In the process of letting go of bad habits, the main thing is not to overdo the goal setting and achievement of goals. Very few are able to stop smoking here now once and for all. This is a long-term process with its own rewards and experiences. All of this is related to emotional, psychological and physiological characteristics. You can stop smoking on your own, but you need to do it correctly, reasonably and gradually.
We will try to discover all the twists and turns in this important but not easy matter. Experts have developed a formula for the success of a person who leaves an addiction, in the form of a calendar or graph with a detailed description of the changes that occur in the body. I wonder what happens to the body when you stop smoking. Let's try to find out.
Important: the consequences for the body during the day
During the transition to a healthy lifestyle, significant clinical changes occur in the body of an adult (heavy smoker), the emotional background and the physiological state change. Each new day to quit smoking differs from the previous one due to psychological problems and physical well-being. As they say, the main thing at the moment is not to break. Thus, we will present a picture of what is happening in the form of a diary, in which several consecutive days are noted and provided with a description of the current symptoms.
Quitting smoking: first day
When, finally, the decision to quit smoking is made definitively and irrevocably (even if not for the first time), it is necessary to gradually "enter" this process. To facilitate the transition from an unhealthy to a healthy lifestyle, it is important to know how the body will behave. On the first day of the "course" of a healthy lifestyle, the weakened body needs to get used to a new regime for itself and start the recovery processes. A sudden transition from one state to another can adversely affect general well-being and reduce determination. This is not only a physical test, but also a psychological one.
The main thing that happens to the body when you stop smoking: the amount of carbon monoxide decreases, the red blood cell transport improves and more oxygen enters the tissues. Even externally, on the first day after quitting, the "ex" smoker goes through a new state for himself, is more active, happy, confident in his own strength. The very ability to quit smoking without pain on the first day of the course convinces the heavy smoker of determination, in the presence of willpower. And this is important for overcoming nicotine cravings.
However, do not forget that on the first day the physiological changes characteristic of the body begin.
For example, what happens in a woman's body:
- slight dizziness,
- lack of appetite,
- weakness,
- anxiety,
- sleep disorders,
- insomnia.
What is the reason? An experienced smoker subjects his body to tests on the psychological-emotional and physiological levels. These profound processes are triggered that the body "cannot live" without nicotine.
Quitting smoking triggers other dramatic changes. Nicotine is not simply absorbed into the bloodstream, but it starts to affect blood flow. Therefore, it is important to take into account that, in general, the body will need at least one year to recover from smoking cessation. But for now, back to the diary to stop smoking.
Don't forget that on the first day after quitting smoking, the characteristic physiological changes in the body begin, for example, women experience slight dizziness.
Quitting smoking: second day
At this point, determination can take you down a bit - attacks will start to return to the old habit (at least not for long). Here's what happens in a man's body, for example. While the struggle takes place on an emotional level, the body undergoes no less dramatic changes: the respiratory organs are released from mucus and sedimentation components, the functions of the ciliated epithelium are restored, the state of the gastrointestinal tract improves, new cells appear in the tissues. The changes that occurred during this period on the emotional level are manifested in the form of euphoria, emotional excitability. But irritability can also appear. It all depends on self-hypnosis and self-discipline. Although sometimes drowsiness can be replaced abruptly with energy. On the second day after quitting, your appetite has not yet been completely restored (strange taste sensations may occur). You may also experience shortness of breath, cough and even stomach pain. During this period, the urge to urinate and difficulty falling asleep are more frequent. If we add nervous tension, for example, as a result of stress at work, then it is quite natural that itchy skin.
Smoking cessation: three and four days
Let's take a closer look at what happens to the body when you stop smoking. A number of factors affect how quickly the body will recover. In particular, the general condition and weakened immunity play a special role. Therefore, the nuances of therapy to quit smoking should be assessed at the cellular level. Each person has their own internal energy supply to fight addiction. Consequently, an individual approach is necessary. During the cleansing process, the body gets rid of toxins. Even the cell structure changes to trigger radical cleansing.
This is what happens to the body today:
- restoration of the ciliated epithelium in the tissues of Organs respiratory organs,
- in the pancreas, the alkaline fraction indicator increases,
- less mucus accumulates in the stomach,
- In general, blood circulation in the heart and brain improves.
A clear lack of desire to smoke begins to appear, peristalsis is normalized. At the same time, the ex-smoker's “withdrawal” increases, which has more psychological implications, nervousness arises. Quit smoking as if "I couldn't find a place for you", fighting a long-standing habit. In this context, there is an increase in appetite, "seizure" of sweets. Sometimes, the skin begins to peel and the fingers swell. When coughing, phlegm may appear in the throat.
Quitting smoking: five and six days
In the process of quitting smoking, many people use a special table or calendar for convenience, someone keeps a diary, recording their feelings in detail. This is useful when you need to identify associated symptoms and changes in the body. As it gets easier after a few days, a diary will help you contain and analyze your mistakes. From the fifth to the seventh day, a former smoker notices the following changes in his body: it is noticeable how the microtrauma of the skin started to heal more quickly; all segments of the respiratory system are restored (and the most distant as well); digestion returns to normal; at an invisible level, blood cells are eliminated from nicotine.
Normally, the end point in the process of fighting addiction is defined on the seventh day, when a person's physical addiction to smoking (smoke, smell) disappears. At the same time, there is no sense of psychological discomfort. But don't forget the likelihood of relapse. Interruptions happen anyway. When the euphoria passes, nervousness and aggressiveness arise. Even sleep problems can appear again. However, it is important to remember that it is not for long, that the main stage of life - quitting smoking - has been successfully completed and there is no motivation to return to the old life.
In the process of quitting smoking, many people use a special table or calendar for convenience, someone keeps a diary, recording their feelings in detail.
Quitting smoking: week two
After a week, it seems that Rubicão was passed and now you can live as a non-smoker, taking care of your daily worries calmly. But it rarely happens. The body certainly took a huge leap in the first week after quitting. However, sometimes even external factors (cigarette smoke and even your appearance, for example, when smoking around) can make a bad joke with an ex-smoker. Therefore, it is worth sharing your plans with friends and acquaintances, so that there is no temptation to stop "for the company".
It is worth listening to his body at this point, he has probably managed to get rid of nicotine. But this is not the end of the body's process of restoring nicotine addiction. You can help yourself by browsing an ex-smoker's calendar, seeing obvious changes in your work. It turns out that, from the second week on, the fight turns into a purely psychological plane. The desire to smoke can arise during stress, sadness, when seeing an active smoker at work. We must learn not to react to such external promises of a return to the past.
What will happen at the end of the second week?
In the past 14 days, a former smoker avoids nicotine addiction. At that moment, the following changes in his body can be noticed: cure of bronchitis and renewal of platelets. Although red cell renewal has not yet occurred. This may be due to vascular-vegetative manifestations. At the same time, you can see how the complexion improves, the yellowish hue of the fingers disappears and the acute cough gradually disappears. The longer the smoker's experience, the longer the symptoms will appear.
What happens in the first month after quitting?
On the 30th day after quitting smoking, the weight starts to decrease, the upper respiratory system is completely restored and psychological comfort is felt. At the same time, enthusiasm can be replaced by depression or sadness. Here again, as in the first week, it is important not to let go, to hold on, because the most difficult way to stop smoking has already been passed.
What happens from the second month after quitting?
From the second month of the recovery process from nicotine addiction and in the next three to four months, the ex-smoker (this is especially noticeable in women) acquires more pleasant facial features, the swelling decreases and the grayish tone of theface disappears, just like the couperose nets. And in the third month, there is an intensive restoration of the body's blood vessels. This indicates that the body's tone is finally returning to normal, as well as the fact that the "point of no return" has finally passed. The physical craving for smoking has weakened so much that one can calmly perceive another smoker beside him, without feeling torment. In general, there are noticeable improvements on the emotional, psychological and physical level. Good appetite is no longer a sign of a stress crisis, but simply associated with well-being.
What happens in the first year after quitting?
Now let's see what happens to the body when you stop smoking in the long run. Six months is an important milestone. At this stage in life, doctors observe the complete renewal of all systems in the body, when blood and cells are almost completely free of the toxic substance (nicotine). It seems that every new day it becomes easier to breathe. The lungs actually work more efficiently. A year is already a real experience for a former smoker. It is the period when the first serious results can be summarized. For example, you can congratulate yourself on the successful end of the event and simply enjoy a life without nicotine, which will surely bear fruit. Those who stop smoking reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 30-50 percent; lung cancer - by 80 percent; problems with the gastrointestinal tract - by 70 percent.
Willpower or alternatives
Many people who stop smoking have a false sense of how easy it is to achieve one goal by replacing one habit with another. But any psychoactive substances cause cravings for other addictions. Someone starts to smoke a cigarette, someone continues to smoke a pack of cigarettes, simply stretching it in time. Of course, smokers with twenty years of experience may find it more difficult than others. In this case, smoking cessation is cyclical, not abrupt. In any case, only one person can free himself for freedom, abandoning only one habit.