At the turn of the century, smoking was all the rage. Most people indulged, and it grew in popularity as time went on. It was often advertised as a cool thing, and tobacco providers made a mint on the smoking habits of people all over the world.
Thankfully, when the dangers of smoking were revealed in the 1940s and 1950s, consumers decided to quit the habit cold turkey. By 1965, the number of smokers in the United States had decreased by half, according to the National Institute of Health.
Today, tobacco dependence is not nearly as prevalent as it once was, and people are trying to quit every day. Still, it’s a highly addictive substance, and many struggle to get the help they need.
If you have a tobacco dependence, whether through cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or other products, here are three useful resources that may give you the motivation you need to overcome your addiction.
- Addiction Treatment Centers
The nicotine in tobacco products leads you to become addicted to the substance. Addiction takes over the brain and body, making it extremely difficult to crack the habit.
Recent research reveals that addiction actually changes the composition of your brain. When the body doesn’t receive the substance that it’s addicted to, the brain misfires synapses, which cause withdrawal symptoms. Since your brain has changed, it takes time and effort to get it back the way it was before. The longer you’ve been addicted, the more difficult it can become.
That’s why there are addiction treatment centers where you can retrain your brain and kick this habit. Addiction treatment services involve detoxes, therapies, and habit-changing behaviors to remove smoking from your life.
Find a good treatment addiction center when you’re struggling to quit. Search in your local area since it’s easier to overcome addiction if you have the support of friends and family with you. Look up reviews and check out the reputation of the facility and its doctors to make sure you’re getting the best treatment possible.
- Education
Sometimes, all you need is a little education to convince you to swear off tobacco for good. Countless studies and research projects have examined the effects of tobacco on the body. Study that information thoroughly to learn about your smoking risks.
Start with learning facts about lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most common cause of death for chronic smokers. Every day that you smoke, your risk for developing lung cancer increases incrementally.
Another thing to research is the outward effects of smoking on your body. It can make your hair chronically smell like smoke, even after you stop. It yellows your skin and teeth and can cause cavities. It can also cause your skin to wrinkle prematurely.
There are also many serious illnesses associated with smoking such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, chronic bronchitis, COPD, and poor vision. With enough research, any smoker will be convinced of the importance of quitting.
If you need further persuasion, look up the risks of children exposed to secondhand smoke. When exposed for a prolonged period, they have many of the same risks as adults who smoke, including lung cancer and heart disease. Children also have the risk of developing chronic asthma, middle ear disease, and lower respiratory illness. No parent wants to be responsible for that.
- Habit Therapy
Because tobacco is considered a habit-forming substance, it makes sense that you would need behavioral habit therapy to counteract the changes in your brain.
Basically, this therapy helps you replace bad habits like smoking with good ones. For example, some therapists recommend that whenever a patient feels like smoking a cigarette, they should write a letter to a loved one instead. Not only is this therapeutic on your brain’s addiction, but it will also strengthen your relationships through the process! Another method that is recommended is moving from cigarettes to a vape pen or disposable vape. Vaporizers do not reach the point of combustion, so they have fewer toxins than cigarettes, and they are useful on the journey to smoking cessation.
Addiction is nothing to be ashamed of, but you should get help. Take these addiction treatment options to heart and kick that smoking habit for good!