“I can stop any time”, “my grandpa smoked 30 cigarettes a day and was never sick” are arguments that smokers like to use at all times. Of course there are smokers who have “luck” of not getting sick despite their addiction, but 50 percent of all smokers have an increased health risk. The idea of being able to stop at any time is also a widely distributed false assumption. It may be the case that the will must be there. However, stopping does not work with the will alone: The intent to stop is a decision of will that has been made – however, the addiction “tests” the smoker countless times during the day to see if they really meant it. Then you just have to be weak a single time and you are stuck back in the spiral. Experienced smokers know this.
Stopping smoking, however, does not simply work “on the side”, particularly because the withdrawal symptoms may be very strong. They range from physical ailments like sweating, restlessness, typical “grant” if you do not have any cigarettes up to excessive eating as a substitute: Those wishing to quit must organise their life during this phase in order to avoid situations that tempt them to smoke. Those suffering from particularly strong withdrawal symptoms should undergo a nicotine replacement therapy. Such a therapy lowers the desire for a cigarette.
The success of a therapy also influences the amount of cigarettes a smoker puffs. Because: the more cigarettes a smoker consumes, the more difficult the withdrawal will be. However, you should not give up even if there are severe withdrawal symptoms, because these normally stop after two to three weeks. There is a type of “addiction memory” that reminds the neo-non-smoker: A cigarette would be good now! However, after longer periods of abstinence it is often easier to resist the temptation.
Half of all smokers would like to stop smoking, but 70 percent fail without help. Only about 3 to 5 percent are successful without therapy. Smokers who have already tried 5 or 6 times should not give up, because that is also a fact: The more often you have tried, the higher the probability that it will actually work the next time. It is never too late to stop smoking. After two days, your body is already free of nicotine and carbon monoxide. After a few weeks without smoking, your lung functions improve and your quality of life increases. Every single cigarette is hazardous to your health and shortens your life span. Already one to four cigarettes per day increase the risk of cardiovascular and cancer diseases. There is no smoking that is harmless to your health – that also applies to occasional consumption.
Many smokers are not satisfied with their smoking behaviour and have already considered reducing it or stopping altogether. This is the time to inform yourself of the possibilities for quitting smoking or taking advantage of professional consultation.