Quitting smoking takes varying amounts of time and effort for different people.
Maybe you’re lucky. Maybe you’ll be able to quit cold turkey on the first try. That is fantastic!
That is lucky.
Because, unfortunately, it is not the norm.
Most people struggle to quit smoking. Some people have a hard time making it through the period of withdrawal. Others might find some success, only to be overcome with nicotine cravings during a time of high-stress in their lives.
Stress is a huge factor is the day-to-day lives of people around the world. In many places, smoking cigarettes has become a type of coping mechanism.
People seek out whatever sources of peace and calm they can find in this crazy world.
But there is a danger that comes along with unhealthy coping mechanisms. Some of them, ironically, can actually add to the stress of the person seeking a reprieve.
If you are a smoker wondering about your habit (and possible addiction), continue reading. You might be surprised by some of what you discover.
Smoking Tobacco versus Smoking Weed
The two most common drugs that people smoke in the United States are tobacco and marijuana.
Tobacco plants and marijuana plant actually contain a lot of the same elements.
Because of this, there is a fear, with increasing acceptance of marijuana smoking, that there will be another generation blinded by the social draws of smoking like there was during tobacco’s golden years.
Smoking tobacco used to be the cool thing to do. Even now, to an extent, that is true. Social pressure is often the reason that kids—some at an incredibly young age—begin smoking cigarettes.
Now the same issue is becoming more prominent with weed.
Kids are being peer pressured into trying it. School-age teens think smoking it makes them look cool or maybe even tough.
The battle for strong personal images is encouraging an addiction-promoting behavior once again.
Even people who are older are picking up the drug thinking it is so much better than smoking cigarettes. In fact, many people who try weed first smoked tobacco.
In either case—with tobacco or weed—tar is going to make its way into your lungs. If you smoke these, your exposure to carbon monoxide is going to jump.
This means, especially if you smoke both, your chances of developing an associated disease like cancer is going to increase. You will develop respiratory issues.
That being said, some kinds of marijuana that are developed for medical use have seen success in the treatment of chronic symptoms from other illnesses.
This weed, though, is of a different quality than what is usually seen in recreational marijuana use.
Unlike tobacco, weed is not nearly as addictive. However, especially used in combination with tobacco, some people do end up smoking it habitually.
With both tobacco and marijuana, there are a variety of different ways you can go about quitting smoking. Many of these method are the same for both drugs.
With its less addictive properties, however, the withdrawal symptoms for marijuana may be less than with tobacco.
Some of the Benefits to Quitting Smoking Cigarettes
The benefits to quitting smoking cigarettes are numerous, far too numerous to list all of them here on this page. However, below is a brief overview of some of the positives that can come out of quitting.
Initial Benefits of Quitting Smoking
From minutes to hours to days after you quit smoking cigarettes, you will be able to see and feel many changes in your body:
- Blood pressure, oxygen levels, and circulation should begin to return to normal
- The nicotine will begin leaving your body, dissipating almost completely within a few days
- Nerve endings will begin to regrow and you will regain some of your sense of smell and taste that was lost due to smoking
- Breathing will become easier as your lungs start to heal
Long-Term Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Moving forward into weeks, months, and even years, your body will continue to overcome the negative effects of smoking cigarettes.
Some of the things you should look forward to are:
- Nicotine cravings will decrease in intensity and frequency
- Mouth health (mainly teeth and gums) should improve
- The negative side effects of withdrawal will fade away
- Your skin will be clearer and overall healthier
- Your lung health should improve quite a bit
- Your risk of heart problems and stroke will drop
- If you suffer from a chronic cough due to smoking, that should start to disappear
- Breathing becomes easier and you will feel more energized
- Your risk of diabetes decreases
- Risk of cancers decreases
- The chance of developing heart disease becomes less likely
- Your fingers and teeth will no longer show the signs of nicotine and tar staining
Interpersonal Benefits to Quitting Smoking
These are largely just the personal benefits of quitting smoking. You should also consider how this decision to quit will affect the people and animals around you.
It is very likely that you have heard of the pitfalls of second-hand smoke.
If you haven’t: second-hand smoke is that haze of nicotine-infused smoke that blankets you and everyone and everything around you.
While it might not be as poignant as what you yourself are inhaling, second-hand smoke can cause just as many problems for people and for animals.
Yes, Fido can get cancer because of your second-hand smoke. People don’t like it when dogs die. Go to any movie where the dog dies and you might even have some people walk out they are so upset. Don’t be the reason that you and your family prematurely experiences that first-hand.
Not to mention, smoking around pets can make their fur smell like stale smoke, and both cats and dogs lick nicotine coated fur when they are cleaning themselves.
Quit smoking. Save Fido.
Maybe you’re around someone who is pregnant. Please, please do not smoke around this person. Smoking can be incredible detrimental to the health of an unborn baby.
In rare cases, smoking while pregnant or smoking around someone who is pregnant can lead to complications and potentially even still borns. It also isn’t unheard of for smoking or nicotine withdrawals to result in a miscarriage.
Unlike with some other drugs—like heroin—babies are unlikely to experience symptoms of withdrawal if their mothers smoked during the pregnancy.
Still, if you are planning to become pregnant, strongly consider quitting smoking. If you discover that you are pregnant and want to quit smoking, consult your physician. Quitting while pregnant may actually be more detrimental to your baby due to the stress withdrawal puts on your body.
Environmental Benefits to Quitting Smoking
For some people, it is immediately obvious upon entering a home whether or not the occupant is a frequent smoker.
Smoke can infuse the fabrics of your home with its stale stench. Fabrics include anything from carpets to fabric furniture to curtain and even clothing.
It isn’t a nice smell at all. And it’s like pet hair on your clothes. You might think you got it all, but there is always something left.
And if you are trying to quit, being in an environment like that can make the process even harder. The stale smoke smell can kick up your withdrawal cravings into overdrive.
Then there is the nicotine that will stick to your exterior walls like metal shavings to a magnet. It will coat your interior walls, too, but it will be much worse on the colder walls of your home.
Do you have poor insulation in your home? To the point that condensation sometimes will form on the exterior walls?
If you smoke in your house, you better like your walls looking like they are bleeding brown as the running condensation caries the nicotine with it as it moves down your walls.
Maybe you don’t smoke in your house, but if you live in a place that can get cold during the winter, the temptation will always be there to smoke indoors.
Remove that temptation to stink up your fabrics and muck up your walls. Use a program like Quit Smoking Magic to give up this bad habit.
Hurdles You Will Face While Trying to Quit Smoking
While there are countless reasons for you to quit smoking, you should know that quitting won’t come without its own hardships.
Withdrawal is a big stressor on both your mind and body. It isn’t something to be taken lightly at all.
It would be a good idea for you to let friends and family know that you are trying to quit. This is for a few different reasons.
For one thing, if one of them happens to be a fellow smoker, they might unknowingly offer you a cigarette or invite you to go outside with them for a smoke. That could be a tough temptation.
Maybe they will actually be interested in quitting alongside you instead.
The other reason that telling your family and friends that you are quitting is a good idea is because withdrawal can influence your mood. If they know ahead of time that you might be grouchier than usual and why, they will probably be more understand to any bad attitude.
When you are quitting smoking, you are likely to experience a range of negative moods and emotions, including:
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Impatience
- Depression
Now, some of these emotions could be linked to the insomnia and lack of concentration you will experience while going through withdrawal. Nicotine craving are also likely a factor if you find yourself in a bad mood.
There can also be physical symptoms to withdrawal. These include:
- Slight trembling and tingling in the fingers
- Pounding headaches and migraines
- Physical exhaustion from insomnia
Some people will try to dull the effects of withdrawal by developing other bad habits.
For example, it isn’t unusual for someone trying to quit smoking to gain weight. These people might find some peace in their favorite comfort foods. Instead of grabbing a pack of cigarettes at the gas station, they might instead find themselves buying a candy bar.
Some professionals argue that this turn to food is in part due to the fact that nicotine cravings can sometimes be misunderstood as hunger.
They recommend that if you think you might be experiencing a craving and that you might not actually be hungry, wait a few minutes. Wait about 10-15 minutes to see if the feeling passes. If it doesn’t, you are probably just hungry.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. It may take a few tries, but you will make it over these hurdles. Just keep at it.
If you have been trying and failing and you’re now feel at your wit’s end, there is a solution that you may want to look into further.
The Quit Smoking Magic program totes a 98% success rate for helping people quit smoking. Their websites also boasts that they can help you avoid some of the symptoms of withdrawal.
If the program isn’t for you, talk to your physician. He or she may be able to help you with your withdrawal symptoms.
Different Ways to Help You Quit Smoking
There are many, many routes you can take to quitting smoking.
Options include but are not limited to:
- Quitting cold turkey
- Weaning yourself off cigarettes by smoking less each day
- Nicotine patches
- Chewing gums
- Acupuncture
- Exercise
- Quit smoking programs (such as the aforementioned Quit Smoking Magic)
This is just a small sample of the options available to you. You should utilize the method or methods that you find work the best for you.
A big thing not listed that can help you quit smoking is a support network.
You can be addicted to nicotine. No one should expect you to beat that all by yourself.
If you know someone else who is trying to quit, reach out to them and see if they want to work together and support each other. You may even be able to make a game out of quitting.
If not someone close to you, seek out a local support group. Each group dynamic will be different, but you could still find someone to make quitting a little more fun. If not more fun, at least joining a support group would offer you, well, more support.
How Long You Should Expect to be Sick After You Quit Smoking
Depending on your level of dependency and how long you smoked, the worst period of withdrawal can vary slightly.
Withdrawal, at its worst with strong craving and terrible migraines, shouldn’t last more than a week or two. If it last longer than that, you should definitely talk to your physician or the specialist you may be seeing to help you quit.
After the initial shock to your body, things should begin to calm down and get back to normal, sans cigarettes.
However, you will still feel the occasional symptoms of withdrawal, such as cravings. This is especially true if you previously used cigarettes as a coping mechanism during stressful periods of time. Any amount of stress above the norm might trigger your nicotine cravings.
Try instead to focus on a more productive outlet, like exercise. Don’t turn to comfort foods. Most importantly, maintain your will-power.
Unfortunately, withdrawal symptoms won’t be the only thing you’ll have to worry about after you quit smoking.
Smoking has a lot of health risks, and even though you quit, you are still at a higher chance of developing cancer and other smoking-related diseases. You may want to be aware of any early warning signs of these illnesses.
Repairing the Damage Done to Your Health by Smoking
Some of the consequences of smoking can be reversed, at least to a certain degree.
As mentioned above, your body will begin to repair itself soon after you quit smoking.
You can do more to help your body get healthier. This is especially true for lung health.
Eating right, getting a good amount of exercise, and practicing breathing techniques can all work to benefit your lungs. If your lungs are healthier, that good fortune will make its way throughout your body.
Healthy lungs, healthy life.
Conclusion
A general overview like this of what to expect when you quit smoking is a good place to start, but keep pushing the boundaries of your knowledge.
Keep searching until you find that approach to quitting that makes the most sense to you.
Find that motivator that pushes you to get started and keep going. Addictions can be tough to ditch, so the right motivator is key.
A motivator can be anything: an advantage to quitting, a disadvantage to continue smoking, and even a support group or something you find in a quit smoking program.
You don’t have to stop at quitting smoking, either. You can keep pushing yourself so you can become happier and healthier.
Best of luck to you on your journey to quit smoking.
