Is tobacco use such a bad habit? Newsflash! Smoking is not just a habit. There’s a lot more to it than changing a habit. Have you ever tried to quit smoking? Most Australian smokers want to quit but aren’t successful. But here’s the scoop; struggling to stop or reduce smoking isn’t a sign of failure or weakness. Nicotine is a drug of dependency and not smoking causes withdrawals, these withdrawals are what lead to relapse. Drugs of dependency (nicotine) target the brain’s pleasure centre and lead to compulsion, craving and inhibitory control. There are some predictors of relapse which include the severity of withdrawals, living with a smoker, having friends who smoke, alcohol consumption or other substance use. There are of course behavioural aspects of smoking which often lead people to think that smoking is a habit. Do you smoke first thing in the morning while having a coffee? Do you smoke as soon as getting in the car? What about as soon as you have a beer? This is the cue conditioning or the habit part of the nicotine addiction.
So here’s a few tips to help get you on the path to a nicotine free lifestyle. Firstly, let’s change the language from quitting to managing or overcoming your addiction. Why you ask? Because using language like quitting sets you up to feel like a failure if you don’t succeed the first time.
There are 3 things that need to be addressed to give you the best chance of managing a nicotine addiction:
- The biology – use a nicotine replacement product (NRT) or combination of NRT and use it properly to ensure your nicotine plasma levels are well managed. Depending on your response to NRT you may also need to be prescribed medication to help manage the withdrawals. Be assured that well treated withdrawals are finite, the end is in sight.
- The behaviour – practise not smoking rather than setting a permanent goal, use NRT before and during smoking and initially after smoking cessation to blunt the “cues” to smoke.
- The social and environmental contexts – make some changes to your usual routine to minimise the “cues” for smoking. Change your morning routine, incorporate short sharp bursts of exercise, avoid alcohol in the first 2 weeks, avoid passive smoke, eat regular meals and halve your caffeine intake.
And lastly, you probably already know what your motivators for change are but do yourself a favour and write a list of what your motives are for making changes and what’s stopping you from making change.
If you would like assistance with managing a nicotine addiction please contact the practice. Telehealth appointments are available to help support you on your path to better health. Medicare rebates are also available for these psychological therapy sessions so talk to your GP about a referral for a Chronic Medical Condition and Complex Needs plan.
