
   • To physically restrict yourself, try not carrying more than one or two cigarettes with you. You can store them in a solid, empty cigarette box or buy a special cigarette case.
   • It is even better - on days of abstinence, leave the house without cigarettes at all. This way you will know that if you have a strong desire to smoke, you will not be able to succumb to temptation if you do not try to ask others for a cigarette.

Method 3 of 3: Principle of Addiction Formation

1. 1 Study the consequences of smoking tobacco. There are many chemicals in tobacco, and nicotine is the most addictive. The strength of nicotine addiction is comparable to drugs such as heroin or cocaine. With a low level of nicotine consumption, a mild feeling of euphoria occurs, which is associated with the release of dopamine and a moderate rush of adrenaline during smoking. Nicotine causes an increase in resting heart rate, lowers skin temperature and impairs blood circulation in the extremities.
   • The consequences of smoking include the development of cancer, strokes, coronary heart disease, blood clots, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking damages literally every organ in our body.
   • Smoking quickly becomes a habit. Many are aware of the dangers of smoking but are unable to quit.
2. 2 What is social smoking? Many social smokers declare that they are not addicted and can quit at any time. But on a chemical level, even the social smoker's brain becomes more responsive to nicotine. Brain scans have shown an increase in the development and density of dendrites in those parts of the brain associated with addiction.
   • Research shows that even first-time smokers have a dramatic reduction in the number of days they do not develop cravings, which means that even casual / social smoking is often the start of a full-blown addiction.
3. 3 Install the dependency. If you still consider yourself a casual / social smoker without the risk of addiction, then this may be a mistake. Psychologists and healthcare professionals have put together a checklist to assess their smoking habits. According to health professionals, answering yes to any of the following questions means the onset of addiction:
   • Have you had any unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking?
   • Have you ever smoked because you find it difficult to quit?
   • Have you had or have a feeling of addiction to tobacco or nicotine?
   • Have you ever had a strong, irresistible urge to smoke?
   • You had a desperate need in a cigarette?
   • Do you find it difficult to stop smoking in places or situations where you understand that you should not smoke?
   • Finding it difficult to concentrate after a few days without cigarettes?
   • Do you get irritable after a few days without cigarettes?
   • Are you in dire need of a cigarette after a few days without cigarettes?
   • Do you feel anxious or anxious after a few days without cigarettes?
4. 4 See a doctor for a consultation. If you are worried about the number of cigarettes you smoke or the frequency of smoking, or you have tried to quit smoking several times without success, then you can go to the doctor for a consultation. The specialist will be able to help develop a treatment plan so you can control the physical and behavioral aspect of your habit / addiction.It should be noted that such treatment plans are very effective.

Tips

• If you can't stop smoking on a “no cigarette day,” try replacing your cravings with other things. For example, coffee can be a great alternative to smoking. Treat yourself to a delicious cup of coffee and enjoy every sip.
• Try not to smoke near children. If you are a young person, you should be aware that smoking in the presence of adults is considered offensive in some cultures. Show respect for your juniors and elders, smoke only in places where you will not interfere with anyone.
• Circle the days of smoking and abstaining from cigarettes on your calendar, and keep the calendar in view. This approach can help control cravings and increase determination.

Warnings

• Many casual smokers develop lifelong addiction over time.
• It is important to understand that nicotine is highly addictive, and by playing the test of willpower, you risk falling prey to such addiction.
• Lung cancer and other cancers are not limited to addicts.
• All of the above facts apply to those who already smoke. Don't start smoking. Smoking is highly addictive, so you need a lot of willpower to quit or just reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke.
• Smoking is the number one preventable death.
• Smoking is a known cause of cancer and general damage to the body.