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The ICAN smoking cessation treatment helps you conquer the physiological aspect of your nicotine addiction by greatly minimizing or eliminating your nicotine withdrawal symptoms. However, nicotine addiction has an extremely strong behavioral aspect to it as well.
Consider the number of times you smoke, dip or chew a day. Multiply that by the length of time you’ve been using tobacco products. For example, if you take 10 puffs per cigarette X 20 cigarettes a day X 365 days a year, you’re performing 73,000 puffs a year. So, it’s only natural that repeating the same activity over and over is part of your daily behavior. Whether or not you’ve recognized it, smoking, dipping or chewing has become ingrained in your psyche.
Also, you probably associate smoking, dipping or chewing with positive experiences, such as enjoying coffee or drinks with friends. Or as a calming influence, like taking a cigarette break during a stressful workday.
At ICAN, we have found that to most effectively address your nicotine addiction, you should consider all of its influences on your life – physiological as well as behavioral.
Which is why we’ve provided the following list of actions that you should take both before and after you receive your ICAN treatment. By combining the ICAN treatment with the suggestions below, you can take control of your nicotine addiction and increase your chances of remaining nicotine free for the rest of your life.
Prior To Your ICAN Treatment – Getting Ready for Your Life as a Nonsmoker
Set a Quit Date. Write down the date of your ICAN appointment in an obvious place. Put a note on your calendar, refrigerator or bathroom mirror stating that the day of your ICAN
appointment is the date that you have set to break
your nicotine addiction.
Get Support and Encouragement. You have a better chance of being successful if you
have help. Tell your family, friends and coworkers
that you are going to quit and you want and need
their support. Give them your actual quit date. If
your friends or family use tobacco products, ask
them not to use them around you and not to leave
them out in the open for you to see.
Change Your Environment. This may seem
obvious, but be sure to get rid of ALL cigarettes
and ashtrays in your home, car and place of work! Make sure you also clean up
your smoking area no matter where it is.
Review Your Past Attempts to Quit.
Think about what may have caused you to relapse in
the past, such as socializing with smokers, drinking
alcohol or experiencing a stressful situation, and
resolve to avoid the situations, if at all possible.
Think about how you may deal differently with those
stressful events that can’t be avoided. This will
happen and you need to be prepared because you will
think of having that cigarette.
After Your ICAN Treatment - Your Life as a Nonsmoker
Because of the behavioral aspects of your addiction, it is likely that you may think about having a cigarette after the treatment. This is normal. However,
because your treatment has eliminated or greatly reduced your physical withdrawal symptoms, saying “No” to your past behaviors will be much easier.
Take Action. Avoid the break areas at work, where tobacco users frequent. Avoid parties where alcohol and tobacco are present. Doing this will initially allow you to become comfortable as a non smoker.
Distract Yourself. When you think about having a cigarette or taking a dip or chew of tobacco, distract yourself from your thought. Talk to someone, go for a walk, get busy with a task or take deep cleansing breaths. If possible, get up and move around. Get a drink of water. You will be amazed at how quickly the thought will pass.
Change your Routine. To counter your mind’s desire to act as you have always acted, alter your routine. You’ve associated nicotine use with pleasurable times in the past, and you want to have that comfort now in times of anxiety. At ICAN, we understand that this happens. If you think about that having a cigarette, think about it and then let it go! But if you think you can get away with just one puff, you’re wrong. It will only lead you to finishing that cigarette then onto another and another. Before you know it, you are smoking again. Drive a different route to work. Eat breakfast in a different place. Literally, get up on the other side of the bed. The opportunities to make simple changes are nearly limitless and could help you to avoid falling back into old daily habits.
Drink lots of Water. Nicotine is a poison. Your body wants to eliminate it from your system and it does so very quickly. To help your body cleanse itself, drink lots of water and eat healthy foods.
No Alcohol. We advise you not to consume alcohol until you have finished all of your follow-up medication. Alcohol can lower your inhibitions, making you think you can take just one puff or dip. Better to avoid the temptation all together.
Avoid Other Smokers. As with alcohol, until you have remained tobacco free for at least a few weeks, avoid socializing with others who are smoking or using tobacco. Remember to tell your friends and family that you have quit and that you need their help and understanding. Make them a part of the process.
Positive Thinking. During the day, quietly repeat to yourself, "I am a nonsmoker." Many quitters see themselves as smokers who are just not smoking for the moment. They have a self-image as smokers who still want a cigarette. Silently repeating, "I am a nonsmoker" will help you change your view of yourself, and, even if it may seem silly to you, this is actually useful. Use it!
Reward Yourself. Early on, do something nice for yourself on a daily basis. Take the money that you previously spent on nicotine and put it in a jar. Use this to treat yourself to something you have always wanted. You’ll be amazed at how fast the money adds up.
What if I Relapse?
At ICAN, we understand that sometimes life throws you a curve that you just weren’t expecting – a death in the family, divorce or job loss for example. Whatever the reason, we know that a few people may succumb to these stressful situations and begin smoking again. Don’t worry. At ICAN, we understand, and we stand behind our treatment.
Should you relapse and start using tobacco again within one year of your treatment,
ICAN will retreat you for only the cost of
the medication and the treating physician’s visit..
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