Quit Smoking!

What do you call a person who kills himself slowly over a long period of time? A psychopath? No, you call him a smoker. “Smoking is injurious to health.” How many times do we often see this message in our day to day life. Being a smoker myself, I have to tell you I see it a lot. My name is Anand and I am going to share my story of being a smoker and how I got rid of it. It does pain me for a moment when I see it on the pack of cigarettes when I am about to light. It makes me question my conscience about what I was doing with my life? Why am I giving myself a slow and painful death? But, the addiction takes over the conscience pretty quickly and I get back to lighting one up.

I’ve tried to quit smoking. I’ve tried it many times. But, it was never successful. Sometimes I went back to it in a week, sometimes a month. The truth is I became addicted to it. I have become slave to it. And no addiction is good for you, especially if it’s something that is killing you every time you take a puff. I wanted to quit but I couldn’t.

But one fine day I took a conscious

decision for the well being of myself. I said to myself that I can’t let this keep on going. I have to stop it. That fine day was No Tobacco Day around 2 years ago. No Tobacco Day urges you to stop smoking for just that day but the awareness I got from

the sessions I attended that day had a profound impact on me. I also took the help of Apollo Hospitals Smoke Cessation Clinic. Their tailor made sessions lead by a team of doctors and

counsellors has helped me stay motivated, tobacco free and avoid relapse. With the help of their support, I eventually found the will to quit smoking. On this No Tobacco Day, I urge you also take this step and say no to smoking.

Quick Facts About Tobacco

• Tobacco is a plant and its leaves are chewed, smoked, or sniffed.

• Tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive chemical.

• Tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, and 69 of them cause cancer.

• Consuming tobacco over a long time leads to many health problems.

• Tobacco kills about half of its users.

• At least one in two people are exposed to secondhand smoking in India.

According to the statistics, there are about a million tobacco deaths in India each year; and despite bans on advertising, sale and smoking in public areas, it has been reported that more than one in every 3 adults in India uses some form of tobacco.

De addiction

There may be many approaches to deal with tobacco abuse; but the treatment that encompasses strengthening of mind to quit the

habit and building a desire to lead a happy, healthy life is the best bet. Another advantage is that since there is no use of sedatives or tranquillisers, de­addiction comes naturally, without any side effects. Some of the methods followed for de addiction are:

Diet Therapy:

Increased consumption of complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables) is suggested to increase the level of serotonin in the brain and induce a calming effect.

Hydrotherapy:

If the withdrawal symptoms make the person too anxious, a neutral bath (with water having temperature similar to body temperature) is used after a body massage, to unwind the mind and sedate the body.

Massage:

A full body massage followed by a well balanced vegetarian meal and a glass of warm milk at bedtime ensures a relaxed state of mind.

Yoga Meditation:

Pranayama or controlled breathing exercises coupled with specific asanas and meditation, aid to bring the patient closer to his own self and instil strength to fight back the addiction.

If you or your near ones are suffering from any ​diseases  because of tobacco​, come to Apollo Hospitals. We employ the 5 A’s approach namely Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange.

We involve friends and family in de addiction strategies to help the smoker in quitting process. We care for you with compassion and will help you not only in recovering from the ailment but also in quitting the habit of smoking. Apollo has always cared for your convenience first and that is the reason behind the inception of our latest Ask Apollo portal.

Ask Apollo is a free online service that frees you from waiting in long lines to get an appointment from a specialist doctor. Our portal helps you book doctor appointment online in a matter of seconds. Visit ​ Ask Apollo today!