Why is it so difficult to quit smoking?

China is the country with the highest lung cancer incidence, which is closely related to the fact that China has 350 million smokers, which ranks first in the world. Statistics show that if you smoke more than 5 cigarettes a day, 1 in 4 people will die from lung cancer. 90% of lung cancer patients are related to smoking.

If that’s the case, why do so many people still smoke?

According to the Chinese tobacco epidemiological survey data: 17.6% of smokers want to quit smoking; 31.5% of smokers have tried to quit smoking in the past year; each smoker tries to quit smoking about 1 to 2 times a year, but nearly half of those who quit will relapse within less than a week.

So, what is the reason for cigarettes that attracts so many smokers? Generally speaking, the addiction to cigarettes mainly comes from the physiological addiction of the brain, the psychological comfort dependence and the habit of smoking.

When nicotine enters the brain, it triggers the secretion of dopamine and activates the brain's reward mechanism, so smokers will feel refreshed. As nicotine is metabolized, dopamine levels drop, and people will experience withdrawal symptoms and feel uncomfortable. They can only rely on the next cigarette to provide a refreshing feeling, and fall into an endless cycle.

Many smokers think that smoking will make them more energetic. In fact, it is just the withdrawal reaction when they don’t smoke that makes them feel "not energetic". Smoking just makes them feel back to normal.

Therefore, it is understandable that up to 80% of smokers who quit smoking are eventually "slapped in the face". After all, who can tolerate being in an "abnormal" state for a long time? After knowing the truth, the old smokers couldn't help but take a deep puff and exclaimed, "It smells so good!"

Smoking habit refers to the unconscious hand and mouth movements of a smoker to light, hold, suck and smoke a cigarette. For a heavy smoker, this series of movements is so smooth and coherent that it has become an unconscious habitual behavior and conditioned reflex.

For some smokers, if they don’t have a cigarette in their hands or in their mouths, they feel weird and uncomfortable.

Sometimes, they only remember that they are trying to quit smoking after they have brought the cigarette to their lips and lit it. Smoking has become a part of their lives, and it is extremely difficult to quit.

Studies have shown that if the average life expectancy is 80 years, smoking will shorten the life of smokers by 12 years on average. Are veteran smokers worried that my country will enter an aging society, so they are taking the initiative to help the country?

Jokes aside, the best way for heavy smokers to exceed their average life expectancy is to quit smoking.

If a heavy smoker wants to quit smoking, he must start by getting rid of the physical and psychological dependence. First of all, make up your mind to quit smoking. You can't just express your attitude casually or quit on a whim. This "Buddhist smoking cessation method" will never get rid of the "real fragrance" effect.

When quitting smoking, you should consciously stay away from smoking areas. Staring at others smoking will only make you more restless and want to take a puff. Reduce all conditions that may induce smoking, such as tobacco, lighters, cigarette holders, etc., throw them away, give them away, or bury them in a pit.

When you feel the urge to smoke, you can drink water, eat some snacks, keep your hands and mouth busy, and find something interesting to do to distract your attention. You can also try smoking cessation drugs, take them under the guidance of a doctor, choose the right product, and use the right dose at the right time to achieve the greatest effect.

If smokers want to break the embarrassment of being repeatedly "slapped in the face", they might as well quit smoking within a period of 3 months: the main reason for relapse within 3 months is the painful withdrawal symptoms caused by physical dependence; and the main reason for relapse after 3 months is the induction of psychological addiction, environment and unexpected events.

Quitting smoking in stages within a three-month period is because the physiological dependence of the brain nerves will be very weak after three months, and there will be no strong stage reaction and physical discomfort even if you do not smoke.

In short, thousands of words can be summed up in one sentence: Quitting smoking is not easy, so cherish your time while you quit.