Negative and positive aspects of giving up smoking

Negative aspects of giving up smoking

People, who try to leave off smoking, sometimes face problems on this way. First weeks the oral ulcers may appear in the mouth. Chances to catch a cold this time are increasing considerably. One can have a sore throat, sneeze and cough. All these can be caused by temporary immunity suppression. Besides, tobacco has some antimicrobial effect. When you stop smoking, this effect is over.

During this first month some side actions from nicotine excretion can take place. They are irritability, nervousness, not clinical depression, loosing concentration, sleep disturbance, apathy and nightmares. The person gets irritable, can have nervous breakdown without any reason. Headaches and toothaches can manifest themselves. It is a very difficult period of time, and many people can’t get through it. But you are not one of them, are you?

Some former smokers begin to put on weight. Nicotine withdrawal pains, desire to smoke, abstinence syndrome etc - all this negative experience and emotions can be easily substituted for food, that leading to putting on weight. Here you should understand, that you may probably put on weight, but not more than 0,5-1 kg, if you have right dietary habits and do exercises. You shouldn’t despair and fear the problems discussed. Especially if you know: they won’t continue longer, than a couple of months. This time the organism switches over to a new rhythm. Now let us talk about good things.

Positive aspects of giving up smoking

When you stop smoking, the level of nicotine and carbon monoxide in your blood decreases. Carbon monoxide joins to erythrocytes and prevents oxygen from going to muscles. Power level increases rapidly, if you are not smoking all the day long.

In two days your breath and the function of lungs will start to restore. It is wonderful, but the risk of lung cancer will start gradually decreasing in these two days as well.

As for the quality of life, we can talk about considerable improvement a month after you smoked your last cigarette. Your power level will get higher with the better circulation of your blood. Your organs of taste and smell will work more accurately. The skin will be looking better. Wrinkles won’t be so deep, and you will be looking much younger. All these things happen, when you stop smoking.

Cough and hoarse voice will disappear in a year. Any chronic and bronchial irritation will get weakening. However, some lung injury, such as emphysema (destruction of lung elasticity), remains on the same stage. Unfortunately such changes can’t be restored.

A year later the risk of cardiac insufficiency decreases twice in comparison with the condition of smokers. During next 15 years the risk of cardiac insufficiency returns to level of a never smoked person. The risk of lung cancer decreases twice as well. These reasons may show best of all what happens, when one gives up smoking. And they become the most important factors, which make people deciding to stop smoking or not. Remember, withdrawal pains continue less a month, and if you don’t go through them, you will lose a lot. Besides you’ll save a lot of money you wasted for cigarettes before. You can easily count out, if you spend for smokes 30 rubles a day, you’ll save almost 11000 rubles a year. I think you will find the way to spend them well.

20 REASONS WHY YOU MUST GIVE UP SMOKING. PROS AND CONS.

1. Each cigarette you buy is a pure benefit for a tobacco manufacturer.
2. Smoking suppresses your immunity. 
3. Smokers, “who eat carefully and go in for sports”, deceive themselves.
4. Tobacco is guilty in 20 percent of all fatal outcomes.
5. Women die of lung cancer more often, than of breast cancer.
6. Add 20-25 years to your life.
7. You know, smoking is not only dangerous, but also stupid.
8. You spend less money for expensive furniture cleaners.
9. Forgotten light cigarette can cause a fire.
10. Your children look at you.
11. Holes burned in your suede jacket… Do you really like it?
12. You don’t have to leave a comfortable place for draught outside to have a smoke.
13. No more jogging at midnight to 24-hour store for a pack of cigarettes.
14. No more short breath, when you go upstairs.
15. You regret that you began smoking one day.
16. At the turn of the year managers of tobacco companies always get bonuses. Not you!
17. If you stop smoking, it would be the best gift for your mother.
18. You will solve all your problems much easier.
19. A cigarette contains over 4000 compounds, including 40 already known carcinogenic substances (for example, cyanic hydrogen, ammonium, isoprene, acetaldehyde, acrolein, nitrobenzene, acetone, hydrogen sulfide, hydrocyanic acid, silicium, calcium, titan, strontium, thallium, polonium etc).
20. Lung cancer.

20 MOST COMMON MISTAKES OF PEOPLE, WHO TRY TO STOP SMOKING

1. You can give up smoking “partially”.
2. Nicotine replacements can help you to stop smoking.
3. Nicotine replacements can replace cigarettes.
4. Using nicotine replacements means you have already left off smoking.
5. You chew nicotine cud too fast.
6. You decrease the dose of nicotine replacements too fast.
7. You tempt yourself soon after you stopped smoking.
8. You think you can smoke only one cigarette “for this once”.
9. You disregard breathing exercises.
10. You consider hygiene a question of minor importance.
11. You don’t try to understand the peculiarities of your smoking dependence.
12. You don’t try to understand, why you became a smoker.
13. You don’t try to learn a lesson from unsuccessful attempt of leaving off smoking.
14. You get more nicotine from nicotine replacements, than you received from smoking before.
15. You don’t consider the opinion of qualified doctors.
16. You reject your attempt because of some insignificant current difficulties.
17. You try to stop smoking without having a firm intension.
18. You try to give up smoking at the wrong moment.
19. You try to drop smoking, because somebody insists on it, or being under pressure of some circumstances.
20. You think that thoughts about tobacco are totally disappeared out of your head.

Plan of actions to give up smoking:

1. Take a clean sheet of paper and write down all the reasons why you must stop smoking.
2. Take another sheet of paper and write down, why you enjoy smoking.
3. Compare both texts and decide what you like to do the most – stop smoking or continue smoking. You can’t give up tobacco, until you decide.
4. If you still wish to continue smoking, set your list of reasons aside for a while. You will return to it, when your intentions get stronger.
5. Realize the hidden benefits (true reasons making you take a cigarette) and put them down on a separate sheet.
6. Write down where, when and with whom you prefer to smoke.
7. Write down what feelings and situations make you smoke.
8. Imagine yourself at the same places, with the same people and feelings, but without a cigarette. Put down your reaction in this case.
9. Imagine and write down other possible ways to solve the problems, which you had to solve with the help of tobacco.
10. Keep from alcohol during the process. Many former smokers start smoking again after a couple of drinks or a glass of beer.
11. Concentrate on advantages you take after you leave off smoking. Write them down in detail. Imagine advantages instead of momentary pleasure that gives a cigarette. Later on you should imagine it every evening before falling asleep.
12. Consult a doctor in order to choose a medicine for nicotine replacement therapy. Such remedies are not suitable for everyone, and the doctor will help to choose the right medicine.
13. Find all the things connected with smoking at home, in the car, on the work place, get rid of them or give somebody.
14. Important! Always have a bottle of pure water with you and take a gulp from time to time. 
15. Buy a piggy bank and put in it money, which you could spend for cigarettes. It is your prize for not smoking.
16. Visit your dentist and take a special treatment - cleaning from dental deposit and calculus, formed during the time you were a smoker. 
17. Have your clothes dry-cleaned to get rid of a tobacco smell.
18. Start general cleaning of your house and the car, air them carefully out. 
19. Start keeping a diary or the internet blog and write down there what you feel about smoking, and not only about smoking, but also about everything that interests you and is important for you. 
20. Find 2 hours a week for your personal time. Don’t plan any work or cleaning for this period of time, just relax, walk on the street, watch your favorite comedy movie etc.
21. Find at least 20 minutes a day for exercises, muscle-strengthening exercises with dumbbells or for walk.
22. Eat more vegetables and fruit. Always have something to chew with you (you may have such desire from time to time). 
23. Don’t substitute one bad habit by another – by eating enormous amount of chocolate, cakes etc. Read point 22 once again.
24. Believe in yourself. If you didn’t succeed to stop smoking from the first time, there are 2 possible ways to follow:

• smoke 1-2 cigarettes now and don’t smoke anymore;
• continue smoking as before.

In the first case (1-2 cigarettes) there is nothing awful happened. It is nothing but a small mistake. Even a very good plan has some shortcomings. You have to analyze the reason of such failure to prevent it in the same situation in future.

In the second case you can take a new attempt. You shouldn’t blame yourself and give up. Many smokers need at least two attempts for success. As in the first case you ought to analyze the reason of failure and find ways to prevent it next time. You can make a short break, gain strength and start again to implement your plan to give up nicotine.