We all know that smoking is bad and many of you do want to quit. People sometimes make serious attempts to quit smoking every year, which is a long process. Unfortunately, most of those who try to quit on their own often relapse within a week. The reason is, the cravings tend to wear you.
The craving can result in anxiety, depression, difficulty in concentrating, boredom, increased appetite and weight gain, insomnia, irritability, anger and frustration as well as restlessness.
To tackle those uncontrollable cravings, listed below are a few methods.
Medicines to stop smoking — These medicines are an alternative to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) as they do not contain nicotine but work on the brain to dampen the craving.
NRT — With the help of this therapy, the body gets the nicotine it craves, minus the toxic chemicals present in cigarettes, so that it doesn’t cause cancer. It helps in quitting smoking without having unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. NRT is available in the form of gums, lozenges, inhalator, nasal spray and mouth spray.
Behavioural changes — NRT and medicines can help to an extent but cannot eradicate the craving. Therefore, it is best to follow some self-help techniques.
Avoid the triggers by staying busy with activities that use your hands, besides eating food.
Drink lots of water as this would flush out the nicotine and other chemicals from your system, besides keeping your mouth busy.
Take deep breath sessions at regular intervals instead of a smoke break. Take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly.
Keep a tab on how much money is getting saved after quitting smoking.
Exercising helps reduce the nicotine cravings and provides relief from some withdrawal symptoms.
(The writer is a senior consultant, Respiratory Medicine, at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in the Capital.)
