What do you think is the most used addictive drug in the United States? If you answered nicotine you would be correct. It is both physically and psychologically addictive. After a person lights up and inhales it takes nicotine seven seconds to reach the brain. The nicotine level peaks within 30 minutes and then when the nicotine level begins to drop a craving occurs. If a person smokes a pack a day they will get 200 doses of nicotine each day and 73,000 doses of the substance per year. Nicotine accumulates and remains in the bloodstream unless a person quits, when the levels will begin to drop. Nicotine both stimulates and then depresses bodily functions, which is why people that smoke report that smoking keeps them alert and relaxes them. In 1988 C. Everett Koop, the then US surgeon general, announced that nicotine, the drug in tobacco products, was addictive and a major cause of strokes and was the largest cause of preventable death in the county. Since then we have learned more and more about the addiction caused by nicotine and the many ways that smoking harms us and those that are exposed to second hand smoke.
The physical dangers of smoking include:
*A shorter life span. On average, smokers take seven years off their lives
*The quality of life is decreased
*Exposure to 4,000 chemicals with 60 known carcinogens found in cigarette smoke
*Short-term effects of nicotine include sweating, throat irritation, and increased heart rate and
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
You Can Do It!
Did you have a nice Mothers Day? What feelings did the day evoke? Perhaps celebrating Mothers Day affirmed your desire to quit, because you want to give your child the best possible start. This is a thoughtful response to the love you have for your child, but it is very difficult to quit using tobacco. You know it is important to your child that you quit but it is really a difficult thing to do. So what then, how do you tackle this important effort?
The first step is to have a strong enough desire to quit that you make the decision, I AM GOING TO QUIT!
The next step is to pick a day to quit. _____________ is my Quit Day! If you have some vacation time coming up, or a time in your schedule that is higher in calm and lower in crazy which would make a good Quit Day.
Tell your Dr about your Quit Day. Your health care provider will be supportive and if you aren't pregnant will work with you to determine what medication would be most affective.
Make plans that will help you avoid going where you usually smoke, and find alternatives on routines that include smoking. It is especially helpful to look at your morning routine, change it up by changing your hot beverage or even where you sit. Change where you take your break at work and if possible do something active then. Your Quit Day might be a good day to plan on going to the movies with a friend.
The day before you quit is a good time to clean all of your smoking places so it smells clean. Ashtrays need to be thrown away and your stash of cigarettes too. If you smoke in your car give the interior a good cleaning, some people even have their car detailed. All of this cleaning provides a fresh start for a new beginning.
It is also important to make a plan for when cravings hit. Remember that cravings don't last longer than 15 minutes and that cravings aren't as intense after the first few weeks. Going for a walk is a great coping activity. Eating carrots, or playing with a cinnamon toothpick are other possibilities. Call the QUIT LINE. What worked for you when you tried to quit in the past? You have a better idea of what will help you cope than anyone else.
Line up your support. Calling the QUIT LINE for some pre-quit day counseling is an excellent beginning. That call is a good time to set up a regular time for the QUIT LINE counselor to call you with encouragement and helpful tips. People are much more likely to be successful when they have support and informal support from friends is great. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you and help you keep the mood positive. Tell them what is helpful for you and what doesn't work so they know what is encouraging and what is pressure that is a negative force not a positive one. Sometimes people want to help but aren't. With a little coaching from you on what will work best in your situation their encouragement will be maximized .
Make a list of the reasons you want to quit and when the cravings come take out your list and remind yourself why quitting is important to you. This list might include a picture of your family.
You have excellent reasons to quit, you have been successful at other efforts that you have tackled with determination and you can do it. If you need to be reminded, make a list of things you have accomplished so you can see in yourself your potential for this positive change. I believe in you, believe in yourself.
The first step is to have a strong enough desire to quit that you make the decision, I AM GOING TO QUIT!
The next step is to pick a day to quit. _____________ is my Quit Day! If you have some vacation time coming up, or a time in your schedule that is higher in calm and lower in crazy which would make a good Quit Day.
Tell your Dr about your Quit Day. Your health care provider will be supportive and if you aren't pregnant will work with you to determine what medication would be most affective.
Make plans that will help you avoid going where you usually smoke, and find alternatives on routines that include smoking. It is especially helpful to look at your morning routine, change it up by changing your hot beverage or even where you sit. Change where you take your break at work and if possible do something active then. Your Quit Day might be a good day to plan on going to the movies with a friend.
The day before you quit is a good time to clean all of your smoking places so it smells clean. Ashtrays need to be thrown away and your stash of cigarettes too. If you smoke in your car give the interior a good cleaning, some people even have their car detailed. All of this cleaning provides a fresh start for a new beginning.
It is also important to make a plan for when cravings hit. Remember that cravings don't last longer than 15 minutes and that cravings aren't as intense after the first few weeks. Going for a walk is a great coping activity. Eating carrots, or playing with a cinnamon toothpick are other possibilities. Call the QUIT LINE. What worked for you when you tried to quit in the past? You have a better idea of what will help you cope than anyone else.
Line up your support. Calling the QUIT LINE for some pre-quit day counseling is an excellent beginning. That call is a good time to set up a regular time for the QUIT LINE counselor to call you with encouragement and helpful tips. People are much more likely to be successful when they have support and informal support from friends is great. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you and help you keep the mood positive. Tell them what is helpful for you and what doesn't work so they know what is encouraging and what is pressure that is a negative force not a positive one. Sometimes people want to help but aren't. With a little coaching from you on what will work best in your situation their encouragement will be maximized .
Make a list of the reasons you want to quit and when the cravings come take out your list and remind yourself why quitting is important to you. This list might include a picture of your family.
You have excellent reasons to quit, you have been successful at other efforts that you have tackled with determination and you can do it. If you need to be reminded, make a list of things you have accomplished so you can see in yourself your potential for this positive change. I believe in you, believe in yourself.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Spring has Sprung
Spring is here and I am really enjoying it. I believe it can be the perfect time of year to quit using tobacco. While taking a walk I was reminded of a song from the movie "Sound of Music", which is called "My Favorite Things". This is a song says that when we are doing something really difficult, experiencing something which is hard to get through if we think of one of our favorite things it will become easier. I really believe this and think spring is the perfect time to use this idea when you quit smoking. The first thing to do is decide on a quit date. Then make a plan which will help you succeed. Part of this plan is deciding ways that will help you get through the difficult cravings that are so often the hard part of the first few weeks. This post is a prescription of one way to cope with the cravings using the message from the song "My Favorite Things". We are living through a glorious spring time. Here in Wausau, daffodils and tulips are out, leaves are budding out on the trees, bird song is everywhere and it if finally getting warm. It is a perfect time to go for a walk and enjoy the wonder experienced by all of your senses, smell, sight,hearing and touch. So, my prescription is when those cravings come go outside for a short walk. While you are walking, really look, ponder and focus on the beauty of the sights and smells around you. Think about what you are experiencing that really brings you joy and think about why it is so wonderful. I know that getting outside and experiencing the beauty around us and how it is changing every day will make this the perfect time for you to Quit. My good thoughts are sent out to you in this effort. Alice
An invitation to go on a walk
I hope you are all enjoying spring here in Wausau, or wherever you are! This is a perfect time of year to quit so I encourage you to set a quit date and think about how to make it easier for you to quit. I am reminded of the song "These are a Few of My Favorite Things", from the movie "Sound of Music", which talks about remembering some of your favorite things when faced with a hard thing to do. I believe it works and I think spring is the perfect time to make it work.
We are surrounded by renewal, a promise of new beginnings and beauty which when pondered and enjoyed makes whatever is difficult less so. So as I look at spring, it can make the tough times that come with quitting smoking a little easier and coping with the cravings experienced those first few weeks of quitting easier to get through.
Here is a prescription which will help you with the cravings of quitting smoking; Go for a walk! On your walk turn your mind to all of the things you are enjoying about the walk. The green buds on the trees, the song of the birds, the smiles of other walkers, the tulips and daffadowndillys. Sometimes sharing a walk can be even more fun, you can share your enjoyment of the fresh colors and smells of spring together which will make all you're experiencing even more vibrant. Your family will enjoy going with you too. Nothing like a walk together to bring you closer together, and to help us forget the aggravations of life. If you are looking forward to the birth of your baby you are reminded on every side of new beginnings, which is a fun thing to do when pregnant. As you are quitting it is a great way to remind yourself how much better food tastes and smells smell now that you have quit.
I really hope you will take my prescription, so quit smoking and make it a time of enjoying spring.
We are surrounded by renewal, a promise of new beginnings and beauty which when pondered and enjoyed makes whatever is difficult less so. So as I look at spring, it can make the tough times that come with quitting smoking a little easier and coping with the cravings experienced those first few weeks of quitting easier to get through.
Here is a prescription which will help you with the cravings of quitting smoking; Go for a walk! On your walk turn your mind to all of the things you are enjoying about the walk. The green buds on the trees, the song of the birds, the smiles of other walkers, the tulips and daffadowndillys. Sometimes sharing a walk can be even more fun, you can share your enjoyment of the fresh colors and smells of spring together which will make all you're experiencing even more vibrant. Your family will enjoy going with you too. Nothing like a walk together to bring you closer together, and to help us forget the aggravations of life. If you are looking forward to the birth of your baby you are reminded on every side of new beginnings, which is a fun thing to do when pregnant. As you are quitting it is a great way to remind yourself how much better food tastes and smells smell now that you have quit.
I really hope you will take my prescription, so quit smoking and make it a time of enjoying spring.
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