• Home

Bernd Meier

Home smoking smoking cessation Holiday stress can make former smokers relapse; here are ways to keep that from happening

Holiday stress can make former smokers relapse; here are ways to keep that from happening

Written by Unknown on 9:12 AM ,
People often smoke when they are stressed, and despite the famous holiday song that claims "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," the season often brings stress that makes many former smokers relapse.

Smoking doesn't really relieve stress, even though many smokers believe it does, The Cleveland Clinic says on its website. In fact, it actually causes a great deal of stress to the body.

The reason smokers think it relieves stress is because nicotine, the mood-altering drug in tobacco, causes the body to release a chemical called dopamine, which creates an initial sense of calm in the body. It also makes the body crave this sensation again and again. "This is a cruel illusion," says the website, because even though the body feels calm, it is really under a great deal of stress. Blood pressure and heart rate increase, muscles become tense, blood vessels constrict and less oxygen is available to the body when you smoke.

Kentucky has many former smokers; 26.5 percent of adults in the state smoke, down from 29 percent two years ago, according to America's Health Rankings. The NYU Langone Medical Center offers these tips to help those who have quit stay smoke-free:

  • Remind yourself of the reasons you quit in the first place. Write down the top three reasons you quit smoking and put them somewhere you can see daily.
  • Make an action plan for how you are going to handle your holiday triggers. Have a plan for every trigger.
  • If you feel the urge to smoke, don’t give in, and remember the 5Ds: Delay. Drink water. Do something else. Deep breathe. Discuss feelings with a friend or family member.
  • Reward yourself for staying tobacco-free.
If you relapse, take the immediate steps to get help. Talk to your health-care provider about nicotine replacement therapy. Quit Now Kentucky also offers one-on-one counseling for tobacco users who are ready to quit using tobacco products, call 1-800-784-8669.
Tweet
Newer Post Older Post

Popular Posts

  • Lexington is considering whether to add electronic cigarettes to its anti-smoking ordinance
    The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council will discuss whether to expand its smoking ban to include electronic cigarettes, possibly as earl...
  • As part of UK campus food deal, Aramark puts up $5 million for Food Connection, vows to purchase Kentucky products
    By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The University of Kentucky has entered a $5 million public-private partnership designed to promote ...
  • Heavy use of e-cigarettes may deliver big doses of formaldehyde, which can be a cause of lung cancer, study suggests
    Vapor produced by electronic cigarettes can contain a surprisingly high concentration of formaldehyde—a known carcinogen that can cause lun...
  • Ten common myths about diabetes busted
    Kentucky ranks 17th in diabetes, and many Kentuckians are newly diagnosed every year with the disease, usually Type 2 diabetes. The diagnosi...
  • Ky. ranks 8th in the number of high-prescribing Medicare physicians for powerful narcotic painkillers and stimulants
    Kentucky ranks eighth in Medicare physicians who are considered "high prescribers" of Schedule 2 medications, drugs that have the ...
  • Newport school board's smoking ban, which includes e-cigarettes, would be 38th among 173 Kentucky school districts
    The Newport Independent Board of Education  passed the first reading of a proposed smoking ban Wednesday, Jan. 28 after adding electronic ci...
  • Millions of children on Medicaid are missing free check-ups; Kentucky is a little below the national average
    Millions of low-income children across the country aren't getting free preventive exams and screenings guaranteed by Medicaid, and some ...
  • Obamacare seems to be no plus for Kentucky Democrats, perhaps mainly because of the word's first three syllables
    Though the federal health-reform law has helped cover more than half a million Kentuckians and cut the state's uninsured population by h...
  • McConnell seeks 'timely and fair review' of plan for Medicare coverage of CT scans for those at high risk for lung cancer
    U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell asked Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to "give a timely and fair r...
  • Research suggests eating only during a nine- to 12-hour time period can help maintain healthy weight
    For a long time, scientists supposed that eating after midnight was unhealthy, but now a study has provided support for the notion. When sci...
Bernd Meier © . All Rights Reserved. Powered by Blogger