Can you imagine waking up one day and simply deciding to quit smoking cigarettes for good? For many smokers struggling to quit, it might feel like just a distant dream.
However, some people have managed to quit suddenly and successfully, often due to personal reasons like health issues, the loss of a loved one to smoking, or strong positive influences in their lives.
Keep reading to find out whether or not it’s possible to quit the habit quickly and permanently.
The Viability of ‘Sudden’ Loss of Nicotine Addiction
If you’ve been smoking for a long time, managing nicotine addiction can be really tough. Even the most prepared and motivated smokers often feel like they’re stuck dealing with intense withdrawals and cravings.
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While it might seem nearly impossible that a sudden burst of motivation or a specific situation could lead to quitting overnight, it can actually happen. Let’s explore some scenarios where a smoker might find themselves suddenly motivated and able to quit smoking for good in a surprisingly short time.
A Possibility of Lung Cancer
No one wants their motivation to quit smoking to come from a serious illness like cancer, but for many long-time smokers, this is a harsh reality. If you suddenly find yourself repulsed by cigarettes after years of smoking a pack a day—it could be a sign of lung cancer.
Research has shown that many smokers who suddenly felt unwell while smoking and quit abruptly after years of heavy tobacco use were at a high risk of developing lung cancer.
Unfortunately, after having their lungs checked by professionals, many of these former smokers received the bad news.
This serves as a reminder that it’s crucial to invest in regular check-ups, especially if you currently smoke or have smoked heavily in the past, to stay on top of your health.
Minor Brain Damage
Brain damage can occur when blood flow to the brain is restricted, like in a stroke, or from a knock to the head. Some survivors who came through with only minor issues have noticed big changes in their behaviour—like suddenly losing the urge to smoke.
This shift is down to a major reset in dopamine levels, the chemical in your brain that’s key to forming habits and getting hooked on things like nicotine.
Researchers have found that these changes are linked to damage in the insula, the part of the brain that plays a big role in habit formation and addiction.
While intentionally damaging the insula to quit smoking isn’t on the cards, scientists are looking into ways to temporarily switch off this part of the brain to support addiction recovery.
Influenced By Others
Is it possible to stop smoking instantly without developing cancer or suffering brain damage? Thankfully yes – this time with the help of the people around us.
As a social species, people are heavily influenced by those they care about, work with, and idolise. If the same people have created a supportive environment that encourages quitting smoking, some smokers might just consider stopping.
In some cases, a person’s inner circle that strongly disapproves of smoking can motivate a person to quit abruptly. For example, it could be having a parent lose their battle with a smoking-related disease, or becoming a new parent yourself.
But, depending on the influence of others alone to stop smoking overnight isn’t a sustainable practice. Even if you’re feeling completely motivated, it’s much better to continue through a reliable process.
How to Achieve Sustainable Smoking Cessation
It’s amazing to hear stories of suddenly quitting smoking without any withdrawals, but at best, luck plays a big role in these situations (except for people who quit because of lung cancer or brain damage).
If you really want to end cigarettes for good, here are the steps we recommend that you take.
Consult a GP: GPs can provide personalised advice and support and create customised smoking cessation plans that have helped many ex-smokers succeed. They can also prescribe quitting tools to handle withdrawals and improve your chances of quitting.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Products: NRT involves the use of lozenges, gum, and patches to cushion the impact of withdrawal during your early weeks of quitting. While effective, it doesn’t always work for everyone.
Pharmacy Nicotine Vaping Products (NVPs): NVPs from pharmacies are a second-line solution after NRT products. Unlike their illegal counterparts, NVP products sold in pharmacies are made under stringent pharmaceutical standards on the manufacturing process and ingredients, are toxicologically assessed for inhalation, are locally insured, and are specifically designed to help you stop smoking.
Furthermore, they’re much better than NRT lozenges and other tools – the latest Cochrane Review found high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRT in helping people stop smoking
Creating a Supportive Environment: As mentioned, a supportive environment with people who understand your goals and provide encouragement throughout your quitting journey makes it easier to quit and learn to socialise without the need for a ciggy.
Joining a Smoking Cessation Group: Aside from having a supportive environment, smokers can also join a smoking cessation group for additional support and guidance. Having an empathetic and caring community significantly increases your chances of quitting the habit.
Summary
Quickly stopping smoking is more of a luck-based approach to quitting, meaning it isn’t sustainable.
While many fortunate smokers who have survived lung cancers and brain injuries were able to shake off smoking easily, it doesn’t mean they have a viable solution to the problem.
Still, having the help of a supportive environment, experts, and community is much more sustainable and practical than a quit-smoking-quick approach to kicking ciggies out of your life.
We know you’re reading this because you want a quick way to stop smoking. We hope that you’re not too disappointed knowing that the long way is still the best way. What you probably want is a quitting method that really works – we can help.
Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around!
If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.
Link Reference
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301091119.htm
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301091119.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3698860/
- https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-12-42
- https://www.cochrane.org/news/latest-cochrane-review-finds-high-certainty-evidence-nicotine-e-cigarettes-are-more-effective