5 Common Obstacles on the Path to Quit Smoking
Smoking is a deadly habit and everyone who smokes already knows that. Unfortunately, that is seldom (if ever) enough to make a smoker quit because nicotine addiction is a very strong pull to get away from. Even when people try to quit smoking after years
However, if we take the time to understand what the obstacles are that keep most smokers from quitting, we could better prepare for them. On that note, here are five of the most common issues that keep us from quitting cigarettes completely, alongside a bit of guidance on how to get over them.
Stress
Once you are truly able to quit smoking cigarettes, you will actually experience stress relief, but before that time comes and during the initial stages, you will have to deal with a lot of stress that comes automatically with nicotine withdrawal. The majority of smokers who seriously try to quit smoking but fail, owe their failure to this particular side effect of nicotine withdrawal. A common mistake is to believe you can counter this effect by smoking less, but studies show otherwise. Apparently, people who reduce the number of cigarettes per day, feel more stressed out than those who quit smoking altogether. Nevertheless, stress related to nicotine withdrawal is inevitable in both situations.
Social Pressure
This one is a very real problem and harder to overcome than most people realize. Just like in cases of alcohol addiction, social pressure is one of the biggest obstacles on the road to quitting cigarettes. Each time a friend or a fellow smoker offers a cigarette to someone who is trying to quit smoking, his/her resolve is tested. Over the course of time, this could be the very reason why that person ultimately fails to quit smoking. On the other hand, if an ardent smoker decides to quit smoking completely and with unwavering resolve, it might just inspire those around him/her to do the same as well.
Oral Fixation and Weight Gain
As human beings, oral fixation is a subconscious habit that’s more addictive than our conscious minds are ever aware of. Every smoker who quits will often feel the need to chew fingernails or eat constantly. This occurs because the subconscious tries to replace the action of holding a cigarette to your lips and in your fingers through other means. Now, this symptom, coupled with the fact that your appetite increases rapidly when you quit smoking nicotine, can and often does lead to weight gain. Smokers are found to use this fact as an excuse to justify a relapse.
Brain Fog
When you go cold turkey and completely stop smoking, you might actually start to feel dumber! It is disconcerting to know that your brain isn’t working like it’s supposed to and there’s very little that you can do about it, short of lighting a cigarette. As brain fog usually affects every part of one’s social, official, and personal life, most smokers end up lighting a cigarette to clear that fog away. However, you don’t necessarily have to relapse into smoking cigarettes because that feeling of being in a mental shroud can also be cleared away by doing any of the following as well.
- Try more of the other stimulants like coffee or even caffeine supplements
- Go for a morning session of cardiovascular exercise
- Switch to e-cigs and vape instead of smoking to clear away the fog
No-Smoking Treatments are Expensive
Not everyone who smokes can afford smoking cessation treatments, even if they want to, and that is a very practical and relatable problem since these treatments are certainly not cheap. However, there is another way. The best way to quit smoking on your own and without experiencing any of the withdrawal symptoms is to go online and order your starter kit from a vape shop which you can find on greyhaze.co.uk alongside a breakdown of the products in each kit to help guide you.
While a big part of the world is yet to learn, the NHS in the UK has published multiple studies which prove beyond doubt that vaping is significantly safer than smoking in every possible way. You can read more on those studies here: https://www.nhs.uk/news/heart-and-lungs/long-term-vaping-far-safer-than-smoking-says-landmark-study/.
The best part is that on switching over to vaping, nobody experiences any of the withdrawal symptoms such as stress, oral fixation, and brain fog because they are still supplying their body with the nicotine that it’s used to, but in smaller doses, and without the additional tar, smoke, and other carcinogenic chemicals that are formed on burning tobacco.
These are the top five most common obstacles that almost everyone who is trying to quit smoking has faced in various degrees, but they are certainly not the only ones. Nevertheless, things have become much easier over the course of the last couple of years, ever since the potential of vaping was realized in the United Kingdom and the availability of online vape shops made it possible for anyone to try and switch realistically, rather than quitting right away.