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2010 Great American Smokeout
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| Officially, It's Nov. 18th, But Every Day's a Good Day to Quit | |||||
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Nov. 18, 2010 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Great American Smokeout, a day dedicated to the cessation of cigarette smoking for at least 24 hours. The American Cancer Society sponsors the Smokeout to encourage people to not smoke for an entire day, if not use the date to kick the habit altogether, as well as spotlight the health hazards of tobacco use and the challenges of cessation. Since 1977, the number of American adults who smoke has decreased by 13 percent. Laws designed to shift public trends toward anti-smoking behavior have resulted in the banning of smoking in most public spaces, restaurants and bars, and workplaces, as well as point-of-sale age-restrictions and increased taxes on tobacco products. Despite these social changes, around 21 percent of adults still smoke (as do a significant number of teens), reflecting the difficulty of long-term cessation.
Quitting smoking may mean complete re-habituation for many smokers, especially those who smoke 10+ cigarettes per day. Not only is the nicotine in tobacco physiologically addictive, but the activity of smoking may be deeply ingrained in people's lives. Smokers tend to associate smoking with daily transitions or processes like eating, drinking coffee or alcohol, working, socializing, taking a break or even simply being outside; engaging in these habits without smoking may be disorienting. Dr. Alfred Brody, a researcher who has studied the effects of nicotine on the brain says, "the many effects of smoking, including elevated mood and alleviation of anxiety, suggest that a long-term smoker may face considerable biochemical, cognitive, and emotional readjustments when he or she quits.” The thought of making such changes may too be overwhelming for smokers to make “today the day” to quit. The unfortunate reality for smokers, though, is that cigarettes can seriously endanger their health, as well as the health of others around them, including pets, when they light up.
Tobacco use (via cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, etc.) is the leading preventable cause of disability, disease and death in the U.S. Of the more than 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco and tobacco smoke, 60 are known to cause cancer; most of the rest of these chemicals cause free-radical damage to arteries. Smoking and secondhand smoke also intensify the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which can lead to clogged arteries and increase a person’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke; smoking also increases one's risk of developing chronic lung diseases. Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to miscarry or have children with low-birth weights. Heavier smoking can chronically increase sympathetic nervous system activity, which can lead to hormonal imbalance.
HMDI encourages all smokers to test themselves on Nov. 18th for 24 hours, even if to just to get a glimpse of the daily challenges that may lie ahead with quitting. Once you go one day without, try two, then three. Since nicotine takes about 48 to 72 hours days to leave the circulatory system, getting over that three-day hump means you have accomplished half the battle. After that, there’s that there’s the emotional / mental addiction and rehabituation.
Mentally preparing for physical withdrawal symptoms can help increase your chances of getting through the day (or three+) without a cigarette. Nicotine withdrawal can cause symptoms of irritability, sleep disruption, attention difficulty, increased appetite, and intense tobacco cravings, which tend to peak at around 48 hours after your last cigarette. This is because nicotine, like cocaine, marijuana and heroin, increases levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that leads to a sense of pleasure and reward. Nicotine also creates effects of increased mental alertness and performance, and stimulates the release of hormones that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and inhibit pain. While most symptoms disappear within a few days, the hunger and tobacco cravings can persist for months. Quitting smoking is really difficult for many smokers: relapsing is common and sometimes it can take many attempts before cigarettes truly become a thing of the past.
For some people, using a nicotine replacement tool like the patch or gum to help wean off nicotine is what it takes, while others do it best “cold turkey.” The most important thing is to set your mind to quit and to do it, no matter what. If you don’t make it on the first try, keep trying… for your health and the health of those around you.
If you or someone you know wants to quit, HMDI suggests the following:
Resources for Smoking Cessation:
Additional References:
© 2010 Heart MD Institute, PA
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Healing engages the mind, body and spirit. Breathing bridges them.
Hatha Yoga
"Yoga is an ancient Sanskrit word meaning "union" - a perfect description of an approach to precious harmony between mind and body. There are six distinct schools of yoga, but the type known as hatha yoga is the most popular in the West. Hatha yoga is a seamless blend of exercise, meditation and breathing techniques to help the body achieve the natural balance that is the essence of good health.
Breathing exercises, known as pranayama, help the mind to focus for deep relaxation. Slow, deep breathing patterns improve respiratory health and increase lung capacity. We all tend to take breathing for granted - an autonomic response that we don't think about. Stress and tension can cause us to take shallow or irregular breaths. Learning to pay attention to breathing, especially during stressful situations, will help you stay calm and relaxed, and keep your blood pressure under control.
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Yoga poses, called asanas, balance and stretch your body, increasing flexibility, improving circulation and promoting relaxation. Dhyana, the meditational component of yoga, improves concentration and relieves mental stress. All three yoga components - breathing, postures, and meditation - work synergistically with one another." - Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks
The health of the body begins to deteriorate when its physical, emotional, and mental processes fail to work in harmony. Establishing health and balance within a person requires a multidisciplinary approach which may include elements of proper breathing, exercise, release of painful emotions and past traumas, energy enhancement, nutritional healing, reopening of the heart to love, and the development of a spiritual connection.
-Heartbreak and Heart Disease
