While many smokers want to quit smoking, only a small proportion actually try. The reason is probably that smokers have to get over various myths about what smoking does for them. Here are five myths that many smokers believed and the facts that helped them quit.
MYTH #1:Smoking calms me down and I can't handle stress .
It may seem like smoking calms you down, but the nicotine in a cigarette really speeds up the heart rate and provides an adrenaline rush. What smokers find relaxing is the slow exhalation they use when exhaling the smoke. Cigarettes steal the credit of true relaxing-deep breathing. Long exhalations are a yoga and meditation technique that calms you and helps you focus.
MYTH #2:Smoking is too physically addictive to make me quit.
Unlike heroin, pills or alcohol, no medical observation is needed to break the smoking habit. There are no tremors, seizures, or vomiting. Nicotine leaves your blood completely within 1-3 days. Physical symptoms are minor if you smoke a pack or less a day. (If you smoke more than that, gradually go back to a pack a day over a two-week period.) When you reach your pack goal, it's time to quit for good. This makes nicotine withdrawal symptoms easier to handle. The withdrawal symptoms most people experience are mainly psychological. When you create a strong association between smoking and activities like drinking coffee or taking a break from work, it's normal to crave a puff at that time.
MYTH #3:I have no willpower and I can't stop.
In reality, a smoker needs a lot of willpower. It takes planning and effort to have enough cigarettes and time for a smoking break. When a person first starts smoking, there is a willpower to overcome the cough, nausea, and jitters that occur as the body adjusts to the effects of nicotine. It's important for smokers to think about the willpower they've used in other areas of their lives as well. When smokers look at the willpower with which they have succeeded in the past, it is easier to believe that they can quit smoking. Associating that willpower with quitting cigarettes creates the expectation of success, which affects pathways in the brain and makes success more likely.
MYTH #4:I quit before and I couldn't quit, so I can't quit now.
It takes most people 8-10 attempts to quit. Most people who have successfully quit smoking have failed several times beforehand.
MYTH #5:I won't be able to be around a smoker and I'll miss my friends who smoke.
Most permanent ex-smokers don't stop to be friends with people who smoke. Many have quit, even if they have a partner or girlfriend who still smokes. It is easier to be around other smokers when you recognize that you have outgrown the cigarettes. What you wanted from smoking when you started out as a teenager is different from what you want now. When you recognize that the old reasons for smoking no longer apply, smoking becomes like shoes that hurt too much to wear and are therefore easy to give up. Also, people will support you if you tell them you smoked, because if you are successful it will give them hope that they can quit too.
