Giving up cigarettes would be easy as pie, if it weren’t for the effect of quitting smoking. Nicotine is a physically addictive substance, which means that your body goes through various withdrawal symptoms before it finally overcomes its dependence. Because of this, many people find that quitting cigarettes is extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible, for them to do.
The first thing that people who give up smoking notice is that they start craving it during the times of day that they’d normally be smoking. These cravings can take the form of irritability, being short-tempered, restlessness, or agitation. The ironic thing is that nicotine is actually a stimulant, which means that you could reasonably expect smoking to produce these effects, instead of lessen them. However, the fact is that satisfying the body’s nicotine cravings by having a cigarette reduces these feelings, causing smokers to feel calmer, more relaxed, and happier.
The next effect that giving up cigarettes has on a person is that they often find themselves coughing more, as the cilia in their throat and lungs begin to grow back, and their body begins to fight to get rid of months’ or years’ worth of accumulated tar and other smoking debris. Eventually, this coughing will go away, though that might depend on the extent of the lung damage a smoker has caused themselves.
After that, many people find that they can’t tolerate the smell of cigarettes anymore. Cigarette odor is offensive to most people, but those who quit are often made extra-sensitive to it. These people aren’t just no longer able to tolerate the smell of a burning cigarette, they often find that the smell of smoke clinging to clothing, hair, or the interior of their car or home is absolutely intolerable to them.
Many people will end up gaining weight when they quit smoking. This is because of a variety of reasons- for one, nicotine is a stimulant, and stimulants help control appetite. Secondly, cigarettes reduce many people’s senses of taste and smell. When they quit, these senses gradually come back, and food may suddenly seem more appealing than it did before. Lastly, cigarettes foster an oral habit in a lot of people. When they quit, they find that they feel the need to have something in their mouths, so they snack more often. All of these can lead to weight gain, if quitters aren’t careful.
Lastly, the most important effect of quitting smoking is on a former smoker’s lifespan. No matter how long someone has smoked, quitting can help them live longer and be healthier. It reduces their risk of things like bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, heart disease, and cancer. It helps reduce the body’s likelihood of aging prematurely, and helps people exercise more easily without becoming out of breath and tired. This effect is the most important reason why anyone who isn’t smoking should never try it, and anyone who is smoking should quit.
Smoking is, for many people, a relaxing and enjoyable activity. However, the long-term effects are undesirable, and often tragic. Compared to the effect of continuing to smoke long-term, even the worst effect of quitting smoking is a breeze.
For a complete guide on how to stop smoking in about 38 minutes even if everything else you’ve tried has failed, click here:
