HealthyLife Articles

Tag: nicotine

  • Nicotine Gum Can Help Smokers Quit

    Tobacco Cessation

    Image of cigarette broken in half with nicotine gum next to it.

    Until lately, many people assumed cigarette smoking was just a bad habit (albeit an unhealthy one). In 1988, the Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health changed that view. After reviewing over 2,000 scientific studies, the report confirmed what many scientists suspected: Smoking cigarettes is addictive, because they contain nicotine. So in order for you to quit smoking, you need to break the physical addiction as well as the psychological habit.

    A technique called nicotine replacement therapy can help break that stranglehold. With a nicotine replacement product, smokers absorb small amounts of nicotine. These little doses enable them to reduce their nicotine cravings and wean themselves off cigarettes with little anxiety, irritability, sleepiness, headaches, or other symptoms that make nicotine withdrawal such torture. (Some say nicotine withdrawal is worse than heroin withdrawal-or close to it.)

    If you think nicotine replacement therapy might help you to quit smoking:

    *  Talk to your doctor about prescribed medicines (nicotine inhaler or nicotine nasal spray) or over-the-counter nicotine replacement products, such as a patch, gum, or lozenges.

    *  Follow all instructions for the product you use.

    In order for nicotine replacement therapy to work, a smoker should also follow the kind of behavior modification techniques outlined in the previous tip. Or you can attend a reputable stop-smoking program. Studies have shown that combining a nicotine replacement product with a stop-smoking program can triple your chances for success.

    Page from A Year of Health Hints book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Separate Tobacco/Nicotine From Situations

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 2

    Image of couple walking.

    Many times you may feel that you want to smoke, dip, or vape when what you really want is something else. When uncomfortable feelings arise, such as anger, sadness, boredom, or frustration, you may reach for a cigarette (or can or vape pen) without even pausing. You have worn a deep groove in your mind, creating a habit that can happen without much thought.

    Chart showing how to separate nicotine from situations.

    Tobacco/nicotine does not clear up or change these feelings. If nothing else, it simply creates a “smoke screen.” When the smoke clears, your problems are still there. The next time you get an urge, ask yourself, “What do I really want?” or “What do I need to figure out?” Use the mindfulness tools to help you think logically.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Review & Prepare 5

    SleepWell® Program

    Week 2

    Image of women on computer.

    Answer the following.

    *  How did your sleep this week compare to the first week?

    *  What changes did you made to my sleep environment?

    *  What changes did you make to your eating habits?

    *  What Changes did you make to your exercise habits?

    *  What changes will you continue?

    *  What is one S.M.A.R.T. goal you have for next week?

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Altering Triggers

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 4

    A morning cup of coffee.

    Actions, especially habits, are linked. For example, you may light up a cigarette without thinking when you start your car, end a meal, drink coffee, or hear your alarm clock. If you dip or use other forms of tobacco/nicotine, you may have similar triggers.

    Altering triggers can help you break your automatic habits.

    Scrambling

    Scramble your routine to stop the triggers before they happen.

    1. Change your morning routine.

    2. Change your work area and the times of the day you do things.

    3. Change the route you take to work.

    4. Change the way you talk on the phone.

    5. Take a walk with a water bottle instead of a coffee break.

    6. Sit in a new place at the dining room or kitchen table.

    7. What other ways can you change your routines?

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • I Am Quitting!

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 1

    Women putting on a patch on arm.

    Maybe you have started this program in the action phase-you are already quitting or have just quit. While you may have a quit date in mind, this phase is more than just one day. This phase usually lasts about six months for any behavior change. It starts when you start putting your plan into place and continues as you go through challenges and practice your new way of living.

    In a few words, describe your current quit plan.

    Who is supporting you?

    Remember, you may be moving back and forth between stages during your quitting process. Some days may be easier than others. It is important to stay very alert during the active phase, as slip-ups are very common. You will probably face many new challenges, from new stressors to different times of the year and holidays.

    Even if you have started this program in the action phase, work through the guide in order. Building a strong foundation will help you get through the first few months of quitting-and beyond.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Nicotine Replacement Therapy

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 3

    Image of nicotine gum to help stop smoking.

    All of these products contain nicotine. Patches, gum, and lozenges are available other-the-counter. The nicotine nasal spray and nicotine inhaler require a prescription.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Smokeless Inhalation

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 4

    Senior women deep breathing.

    This is one of the best Urge Tamers you will learn. Do this deep breathing when you have an urge.

    1. Breathe in deeply through your nose.

    2. Hold your breath for 3 seconds.

    3. Slowly breathe out through pursed lips to make a “whooshing” sound.

    4. Keep breathing this way until the urge goes away. Sometimes you may need to do the smokeless inhalation 2-3 times, or up to 12-13 times. An increase in oxygen helps you feel relaxed.

    The smoking cycle:

    Avoiding tobacco/nicotine and using smokeless inhalation can help you break the cycle.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Review & Prepare 6

    SleepWell® Program

    Week 3

    Image of man sleeping.

    Look at your pattern of sleep over the past week. Compare it to your sleep patterns over the past few weeks of tracking.

    Answer the following:

    *  I fall asleep more quickly now.

    *  I have more daytime energy.

    *  I wake up fewer times during the night.

    *  If or when I do wake up, I am able to fall asleep again more quickly.

    *  Changes I made to my bedtime and waking routines.

    *  Changes I made to what I do in bed or in the bedroom.

    *  Are you ready for another week of attention to your sleep?

    Shift Your Bedtime

    If you think your sleep has improved during the past week, you can begin to shift your bedtime earlier. Do this gradually. Only make a shift when your sleep quality is high. This means:

    *  You are able to fall asleep within 15 minutes of getting into bed.

    *  You are rarely waking up during sleep.

    *  If you do wake up, you are able to go back to sleep within 15 minutes.

    *  You stay asleep until your planned wake time.

    *  You wake feeling refreshed.

    If your sleep quality has not improved, maintain the original schedule for another week. When you are ready, shift your bedtime 15 minutes earlier. Keep the same wake time. This will give you more time to sleep as your body becomes trained to sleep in bed.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Balance Of Choice 2

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 2

    Man's hand touching an abstract no smoking.

    Learn what is pulling you toward your goal and what is holding you back. All thoughts and feelings are valid. Is your goal more important to you than the challenges to achieve it? Are you pursuing this goal just because someone said you “should” do it? Complete the chart below as well as you can. If you think of something later, come back to this page to add another point to one of the boxes.

    Chart to fill out your choices.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • I Quit & Want To Stay Quit

    Healthylife® QuitWell™

    Part 1

    Image of cigarette being broken in half.

    The maintenance phase of quitting starts after you have been quit for about six months. At this point, your tobacco/nicotine free lifestyle has started to feel more normal and routine. It can take years to feel like tobacco/nicotine is truly in the past, though. In this phase, you may not be thinking of your old habit on a daily basis, but reminders are still all around you. Your new habits are still young.

    What do you enjoy about being tobacco/nicotine free?

    What challenges have you overcome to get here?

    If you have quit before and relapsed, what tripped you up?

    Stress is one of the most common triggers for relapse. This guide has many tools for responding to things that happen to you. While it may not be possible to control what happens in your life, you can control your response.

    Deepen your motivation, understand your barriers (even if you already overcame them), and build a supportive team you can lean on when the going gets tough.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine