Smoking cessation: Why Change Is Hard and What Helps To Make It Possible

Smoking cessation programs Knowledge is power

Change takes courageStress levels may be Smoking cessation classeshighest during the first provide techniques, tools,two weeks after quitting. and resources for support that can:During the first few weeks • Make cravings moreof quitting, even a small manageablestressor can lead to the • Support the transition to a new identity as a non-urge to smoke. smoker

Nicotine Is Special• Nicotine is the all-time addictive drug of choice because so many people use it in so many different ways: to wake up, to get to sleep, to de-stress, to get energy, to relax.• There are eight patented ways to increase nicotine content by adding it to the tobacco after its harvested.• Five of them work to add nicotine to filters and wrappers.• Another 12 are used to develop advanced technology to manipulate nicotine levels and develop new chemical variants. Smoking is one of the few drugs that is easily woven into daily routines.

Why smoking behavior is hard to change: its all in our headNewly-abstinent smokers were shown visual cuesassociated with smoking while their brain activitywas studied using neuro-imaging;The visual cues activated the area of the brainresponsible for automatic responses- learninghabits or things we do by rote, like riding a bike orbrushing our teeth. Duke University Medical Center (2009, January 7). Why Smokers Struggle To Quit: New Findings. ScienceDaily.Retrieved February 28, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com- /releases/2009/01/090105175324.htm

Brains gone wild• Suppose you always have a cigarette with coffee or tea – or always smoke when talking on the telephone, or while driving.• The repeated pattern of behavior trains your brain to link these two activities.• Over time, it becomes very hard to do one without the other.

Stress drives cravings.Smoking perpetuates stress.

Long-term gain: Success at quitting smoking eases depressive symptoms Recent studies show that breaking the cycle oftobacco use to medicate negative feelings anddepression has benefits to mental as well asphysical health.C. W. Kahler, N. S. Spillane, A. M. Busch, A. M. Leventhal. Time-Varying Smoking Abstinence Predicts Lower Depressive Symptoms Following Smoking Cessation Treatment. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2010; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntq213

Short-term pain:Getting through cravings is a challengeNicotine is a very a short-acting drug so it has to be used repeatedly.Using any substance repeatedly – especially to manage emotional or psychological stress - produces neural pathways that have a life of their own.

The Neuroscience of Bonding

When smoking is bonded to other behavior that behavior triggers cravings

3 Brain Regions involved with nicotine dependence and cravings• BLUE: the thalamus, the brain region critical to ones ability to calm down when stressed.• RED: the striatum, a region implicated in the pleasure system of the brain.• GREEN: the anterior cingulate cortex, a region vital to self- control and concentration. Credit: Image courtesy of Duke University Medical Center

Help for the craving brainThe thalamus - critical to ones ability to calm downwhen stressed responds to:• Hypnotherapy• Mindfulness Techniques, e.g. yoga, meditation• Anti-depressant medications• Herbal combinations• Acupuncture• Exercise

The striatum deals with systems of the brain associated with pleasure/rewards• Creative experiences – music, comedy, art, writing,• Fun!!!• Exercise• Massage• Positive social interactions• Food•

The anterior cingulate cortex: self- control and concentration• Activities that occupy the hands, e.g. knitting, crafts, playing a musical instrument• Cognitive shifts: locating one’s identity as a non- smoker and the relationships that support it• Recognizing triggers and organizing ways to avoid them• Cognitive planning – consciously replacing a smoking-related behavior with a different behavior

How to break a “smoking bond” before you quit: an example from NY Quits• Instead of having a cigarette with your coffee or tea, have it before or after,• Slowly add a couple of minutes between them over the next several days.• Set a goal to wait 15 minutes between your cigarette and your drink.• Drink your coffee or tea in a place where you don’t usually smoke, or vice-versa.• If you drink coffee or tea with caffeine, you may want to gradually reduce the amount of caffeine you consume by switching to decaf. Feeling “jittery” is a common side effect of quitting smoking. If you add caffeine the side effect may be a bit worse.

The anterior cingulate cortex, a regionvital to self-control and concentration Cognitive shifts – locating a “non-smoker”identity and relationships that support itSocial support, e.g. Nicotine Anonymous Knitting, crafts, playing an instrument

Breaking the “smoking bond” after you quit: an example From NY Quits• Hold your cup in the hand where you used to hold a cigarette• Keep your hands busy with a doodle pad, crossword puzzle, newspaper, to-do list or dunk low-fat cookies into your tea or coffee.• Between sips, take deep breaths and savor the aroma of the coffee or tea.• Don’t sit in the same seat or the same room where you used to sit when you were smoking.• Stand up and drink your tea or coffee quickly and then go for a walk.• Call a relative or friend or the NYS Smokers’ Quitline for encouragement.

What happens when we quit Within 20 minutes Within 48 hours• Blood Pressure returns to • Sense of smell and taste normal. improve.• Heartbeat stabilizes. • Chances of heart attack Within 8 hours decrease.• Oxygen level in your Within 3 months blood increases. • Circulation improves.• Mucus begins to clear out • Immune system of your lungs making improves. breathing easier. • Possible savings of over *$400.

What happens when we quit Within 9 months 1 year• Sinus congestion, • Risk of dying from a heart attack is cut in half. wheezing, shortness of • Possible savings of over $1,600 breath and phlegm (for a pack-a-day smoker at production decreases. $4.50 per pack)• Lung Function 5 years improves. • Stroke risk is reduced to the same level as a non-smoker. • 10 years • The chances of getting lung cancer are cut in half

Successful wellness programs respond to people where they areChange can make a personfeel like a fish out of water.Lifestage designs wellness programs that matchparticipants’ expressed degree of readiness tochange.

496 Smithtown Bypass Suite 202 Smithtown NY 11787 631-366-4265 lifestage_2000@yahoo.comContact us for a free consultation 631-366-4265 www.lifestage.orgJude Treder-Wolff, LCSW, RMT, CGP & Nicholas Wolff, LCSW, BCD, TEP

Smoking cessation: Why Change Is Hard and What Helps To Make It Possible

by Lifestage, Inc on Nov 17, 2011

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