The Addiction Spectrum by Paul Thomas M.D

Author:Paul Thomas, M.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

So What Actually Helps People Quit Smoking?

It’s really hard to stop smoking. Many of you manage to kick other highly addictive drug habits—heroin, cocaine—and still find yourself spending money you don’t have on packs of cigarettes and dip. You need to have a true desire to quit, a supportive environment, and workable strategies to redirect your need to have something in your hands and in your mouth. It’s a fact that a doctor’s recommendation to quit, individual counseling, phone counseling, and group therapy will increase your success to kick the tobacco habit. Experiment with other ways to keep your hands busy—try a puzzle pen, a fidget spinner, a Rubik’s cube, or knitting. Try natural gum, toothpicks, or unshelled peanuts or sunflower seeds (that you have to dehusk) to have something in your mouth.

It won’t be easy—you may experience anxiety, agitation, and some weight gain. After you quit, stay on guard and be vigilant for triggers that prompt you to buy cigarettes. Just as most alcoholics cannot safely take a drink, tobacco smokers cannot safely have just one cigarette.

Your doctor may recommend bupropion, an antidepressant thought to help people stop smoking by increasing dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin and decreasing nicotine withdrawal. Bupropion should be avoided if you have a history of seizures. Doctors also sometimes prescribe varenicline, a medication that binds to your nicotine receptors to block you from feeling the pleasurable effects of smoking. Varenicline should be avoided if you have a risk of depression or suicide. Some of my patients have been successful quitting cigarettes with the help of bupropion. I don’t use varenicline in my practice, because I am wary of medication that carries a suicide risk.

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