QUITTING THOSE CIGARETTES FOR A HEALTHY HEART: GOING COLD TURKEY—THIS TIME FOR SURE!!!
Yes, there are all sorts of testimonials for this and that method of quitting. And one of those approaches might just work for you. But when it comes right down to it, the majority of men and women who successfully kick the habit do so on their own. There’s even proof.
Dr Michael Fiore headed up a University of Wisconsin study that questioned about 13,000 men and women about their smoking. Of those who hadn’t smoked for over a year, almost 85 per cent went cold turkey. Only 13 per cent succeeded by gradually cutting back on the number of cigarettes smoked daily.
About 48 per cent of those who tried to quit on their own did so, while only 24 per cent of those who used various other approaches succeeded. Of those who did succeed, certain characteristics jumped out. Successful quitters were more likely to have had strong encouragement from their doctors. Those who manage on their own tend to smoke fewer cigarettes than those who succeeded best in groups or clinics.
So now you’ve made up your mind. You want to quit, you know you have to quit, and you know you’re going to succeed this time for sure. It’s not going to be easy, but you’ll get the job done. Very soon you’ll look back, as so many of us ex-smokers have done, and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
The first thing to do is to set a quit date. Mark your calendar for a few days from now. Tell your spouse, your family, your friends and your co-workers that this is it. Ask for their help and understanding, since you just might get a bit irritable. Then start making plans.
For openers, you might want to talk with your doctor about the use of nicotine gum or the clonidine or nicotine patches. They might get you through the withdrawal stage a bit more easily. Your doctor might also suggest the use of a mild tranquilliser during the first days, or a sedative to help you get a good night’s sleep.
Make a list of the times you smoke. Work on that list for a while. Put it down and review it later, adding some cigarettes you forgot earlier. Don’t omit those once-in-a-while situations as well as the day-to-day cues for smoking.
Next think about how you’ll deal with each of those times you’d normally smoke. After meals, for example, you will want to get up from the table immediately after the last bite rather than lingering over a cup of coffee. In fact, during the first few weeks it would be best to forgo drinking coffee, tea and alcohol, since one normally smokes along with those beverages. What will you do when the telephone rings? A supply of toothpicks near the phone might help. Or a pencil and pad to fiddle with to keep your hands busy. While watching TV you might plan to have carrot sticks to nibble on. Match your list of smoking encounters with alternative strategies.
Arrange your calendar so that you’ll avoid smokers and smoking situations during the first few weeks after quitting. As time goes on, you’ll get back to them little by little as you’re able to cope more effectively and the initial nicotine withdrawal cravings have passed.
In place of those smoking situations, plan on doing a number of activities in places where smoking is impossible. Go to movies, museums, church and other locations with smoking prohibitions.
Start working now on the very positive attitude that will make you a success. Don’t focus on the negative, on how you miss that cigarette. Instead concentrate on how good you’re going to feel, how wonderful flowers will smell and food will taste, and how nice it will be not to have to carry the pack around with you, always looking for an ashtray.
By now you should be doing regular deep breathing as part of your routine stress reduction and relaxation program. This activity will make quitting a lot easier. When those cravings hit, deep breaths will help them pass.
Plan to start your first smokeless day in the morning, not later when you’ve smoked even one cigarette. It’s a bit easier to get started when you’ve had a good night’s sleep.
If your spouse smokes, ask him or her not to do so near you, at least during the first few weeks of going smoke free. Good friends will also be willing to accommodate you in this way.
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