In the process of giving up bad habits, the main thing is not to overdo it with the definition and realization of goals. Very few people are able to quit smoking here now once and for all. This is a long-term process with its setbacks and experiences. All this is connected with emotional, psychological and physiological characteristics. You can quit smoking on your own, but you need to do it correctly, reasonably, gradually.
Let's try to understand all the twists and turns of this important but not easy question. Experts have developed a formula for the success of a person coming out of an addiction, in the form of a calendar or a chart with a detailed description of the changes taking place in the body. I wonder what happens to the body when you stop smoking. Let's try to figure it 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 change in the physiological state. Each new day of quitting smoking differs from the previous one against the background of psychological problems and physical well-being. As they say, the main thing right now is not to break. Then, we will present a picture of what is happening in the form of a diary, in which a number of calendar days are noted and provided with a description of the current symptoms.
Quitting smoking: first day
When, finally, the decision to quit smoking is finally and irrevocably made (although 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 switch from one state to another can adversely affect overall well-being and reduce resolution. 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 transport of erythrocytes improves and more oxygen enters the tissues. Even outwardly, the first day after quitting smoking, the "ex" smoker enjoys a new state for himself, he is more active, cheerful, confident in his own strength. The same ability to painlessly give up the habit of smoking on the first day of the course convinces the strong smoker of determination, in the presence of willpower. This is important in overcoming the craving for nicotine.
However, do not forget that the characteristic physiological changes in the body begin on the first day.
For example, what happens in a woman's body:
- slight dizziness
- lack of appetite,
- weakness,
- anxiety,
- sleep disturbances,
- insomnia.
What is the reason? An experienced smoker tests his or her body on an emotional-psychological and physiological level. Processes are triggered so deep that the body "cannot live" without nicotine.
Quitting smoking causes other radical changes. Nicotine is not simply absorbed into the bloodstream, it begins to affect the bloodstream. Therefore, it is important to consider that, in general, the body will need at least a year to recover from quitting smoking. But for now, let's go back to the diary to quit smoking.
Do not forget that on the first day you quit smoking, the characteristic physiological changes in the body begin, for example, women experience mild dizziness.
Quitting smoking: second day
Right now, determination can let you down a little: the attacks will start to revert to the old habit (at least not for long). This is 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 freed from mucus and settling components, the functions of the ciliated epithelium are restored, the state of the gastrointestinal tract improves, new cells appear in thefabrics. The changes that occur during this period on an emotional level manifest themselves in the form of euphoria, emotional excitability. But irritability can also appear. It all depends on self-hypnosis and self-discipline. Although sometimes sleepiness can suddenly be replaced by energy. On the second day after quitting smoking, the appetite has not yet been fully restored (strange taste sensations may occur). You may also experience shortness of breath, cough, and even stomach pain. During this time, urges to urinate and difficulty falling asleep are more common. If you add to this nervous tension, for example, due to stress at work, then it is quite natural for it to itch on the skin.
Quitting smoking: days three and four
Let's consider further what happens to the body when you stop smoking. A complex of factors affects how quickly the body will recover. In particular, the general condition and weakened immunity play a special role. Therefore, the nuances of smoking cessation therapy should be judged at the cellular level. Each person has their own internal energy supply to fight addiction. Consequently, an individual approach is required. During the purification process, the body gets rid of toxins. Cell structure also changes to trigger radical cleansing.
This is what happens to the body these days:
- restoration of ciliated epithelium on the tissues of the respiratory organs,
- in the pancreas increases the indicator of alkaline fractions,
- less mucus accumulates in the stomach,
- In general, blood circulation in the heart and brain improves.
A clear reluctance to smoke begins to manifest, peristalsis normalizes. At the same time, the ex-smoker's "withdrawal" increases, which has more psychological implications, nervousness appears. Quitting smoking as if it "can't find a place for itself", struggling with a long-term habit. Against this background, there is an increase in appetite, "seizure" of sweets. Sometimes the skin begins to peel off and the fingers swell. When coughing, phlegm may appear in the throat.
Quitting smoking: fifth and sixth day
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 it is necessary to identify symptoms and associated changes in the body. As it gets easier after a few days, a journal will help you hold back and analyze your mistakes. From the fifth to the seventh day, a former smoker notices the following changes in his body: it is evident that the microtraumas on the skin have started to heal faster; all segments of the respiratory system are restored (and even the most distant ones); digestion returns to normal; at an invisible level, blood cells are cleared of nicotine.
Usually, the end point of the process of fighting addiction is set at the seventh day, when a person's physical dependence on cigarettes (smoke, smell) disappears. At the same time, there is no feeling of psychological discomfort. But don't forget the likelihood of relapse. The interruptions happen anyway. When the euphoria passes, nervousness and aggression appear. Sleep problems can also recur. 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: second week
After a week, it seems that the Rubicon has passed and you can now live as a non-smoker, calmly engaging in everyday worries. But this rarely happens. The body definitely took a big leap in the first week of quitting smoking. However, sometimes external factors (cigarette smoking and even their appearance, for example, when they smoke nearby) can also make a bad joke with an ex-smoker. Therefore, it is worth sharing your projects with friends and acquaintances, so that there is no temptation to interrupt "for the company".
Your body is worth listening to right now, it has probably already lost the nicotine habit. But this is not the end of the body's recovery process from nicotine addiction. You can help yourself by browsing an ex-smoker's calendar, seeing noticeable changes in the work on yourself. It turns out that, starting from the second week, the struggle turns into a purely psychological plan. The desire to smoke can arise during stress, sadness, at the sight of an active smoker at his work. We must learn not to react to such external promises of a return to the past.
What happens by the end of the second week?
It's been 14 days since a former smoker refrained from nicotine addiction. By this time, the following changes in his body can be noted: the healing of bronchitis and the renewal of platelets. Although the renewal of red blood cells has not yet occurred. This may be due to vegetative-vascular manifestations. At the same time, you can see how the complexion improves, the yellowish tint 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 you quit smoking?
On the 30th day of cessation of cigarettes, the weight begins to decrease, the upper respiratory system is fully restored and psychological comfort is felt. At the same time, enthusiasm can be replaced by depression or the blues. Here too, as in the first week, it is important not to break free, to resist, because the hardest way to quit smoking has already passed.
What happens from the second month you quit smoking?
From the second month of the nicotine addiction recovery process and for the next three to four months, the former smoker (this is especially noticeable in women) acquires more pleasant facial features, the swelling subsides and thegreyish tint on the face disappears, as do couperose nets. And in the third month, an intense restoration of blood vessels in the body occurs. This indicates that the body tone is finally returning to normal, as well as the fact that the "point of no return" has finally passed. The physical craving for tobacco has weakened so much that one can calmly feel another smoker next to him, without feeling torment. In general, there are significant improvements on an emotional, psychological and physical level. A good appetite is no longer a sign of a stress crisis, but simply associated with well-being.
What happens within the first year after I quit smoking?
Now let's take a look at what happens to the body when you quit smoking in the long term. Six months is an important milestone. At this stage of life, doctors note the complete renewal of all systems of the body, when the blood and cells are almost completely freed from the toxic substance (nicotine). It seems like every new day it gets easier to breathe. The lungs really work more efficiently. One year is already a real experience of a former smoker. This is the period in which the first serious results can be summarized. For example, you can congratulate yourself on the successful conclusion of the event and enjoy a nicotine-free life, which is sure to pay off. Those who quit smoking reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 30-50%; lung cancer - by 80%; problems with the gastrointestinal tract - by 70 percent.
Willpower or alternatives
Many people who quit smoking have a false sense of how easy it is to achieve a goal by replacing one habit with another. But any psychoactive substance causes cravings for other addictions. Someone switches to light cigarettes, someone continues to smoke a pack of cigarettes, simply stretching it over 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 a person himself can free himself by giving up a single habit.