Most smokers underestimate smoking cessation the first time they quit smoking.
The information below will give you a head start on learning about what is involved when you stop smoking.
Don’t fear what is ahead.
Stub out your last cigarette and get started.
Things to Know After You Quit
Your body begins to healwithin minutes of your last cigarette.
The benefits continue to grow for years as well.
Medications you take might beaffected by smoking cessation.
Recovery fromnicotine addictionis a process, not an event.
In other words, discard any preconceived notions you might have about smoking cessation.
Give yourself the time and space you should probably heal fully.
Cravings to smoke are not commands.
Expect it and know that the urge for a cigarette is not a sign that relapse is inevitable.
A craving is not a command to smoke.
We used cigarettes to deal with every emotion and event in our lives.
When we quit, nothing feels normal, but be patient.
This chemical reaction creates a rush of good feelings for the smoker.
Dopamine is thought to play a major role in the addictive process.
It’s not pleasant, but it is normal.
Think of the ups and downs you’re feeling as a necessary part of the process.
A bad day where you miss smoking but don’t light up is still moving you forward.
Some benefits will show up soon after quitting, and others will unfold in time.
Your new smoke-free life will make you wonder why you waited so long to quit.
American Cancer Society.Benefits of Quitting Smoking Over Time.
2009;49:5771. doi:10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.48.113006.094742
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th edition.
Washington DC; 2013.
National Cancer Institute.Cravings & Triggers.
