Quitting smokeless tobacco is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. It will take all the willpower you can muster, but quitting, and staying quit, is absolutely possible. It’s important to get all the support you can. Tell your doctor, dentist, friends, family, coworkers and others about your decision so they can encourage you, especially in moments when you may feel tempted to use tobacco again.
One of the hardest things about quitting is going through withdrawal. Remember how we said that nicotine affects those “feel good” areas of your brain? Well, now your body has physiologically adapted to the effects of nicotine. When you stop using it, your body doesn’t function the same way as it did when you gave it nicotine. These brain and body function changes can produce some uncomfortable symptoms – irritability, anxiety, depression and cravings for more nicotine. The important thing to know is that these symptoms are temporary.
Once you decide to quit, you need to:
· Pick a quit date. Choose a date a least a week away so you can prepare to quit.
· Write down your reasons for quitting. Keep them in a place where you can review them each day.
· Cut back on smokeless tobacco before you quit. In the week before your quit date, reduce the amount of smokeless tobacco you use each day and the number of times you use it in a day.
· Build support before you quit. In addition to your family and friends, your doctor can be an especially good resource for you when you decide to quit. Talk to him/her about nicotine replacement products and if they are right for you.
· Get ready to quit. Trash any remaining smokeless tobacco you have at home, work or in your car. Also throw away any accessory items like spittoons, can holders and lids. Buy smokeless tobacco substitutes like gum, sunflower seeds or dried fruit.
· Quit on your quit day. Do something special for yourself and stay busy
If you can stay off smokeless tobacco for two weeks, your body rids itself of the addicting nicotine. In about a month after quitting, withdrawal symptoms settle and your body begins to function more normally.
What if you slip up? If you start using smokeless tobacco again, it does not mean you can't quit. Review your original reasons for quitting and think about what triggered you to start again. Try to avoid the same trigger the next time. Lean on your support network, and most importantly, don't give up!
The following link will provide you with more information about the dangers of smokeless tobacco and how to quit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/smokelesstobacco.html
For more information on quitting smokeless tobacco, visit anthem.com. Also visit the following sites:
National Cancer Institute - www.cancer.gov
American Cancer Society – www.cancer.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – www.cdc.gov
National Institutes of Health – www.nih.gov
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Sources:
National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov
National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov
This information is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice. Please consult your physician for advice about changes that may affect your health.