Best Quit Tobacco Tips: Around 30 per cent of Indian adults are tobacco users. That figure is 2670 lakh adults approximately. Discouragement to tobacco use exists at the policy level, but smoking as a practice is as common as cakes at a birthday party.
According to Gurseet Singh, Founder, Smotect, nicotine addiction is one of the worst global public health disasters, fuelled by damaging, carcinogenic chemicals that affect men and women alike.
Most nicotine addicts, despite feeling guilty and ashamed, are hard-pressed to break free. Let’s find out why.
“A combination of factors acts as a deterrent. Biological, psychological and social impulses shape our addiction identity and hence, quitting cannot be seen in isolation. Nicotine artificially releases a flood of neurochemicals, including acetylcholine, which pushes us to be more alert and focussed and dopamine, notorious for building up expectations, excitement and the desire to chase pleasures,” Gurseet Singh, Founder, Smotect told Financial Express.com.
As these neurochemicals spike motivation, desire, calmness and a false sense of control, users try to get their fixes in greater frequencies in order to feel at ease.
Inevitably, giving nicotine the boot means that the tap of all feel-good neurochemicals is abruptly turned off. Intense distress and discomfort compel addicts to embrace tobacco as a friend again.
Singh also said that prescription drugs to reduce nicotine cravings and deal with withdrawal symptoms rarely work.
“The side effects often overshadow the benefits. Addicts are often put off by the disagreeable after-effects of prescription medication, such as nausea, insomnia, headache and abnormal dreams. Some big pharma companies even had to pull out anti-addiction medication from the market as they were revealed to be carcinogenic
in later studies,” he told Financial Express.com.
Alternatively, nicotine replacement therapies, including nicotine gums and patches, have largely proved to be unviable. So, what is the solution?
How to train the body to quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction has a lot to do with the body’s neural pathways and hence, biological in nature. Nicotine alters the production and regulation of several key neurotransmitters.
According to Singh, to kick the habit, tobacco users have to protect and nurture the body to retrigger the natural pathways for neurochemicals, which are often disrupted by nicotine use.
“This can be done by consuming therapeutic products containing natural herbs such as Kapikachu (Mucuna Pruriens) and Sunthi (Zingiber officinale), which reduces nicotine craving and the urge to smoke. Additionally, it restores dopamine production, while enhancing energy and stamina. Other restorative herbs include Gokshura (Tribulus Terrestris), responsible for improving heart health and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), known to manage stress and anxiety by restoring serotonin and GABA pathways,” he said.
Addressing cravings through healing products will help you make progress in your de-addiction journey. Exercising has also been proven to yield great benefits in cutting down your tobacco dependency, he explained.
Work out in order to boost the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters or endorphins, he added.
How to train the mind to quit smoking?
Bear in mind that addiction is a seriously complex phenomenon and has several associations. According to Singh, the psycho-social nature of nicotine intake cannot be divorced from daily habits or behaviour patterns.
“Many smokers connect their smoking rituals with tea breaks while others take a drag after the conclusion of meals. Many addicts have spoken about the joy of sharing a fag with their peers, forming connections with their professional superiors or have seen the cigarette as an antidote to anxiety, stress and brain fog. All of these are behaviour patterns, deeply rooted in psychology. Tobacco dependence needs serious motivation and has to be severed with an iron hand to achieve tangible results towards the goal of quitting,” Singh told Financial Express.com.
There are several psychological techniques that smokers can adopt to make the process of quitting smoother, while managing their withdrawal symptoms.
According to Singh, the key is to break habit-forming patterns and increase mental strength.
“One of these techniques is known as RAIN (Recognise, Accept, Investigate, Note). The first step to rewiring the brain is to recognise the craving, or the simple act of acknowledging the urge to use tobacco without ignoring or avoiding it. It should be followed by acceptance of the craving. Smokers need to accept the experience of desiring nicotine without giving in, disrupting the automatic connection in the brain,” he said.
The next milestone is to investigate the craving. It involves examining bodily sensations (e.g., headaches, palpitations, sweating) that accompany cravings.
The process culminates in noting the sensations. Nicotine addicts are urged to take detailed visual and mental notes of these sensations to prepare better for handling future craving, he said.
By following the RAIN Technique, users can gradually weaken the automatic responses tied to tobacco use and cultivate a mindset conducive to quitting, he added.