QUIT TIPS

Why Quit?

There are lots of benefits of quitting smoking. A major one is that by quitting you will save a fair bit of money which you can spend on cool things like clothes, tickets to see bands, CD’s and hotting up your car.

You will smell better; no more smoke scented hair and clothes. The stains on your teeth and fingers will fade, and you will start looking healthier with clearer eyes and skin. By quitting you will also reduce the risk of lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema and other illnesses associated with long term cigarette smoking. Your smokers cough will also eventually go.

Withdrawal & why does it happen?

If you smoke cigarettes regularly your body will get used to the regular hit of nicotine and when you haven’t had a cigarette for a while or decide to quit you are likely to experience withdrawal. This is because the body is used to operating with nicotine in the system and when it realises that the supply of nicotine is running low it starts to react. This is when you will experience withdrawal symptoms. While they are uncomfortable they will ease. It often helps to remind your self that withdrawal symptoms are signs that the body is getting used to not having nicotine and is in recovery mode. Because withdrawal can be unpleasant, smokers will often continue to smoke to avoid experiencing symptoms.

Some of the symptoms you might experience are:-

• shakiness
• irritability
• headaches
• dizziness
• aches and pains
• coughing
• cravings

How to Give Ciggies the Boot?

Your best chance of success with quitting is planning ahead.

Choose a quit date and then get organised. Pick a time and date that is not in the middle of exams or lots of stress and this will make it easier to get to your goal. It will different for everyone; some people do better when they are busy, others find that being on holidays is a good time.

Clean Up: Get rid of cigarettes, lighters and empty ashtrays – things that remind you about smoking.

Quitting & Partying: Avoiding big social events when you first start may help as it can be really hard being around other people smoking. You may also need to avoid alcohol as once you’ve had a few drinks it’s easy to forget your goal. Chose activities that happen in places where you are not likely to be around people smoking.

Stay Motivated: Think of all the reasons why you want to quit and all the things you don’t like about smoking and write them down. Some people even put the contents of an ashtray - old butts etc. into a jar which ends up smelling really gross and when they get a craving they take a big whiff to remind themselves of one of the benefits of not smoking – you don’t smell like an old ashtray.

Get support: Work out who are going to be your support network; some friends can be excellent and really encouraging, others will hassle you to have a cigarette and try to make you feel guilty about not being their “smoko” buddy. If some of your friends are smokers, ask them not to smoke around you. You may even have a friend who wants to quit too and you might decide to do it together. Have the Quitline number handy 131 848. Counsellors are available 24 hours a day for support, encouragement and to help you if you’re going through a rough patch.

Reward Yourself: Work out something cool you can do with the money you save from not smoking and nice things such as having a bubble bath or a massage that will help you get through the early stages when you might feel irritable and extra emotional.

Extra Support is Available: You may also want to chat to your doctor or worker at the local Community Health Centre about the option of using Nicotine Replacement Therapies; this is stuff like patches and gum.  Talking to a doctor can also help if you are on any medications such as anti-depressants as medications can be affected by nicotine and this might also change once you stop.

Keep trying: Remember that research has shown that smokers often have to have a couple of goes at quitting. So if you have a bit of a slip, that’s OK. You can get back on track and a slip may show you things that are your triggers such as being around certain people or places or certain feelings. Once you identify these you can avoid them while you’re quitting or work out other ways to get through these situations without smoking.

The 4 D’s: “Quit Now” and other quit smoking programs recommend these as strategies to deal with cravings and stay on target.

• 'DO something else', Find things that you can do that will distract you and reduce the chances of reaching for a cigarette. Avoid snacking as a substitute. Exercise can help, even a short quick walk for just five minutes, or maybe taking up a ‘boxercise’ or other type of exercise. Exercise can also reduce cravings. This is because it produces lots of great “happy” chemicals in the brain and this can help fight the edgy feelings of irritation that you might feel when you are quitting.
• 'DELAY having a cigarette'. Imagine that dealing with a craving is like riding a wave. At the time, the craving can seem so intense it will never go away, but if you ride it out, the intensity will reduce and the craving will pass and you will feel great that you didn’t give in. Dealing with cravings can give you a real sense of achievement.
• 'Deep breathing'. This might sound a bit hippy but it really works. In times of stress, we often hold our breath and our breathing becomes short and shallow. This actually reduces the amount of oxygen getting around in our blood stream and can produce symptoms of anxiety. Breathing slowly and deeply can help to calm you down if you are craving a cigarette and concentrating on your breathing will distract you from thinking about having a cigarette.
• 'Drinking water' can delay having a cigarette until after the craving has passed. Drinking water is also good for you, helps the detox process and keeps your mouth feeling fresh. Some people find brushing their teeth when they have a craving helps too.

When will Things be back to Normal?

A great website to check out is http://vibe.com.au/quitnow/. It provides lots of youth focused supportive tips and advice on how to quit smoking. This is a summary of a guide they provide which shows the rough amount of time it takes for the detox process and for things in your body to get back to normal.

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