You would like to quit smoking. The health reasons are a mile long and your body is telling you (between coughs) that it’s time. But you are afraid to quit smoking. Will you gain weight? How can you deal with stress and desires? Are you going to lose your smoking friends?
Don’t let such concerns keep you from quitting. Some are false or exaggerated. Others can be overcome. But you can put your worries to rest and finally put cigarettes behind you.
Smoking a cigarette can feel like stress relief, which is much needed, especially during the pandemic.
“People are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress. Everyone is stressed,” says Pamela Ling, MD, an internist and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.
“For some people, they feel like smoking a cigarette is the way they cope.”
Yet this is a wrong idea, says Ling. Yes, nicotine in your cigarettes can create a feeling of well-being, relaxation and improved concentration. But these are just short-term feelings, rewards your brain gives you for feeding you the nicotine it craves. The more time there is between smoking, the more tense and stressed you will feel. In the long term, smoking increases stress and anxiety.
If you can quit for a year, research shows that you’re likely to feel better emotionally than if you smoked, says Michael Fiore, MD, an internist and director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
“The average smoker is less depressed, less anxious and their mood is improved a year after quitting,” says Fiore.
To help you reduce the stress of quitting smoking, try things like deep breathing, meditating, and reciting affirmations (such as, “I am strong enough to beat this.”). FDA-approved medications can also help, Ling says. These include nicotine replacement products (available as patches, gum, lozenges, sprays, or inhalers) or two anti-smoking medications: bupropion (Zyban) and Varenicline (Chantix).
Weight gain after quitting smoking is real for most people, Fiore says. But the winnings average only between 5 and 10 pounds.
To keep the pounds from piling up from quitting smoking, you may need to exercise more while ditching the donuts and chips. You can also avoid sugar cravings by drinking more water and chewing sugar-free gum.
Another option: a 3-month bupropion prescription. This drug is known to facilitate withdrawal without weight gain, says Ling.
Keep in mind that adding a few extra pounds pales in comparison to the good quitting doing for your body.
“The health effects of a small amount of weight gain are really offset by all the benefits of quitting smoking,” says Ling.
It’s true that nicotine withdrawal symptoms can be powerful and unpleasant, although this varies from person to person.
You can:
- Feel restless or jumpy
- Be excitable
- Have trouble concentrating
- Feel sad
- Have trouble sleeping
- Have an intense craving for cigarettes
To reduce these symptoms, Fiore recommends over-the-counter 2-milligram nicotine mini lozenges, which he says can be “remarkably helpful.”
Some people try e-cigarettes (vaping) to help reduce nicotine, but research has shown mixed results. The FDA does not recommend e-cigarettes for this purpose.
Keep in mind that for most people, withdrawal symptoms are greatest within the first three days. The first week is usually the worst. Most symptoms resolve within – at most – 2 or 3 months, Fiore says.
The longer you smoke, the more likely you are to have developed pleasant smoking habits. You may be used to a cigarette with coffee or alcohol, after a meal or after sex. Or maybe you have daily routines related to smoking, such as driving to work.
If you stop, you may be triggered (i.e., crave a cigarette) when reminded of these experiences.
Managing triggers is a key to quitting smoking. But this doesn’t mean you have to give up what gives you pleasure, says Fiore. It is possible to separate smoking from the activities and habits you enjoy.
To do this, try replacing smoking with another activity, such as chewing carrots, apples, celery or gum. Breathing exercises can help, as can medications. You may also need to temporarily avoid or change routines and other triggers.
It can be difficult to be around people who smoke when you’re trying to quit. You may need to set boundaries with your friends and ask them not to smoke around you.
This is especially difficult if you live with a smoker. It is best to ban smoking indoors. If that’s a no-go, try creating a smoke-free zone where you can stay. Even better, make sure your spouse or partner quits with you, if possible.
You might also consider adding non-smoking friends to your circle. Fiore says his institute’s research shows that ex-smokers have expanded their social networks after a year.
“It just makes practical sense,” Fiore says. Given that only 14% of Americans smoke, “there are a lot more nonsmokers than smokers.” Not smoking can make you more open to relationships with non-smokers.
If you’re like most smokers, you started in your teens. In middle or older age, you may fear that you have already done permanent damage. So why bother quitting?
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’ll feel better if you quit,” says Fiore.
That’s because quitting smoking benefits your health, no matter how long you’ve smoked. Some changes, such as lower blood pressure, begin within 30 minutes of quitting, Fiore says. Within a month you will be able to breathe better. Within a year, your risk of a heart attack or stroke drops by 50%. Quitting at age 60 halves your risk of dying in the next 15 years compared to a smoker, Fiore says.
Additionally, Fiore says, “It’s not just about more time, it’s about an improved quality of life.”
Many ex-smokers often try to quit before they succeed; according to a 2016 study, perhaps thirty times or more.
“If someone has tried to quit and it’s not successful, people will say, ‘I feel like a failure. I feel disgusting,’” says Emma Brett, PhD, who studies addiction and co-leads smoking cessation groups at the University of Chicago. . The idea of trying again “can be intimidating,” she says.
She encourages you to view your previous attempts as learning experiences. “You’ll get more information about what works and what doesn’t. That can be used to inform your next effort – and hopefully make it more successful.”
Research shows that combining counseling and medication doubles your chances of success. Ling advises having a plan first, rather than quitting impulsively.
Smoking cessation counseling and medications are covered by the Affordable Care Act. Free government resources also abound, including:
- 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), staffed by trained quit-smoking coaches who may be able to get you free quit-smoking medications
- Smokefree.gov, a National Cancer Institute website with tips and resources
- A daily text message service for quitting smoking (text STOP to 47848)
Consult your doctor for further assistance. Whatever you do, don’t let your fear of quitting smoking stop you from living a healthier, smoke-free life.