What is coronavirus COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a group of related viruses that cause diseases and respiratory infections that can be mild or lethal. 

One of the lethal ones is COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019). This infectious virus has now become a global epidemic, according to the World Health Organization. 

Unfortunately, scientists are still not sure if recovering from the virus makes you immune to it or if you can be infected again.

Symptoms of COVID-19

Common symptoms

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Less common symptoms

• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Mucus or phlegm (sputum) production

Is it serious?

The majority of those infected have mild symptoms. But some progress to severe pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death. 

A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association examined the cases in China. They found that 80% of those diagnosed had moderate symptoms and 20% experienced severe life-threatening symptoms.

Those who are the most susceptible to these severe symptoms:

• Are of advanced age. “As people increase in age from their 40s to 80s, we’re seeing mortality increase.”, says Michael Mina, MD, PhD; assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

• Have weaker or compromised lungs or immune system.

• Have underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes,  transplant history and lung disease like COPD or emphysema.

Are Smokers More Susceptible to COVID – 19?

Unfortunately, smoking harms the immune system, which makes your body less able to fight off disease and infection.

Smoking tobacco also increases inflammation in the body and harms the lungs. 

That’s why coronavirus is more dangerous for smokers, said Professor Robert Dingwall, a public health expert at Nottingham Trent University.

Professor Chris Whitty, epidemiologist and Chief Medical Officer for England recommends smokers quit.

“I might add one slight rider to that which is for most respiratory infections, you worry about people who smoke a bit more. They’re more likely to get it and their lung immune system is less good. To be clear on smokers, my recommendation is that they stop smoking if you’re going to give up smoking, this is a very good moment to do it.”

So yes, smokers are more susceptible not only to catching COVID-19 but also developing worse symptoms if they get infected.

One reason is that smoking can cause lung disease like COPD and emphysema. These lung conditions make it more likely to get pneumonia, which is one of the severe COVID-19 symptoms.

However, all smokers are at higher risk of getting respiratory viral and bacterial infections like COVID-19. Even those who don’t have other lung or medical conditions.

That’s because smoking weakens the immune system, which is the body’s natural defense mechanism – says Dr Sanjay Agrawal, chair of the Royal College of Physicians’ Tobacco Advisory Group.

On top of that, if smokers do catch the virus, they’re more susceptible to pneumonia because they have a weaker immune system, compromised lungs and have damaged the cells protecting their nose and airways.

Our airways are lined with very small hairs, called cilia. Cilia act like a broom, sweeping toxins out of the airways when we cough. Smoking and vaping irritate and inflame the lungs and slow down and destroy the cilia. With fewer and slower cilia, your airways can’t stay clean and healthy. As a result, they store mucus in the lungs and this mucus can easily be infected by viruses.

What Research Says

Even though there aren’t enough studies investigating the connection between smoking and COVID-19 yet, we know smoking harms the lungs, which is what the virus attacks.

The coronavirus uses the receptor ACE2 to infect cells. And a preprint study found that the gene that encodes the receptor ACE2 is more active in smokers than nonsmokers. “This indicates that smokers may be more susceptible to 2019-nCov” and are part of the vulnerable population. 

A study published in the Chinese Medical Journal involved 78 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. And they found smokers were 14 times more likely to have progressed symptoms than nonsmokers, including death.

Another research analyzing 8000 deaths from China showed men are more likely to die than women. This could be related to the fact that more men smoke in China. More than 50% of Chinese men smoke compared to only 2.7% of Chinese women.

The research is ongoing and there’s still a lot we don’t know about the virus.

What we do know is that smokers are more vulnerable if they’re exposed to flu or other respiratory infections. And CODIV-19 is exactly that.

Does Vaping Also Make You More Susceptible to COVID-19?

People with compromised lung function can be at risk for serious complications of COVID- 19. And because vaping can harm lung health, vapers may also be at risk. 

Although there’s no study that links vaping to mortality from COVID-19 yet, it’s been proven that vaping aerosol, used by all brands of e-cigarettes, causes lung inflammation and harms the immune system. 

Is Vaping Healthier than Smoking?

Only time will tell.

But even if it was, healthier does not mean healthy. Vaping companies and representatives – most of them owned by big Tobacco- will go in great lengths to convince you vaping is an option during this epidemic. It’s not.

When it comes to defending against a virus that infects your lungs, vaping makes you susceptible because:

• Vaping causes inflammation of the lungs. A study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found that just one month of vaping altered the lungs of people who never vaped before.

• E-cigarettes harm lung cells and make you less able to respond to infection says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

• Vaping contains acrolein (a herbicide) that can cause lung injury, COPD, asthma and lung cancer.

• It can suppress the response of your immune system at the gene level as much or even more than smoking.

• And it can change your lung biology, even if it’s occasional or second hand. In this study, healthy non-smokers were exposed to e-cigarette aerosol. After only 20 puffs, vaping altered the expression of 60 genes (including genes predisposing you to inflammation).

• What about JUUL? Aerosol from JUUL (owned by Phillip Morris) impairs blood vessels the same way normal cigarette smoke does.

You can learn more ways e-cigarettes affect your lungs and make you susceptible to respiratory infections here.

Do not exchange smoking for vaping and if you vape, now it’s the best time to stop. 

Are Young Adults Safe?

Recent research showed that young adults are at risk if they smoke or vape.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco looked at data from 8,400 men and women ages 18 to 25 and found that 1 in 3 young adults who smoke or vape have higher risk of illness severity, ICU admission or death.

So e-cigarette, tobacco and cigar use makes young adults vulnerable- even if they’re otherwise healthy.

FAQ’S

What if I already have a lung condition or underlying health condition?

Having an underlying health condition or lung disease such as COPD and emphysema increases your risk of experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

But remaining a smoker or vaper increases that risk even more. 

Stopping smoking may not remove the risk 100%. However, you will stop causing inflammation to your body and you will improve your health and immune system, giving your body a fighting chance against the virus.

Quitting smoking will also help you feel more in control over your health.

Is it too late for me? For how long do I need to be smoke-free to reduce my risk of getting corona or having serious complications if I get it?

According to Professor Lewis, lung defenses can start to heal within days after quitting. So quitting smoking now could significantly improve your ability to defend and recover from the infection. 

There’s not a specific day after quitting that your lungs or immune system instantly heal. On the contrary! The healing is continuous; it starts the moment you quit and keeps improving for as long as you stay smoke-free.

So quitting smoking will improve lung function and decrease your risk of pneumonia, and if you do get CONVID-19, you’ll have a lower risk of severe symptoms. 

Every cigarette you don’t smoke matters!

I self-quarantine. It’s not going to happen to me. Do I still have to quit?

The virus has already infected 200.000 people worldwide and it keeps spreading exponentially. Also, it’s fairly easy to catch it and we’re not sure if those recovered are immune or can spread it again.

So it’s best to think in terms “What if I do get it?”. In that case, your immune system is your first line of defense.

Even in quarantine, your life will be 100 times better if you don’t have to worry about smoking. Plus, you’ll have the time and space to prepare for your quit and succeed. It’s the right time. 

Is cannabis safe?

Although we don’t know exactly how cannabis affects the lungs and immune system, cannabis smoke is very similar to tobacco smoke, and vaped cannabis still delivers aerosol. So it’s recommended to stop using it, for now, explains Stanton A. Glantz, PhD the director of The Center for Tobacco Research Control & Education.

How to Quit Smoking Despite the Stress

The COVID-19 epidemic can change everything. Not only because it’s a potentially deadly virus for some but also because it’s changing life as we know it. 

Our routines, freedom, social interactions, priorities, work environment, frame of mind.  Everything gets affected. 

Even though we all hope there’s a solution soon, we still have to adapt to this new reality. A reality we didn’t choose but still have to embrace. 

In those times of uncertainty and stress, you may think cigarettes will help you cope.

Not because smoking gives any certainty or relaxation; cigarettes are nothing but a stick of brainless rolled grass with 4000 chemicals. 

But because smoking is part of a routine; and routine gives the illusion of certainty and stability.

In times where everything changes, you may be apprehensive to make additional changes like quitting smoking.

But in reality, quitting smoking is the ONLY change that will give you certainty, security and some peace of mind. It’s something you will do now and reap the benefits now and forever. 

Quitting smoking is the only thing that can reduce your stress physically and mentally.

Just imagine having more money, health, and freedom – instead of worrying about your next craving, stocking up cigarettes or feeling guilty for smoking.

The truth is, quitting smoking is the ONLY thing you can control right now.

So why leave that to chance?

There’s no good reason to postpone it any longer.

– Nasia Davos

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Nicotine addiction affects millions around the world. It can be in the form of tobacco addiction, vaping, smokeless tobacco, nicotine patch, or nicotine gum addiction. 

Just why is nicotine so addictive? How does it affect the body? And why does it cause withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit it?

We’ll answer all those questions. But first, let’s see what nicotine is.

What Is Nicotine? Facts & Definition

Nicotine is a toxic colorless or yellowish oily liquid which is the chief active constituent of tobacco. It acts as a stimulant in small doses, but in larger amounts blocks the action of autonomic nerve and skeletal muscle cells.

Nicotine Definition

• You can find nicotine in the leaves of tobacco plants. Tobacco is a plant and nicotine is a chemical compound that occurs naturally. 

• There’s a small amount of nicotine in the leaves of the nightshade plants like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, chili peppers and bell peppers.

• Nicotine occurs naturally but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Nicotine is a natural insecticide and keeps plants from being eaten by insects.

• When in the human body, nicotine is a drug.

• As a drug, nicotine is a stimulant and a sedative.

• Does nicotine cause cancer? The jury is still out on whether or not nicotine is a carcinogen. Although it’s not considered to be a carcinogen, many studies have found nicotine to promote the genesis of tumors. Nicotine can also create resistance in chemotherapy.

Symptoms of Nicotine Addiction

Using nicotine, in any form, can quickly lead to nicotine dependence.

Nicotine dependence is an addiction to products that contain nicotine. Being addicted means you can’t or don’t want to stop using the product you’re addicted to. 

Below are some signs of nicotine addiction:

• Planning your activities and interests to allow smoking.
• Enjoying the taste and smell of cigarettes. 
• Experiencing cravings for nicotine.
• Not enjoying socializing with non-smokers as much as you do with other smokers. 
• Experiencing mental and physical withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Mood changes, irritability, headaches, increased appetite, restlessness, insomnia, are some of these symptoms.
• Continuing smoking or using nicotine despite health problems that would improve if you stopped.
• Rationalizing your behavior and finding reasons to smoke, vape or chew. 

How Nicotine Addiction Works

Cigarette smoke or vapor is drawn into your lungs when you inhale. The smoke particles carry the nicotine into your lungs.

Once it reaches your lungs, nicotine is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. And then your blood carries the nicotine to your brain.

The process happens so quickly that it takes only about 10 seconds for nicotine to reach your brain after you inhale. 

When nicotine reaches your brain it releases dopamine and creates a buzz. This nicotine buzz has to do with why nicotine is addictive.

Smokeless Tobacco Addiction

If you chew tobacco or use snus or snuff, nicotine goes into your blood through the tissues lining your mouth. That takes a little longer than being absorbed through your lungs. 

But once the nicotine is in your blood, it goes to your brain and affects it the same way other forms of nicotine do.

The CDC reports that the nicotine you absorb from smokeless tobacco lasts in the blood longer than the nicotine you inhale.

Effects of Nicotine on the Brain

Once the nicotine is in your brain, it binds to the receptors of some of your brain cells. Think about these receptors as a lock and the nicotine as a key. 

It just so happens that nicotine can lock into these receptors, that are now called Nicotine receptors. (To be technical for a moment, their full name is nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs.)

The nicotine receptors are activated whenever a chemical binds to them. It’s usually acetylcholine, another chemical, that binds to these receptors, but nicotine can also bind to them. 

In other words, nicotine “steals” the place of acetylcholine and binds to the receptors. This causes a release of happy chemicals or else, a nicotine buzz.

After a while, your brain releases less acetylcholine. Now you need nicotine to bind to the receptors. And that’s how nicotine becomes addictive.

What happens if you don’t get nicotine?

If the addicted brain doesn’t get nicotine, the receptors aren’t activated and you don’t feel right. That explains a lot of the irritability and discomfort that come with quitting smoking. 

After you cut off nicotine and break the nicotine addiction, your level of acetylcholine will return to normal. You’ll be able to feel fine without nicotine.

Why is Nicotine Addictive

The nicotine receptors are located in the areas of your brain that have to do with pleasure and reward. 

When a receptor is activated, there’s a release of neurotransmitters. They are chemical substances that convey nerve impulses. And dopamine is one of these neurotransmitters that causes and sustains addictions.

Dopamine and Feeling Good

Dopamine has a lot of functions. It contributes to movement, memory, attention, and lots of other activities. When it comes to smoking, the function that’s most important is feeling rewarded. 

When a large amount of dopamine is released, you feel good. That’s why it’s the “feel-good hormone.”

A dopamine release is like getting an emotional reward.

And because nicotine reaches your brain so quickly, that reward-like feeling comes within seconds after you inhale. That instant gratification reinforces the nicotine dependence.

Dopamine is very important. It encourages us to repeat the behaviors that ensure our survival. Our brain rewards us when we eat, drink water, or have sex. Otherwise, we would starve to death and the human species would go extinct. 

But this dopamine reward system can make harmful behaviors, like smoking, seem important, too.

Nicotine is neither food nor water and it does not protect our survival. It just tricks our brain into thinking we need it, just like we need food. That’s what nicotine addiction is. It makes us believe we can’t live without the thing we’re addicted to. 

The mechanism of nicotine addiction is the same type of emotional reward you see in other addictions–to alcohol, cocaine, narcotics, and other drugs.

Dopamine and quitting smoking

Your brain releases dopamine not only when you do something pleasurable, but also when you expect to feel pleasure. So just the thought of doing something enjoyable, like having a delicious drink, can trigger a dopamine release.

For smokers, the sight of someone smoking can trigger that release. But if that sight–that expectation of a reward–isn’t followed by the nicotine your brain is expecting, your dopamine levels can drop. Now you have a low mood instead of pleasure.

And there are all sorts of cues and triggers that you’ve learned to associate with that reward. It might be a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or taking a break.  

You’ve taught your brain to expect nicotine when you do these things. So when you first stop smoking, your brain still expects those dopamine releases from nicotine. That causes cigarette cravings.

With time, your brain’s expectations will change. You’ll have fewer cravings and your brain will start releasing dopamine naturally, without relying on nicotine.  

The More You Smoke, the More Addicted You Become

The number of nicotine receptors actually increases in smokers. If you’ve been smoking heavily for years, you probably have more nicotine receptors than you did before you started smoking. 

Having more nicotine receptors means you need more nicotine to bind to them. When receptors aren’t activated, you can begin to feel withdrawal symptoms. 

When you smoke regularly, you build up tolerance for nicotine and you stop experiencing the nicotine buzz.

Instead, you need to smoke just to avoid feeling withdrawal. 

Genetic Factors of Nicotine Addiction

Genes play a role in addiction, too. 

You can inherit how your nerve cells respond to nicotine. And the way your nerve cells respond affects how easily you become addicted or how much you smoke, vape, or chew.

In fact, some researchers believe that the risk of becoming addicted is, 50 to 75%, due to your genes!

The number of nicotine receptors in your brain increases if you’re a heavy smoker. But how much that number increases depends on your genes. 

Some people don’t develop many nicotine receptors, no matter how much they smoke. If you’re one of those people, you are a light smoker.

But if you’re someone who has formed a lot of additional nicotine receptors, you probably consume more than a pack a day.

Nicotine Side Effects on the Brain

One of the most significant dangers of nicotine is that it throws the brain chemicals, like dopamine and endorphin, out of balance. Research shows nicotine also prevents the genesis of new brain cells.

Side effects of nicotine on the brain of adults:

• Dizziness
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Blood flow restriction

Side effects of nicotine on the brain of teenagers and young adults:

• Nicotine creates lasting impairments in memory, attention, and learning. The brain changes until the age of 25, and nicotine has a negative impact on that change. 

Is Nicotine Bad for You? What Does Nicotine Do to Your Body

Cigarette addiction has other physical effects, too. Nicotine affects the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive systems of the body. 

Nicotine affects your blood circulation and heart 

• Causes plaque on the artery walls, known as atherosclerosis, which may lead to a heart attack.

• Blood vessels lose their elasticity which limits the oxygen that flows to your organs. 

• Your heart rate increases as your heart tries to take in more oxygen which in turn, increases your risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Nicotine affects your insulin levels, contributing to the risk of diabetes

• It stimulates the adrenal gland to release adrenaline. It’s a hormone, also known as epinephrine, that speeds up your heart rate by supplying more blood to your muscles, brain and heart. While this makes you feel more alert and energetic, it burdens your heart.
  
• Adrenaline also makes your body release more glucose into your blood. And it slows the release of insulin from your pancreas. The result is a higher blood glucose level, and insulin resistance.

Nicotine affects the respiratory system and the lungs

• It plays a role in the development of emphysema.

• Causes airway resistance by stimulating the parasympathetic ganglia.

• Nicotine affects the Central Nervous System and alters respiration.

• Nicotine can contribute to pneumonia.

• Vaping also increases the risk of pneumonia, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal has found.

Nicotine affects your gastrointestinal system

• Nicotine is linked to Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD).
  
• It causes dry mouth, heartburn, and nausea.

Nicotine affects pregnancy

• The Americal Lung Association reports that nicotine during pregnancy can harm the brain and lung development of the fetus. 

• Nicotine addiction also affects the mental and physical health of the mother, causing low birth weights, premature birth, or stillbirth.

• Research shows nicotine can also cause obesity, hypertension, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, problems with brain and behavior development and even respiratory failure.

The Mental & Behavioral Side of Nicotine Addiction

Another reason why nicotine is addictive is that it becomes part of your routine and a coping mechanism. This creates a mental and psychological dependence on nicotine.

While nicotine goes to your brain and creates this dopamine release, you’re usually doing certain things or activities. 

So your brain has learned to link smoking and nicotine to those activities, routines, habits, and situations.

These situations become triggers. If you usually smoke while talking on the phone, then after a while talking on the phone will trigger cravings.

There are 4 types of smoking triggers: emotional, environmental, social, and double-habit triggers. Some of them are:

• Emotions you want to escape (anxiety, boredom)
• Seeing other people smoking or smelling cigarettes
• In between tasks
• After a meal
• Morning coffee or tea
• Alcoholic drink
• Talking on the phone
• Taking a break
• Driving
• Celebrating
• Socializing

With time, these situations seem incomplete or unenjoyable without cigarettes or nicotine. If you smoke when bored, then your brain has learned to expect a dopamine release when you feel that way.

If this dopamine release doesn’t come then you momentarily feel down. You may even think that boredom is unbearable without smoking, vaping, or nicotine.

That’s natural. The more you smoke, the more you rely on nicotine to cope with life. If you feel stressed or anxious, you probably smoke. After a while, it’s easy to think you can’t calm down or relax without that cigarette.

Fortunately, that’s not the case. Everything you do as a smoker you can do better as a non-smoker. 

When you are nicotine-free your brain gradually breaks the association between your triggers and smoking. Just like your brain learned to expect nicotine, it can learn to not expect it. 

Breaking the Cycle of Nicotine Addiction

The only way to break the cycle of addiction is to stop using nicotine.

Smoking is a mental and a physical addiction, so to quit for good you need to deal with both aspects. 

It’s natural to feel a sense of loss when you quit smoking. After all, addiction taught your brain to release most of its dopamine when nicotine is present. 

In the beginning, you may feel irritable, restless, angry, or sad. It can be tempting to reach for a cigarette to try to deal with these emotions.

Keep in mind that staying away from smoking is the fastest way to overcome those feelings. Get moving, stay busy, keep a positive attitude. You can do this! 

When you quit smoking, your brain will adjust so that you can enjoy pleasurable activities without nicotine. When that happens, you will feel happier as a non-smoker. Look at this as a learning curve.

The best treatment for nicotine addiction is to change how you think about nicotine and learn how to be happy without it. This might take some time, but it will be worth it.  

Cravings for Nicotine

After 3-6 days most nicotine will be out of your body so the physical cravings for nicotine will subside. Any cravings you experience after that are mental cravings.

Mental cravings are thoughts of smoking, vaping, or chewing.

But they’re thoughts, not commands.

If you stay away from nicotine,  those extra nicotine receptors in your brain will disappear and you’ll be back to normal levels of receptors in about a month.

Your body will heal from the effects of nicotine and smoking. And you’ll learn to enjoy life without a cigarette, even if it seems impossible at first.

Truth is, nicotine offers you nothing at all. If you believe it does, it’s because of the addiction. Once the addiction goes, you will start adapting to a new lifestyle that’s more fulfilling. 

Nicotine Withdrawal 

Just as the nicotine addiction has physical and psychological causes, nicotine withdrawal has both physical and psychological symptoms. 

Headaches, tremors, and trouble sleeping are a few of the physical symptoms. Changes in mood–anxiety, sadness, anger, irritability–are some of the psychological symptoms. You can learn about the nicotine withdrawal symptoms here.

Every withdrawal is different. Some smokers find that they crave sweets and gain weight, while others exercise more and lose weight. 

If you experience withdrawal symptoms, keep in mind that they will pass. They’re most troublesome in the first few days after you quit smoking, and will lessen over time.

You’re simply going through an adjustment period where you have to learn to live as a non-smoker. 

Your Future as a Happy Nonsmoker

Ups and downs are a natural part of life. You’ll have them whether you smoke or not. 

But if you stay away from nicotine, you’ll overcome the smoking addiction and learn other ways of coping.

Soon enough, you’ll learn to relax without having a cigarette. 

You’ll be healthier, you’ll breathe more easily. You’re likely to live longer.

And think of all the money you’ll save!

The Connection Between COPD and Smoking

Who could ever really believe that a small stick of tobacco can cause so many problems?

Among the most life-draining of these problems, is the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Maybe you’re here because a loved one has COPD, so you want to help them out.

Or maybe you’re struggling with COPD yourself, and you want to quit smoking but without missing cigarettes.

The American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) link 85 to 90 percent of COPD cases and 8 out of 10 COPD-related deaths to smoking.

Smoking is the leading cause of COPD.

That’s why it’s also the best treatment for COPD.

Every single research and health institute, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Mayo Clinic and UK’s National Health System has established that the best treatment for COPD is no other than quitting smoking.

Quitting Smoking and COPD

If you’ve been diagnosed with COPD because of smoking, you naturally feel some sort of anger, disappointment, discouragement or even depression.

It is a tough situation.

No doubt about that.

And… Since the damage to your lungs has already been done, you might think that quitting smoking is not worth the struggle.

Perhaps you think that smoking is the only way you can cope with all the anxiety and the changes happening in your life right now.

You might even think that it’s too late to quit now. There are many reasons why smokers with COPD keep on smoking.

But is it too late to stop smoking?

Kathrin Nicolacakis, MD, a pulmonary specialist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio says that quitting smoking is the best COPD treatment that’s guaranteed to help you maintain the lung function you have left.

Think of COPD as a cracked mirror.

If you stop hitting the mirror, it will stay cracked. If you keep hitting it, it will break completely.

No matter what other COPD treatment you use – oxygen therapy, surgery, medication – if you keep cracking the mirror by smoking, it will eventually break.

That’s why the natural cure for COPD is to stop smoking and stop cracking the mirror. 

Listen. No matter how long you have had COPD or how advanced it is, quitting smoking will slow down its progression and improve your quality of life.

In the beginning, you might feel no difference with your COPD because your lungs need some time to clear all the toxins.

After that, things only get better.

According to the American Lung Association (ALA), you experience marvelous stopping smoking benefits after your last cigarette.

Within 1 to 9 months your cough, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath and COPD flare-ups decline so much that you are able to live normally.

Ok so now you know how that quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your COPD.

So the question is, HOW can you stop smoking?

And more importantly, how can you quit smoking naturally and easily so you can remain smoke-free forever?

How to Quit Smoking when you have COPD

If you’ve ever felt that quitting is hard, painful and even impossible… know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Not anymore.

There is a new way to stop smoking easily and permanently.

This way is the CBQ method.

The Cognitive Behavioural Quitting method – CBQ- has 94% success rate. 85% of smokers quit permanently on their first attempt and 9% quit on their second or third attempt. And you can quit too.

The CBQ is so successful because it follows the 4 quit smoking stages.

These stages are:

1. Choose to Quit.

In this stage, you commit to quitting smoking and create your quit plan.

2. Change Your Mindset.

Here you change how you think about smoking, break the fears that keep you from becoming a non-smoker, and strengthen your belief that you can succeed.

3. Change Your Smoking Pattern.

In this stage, you learn how to feel better without cigarettes and how to stop cigarette cavings so you can smoke your last cigarette.

4. Condition your Smoke Free Life.

In the last stage, you learn how to remain a non-smoker and how to feel relaxed, happy, and in peace without a cigarette in your hand.

So in this article, I will show you 3 exercises that belong to the 3rd quit smoking stage: Change Your Smoking Pattern.

Don’t worry if you haven’t started with the first stage yet. You can always access the exclusive video of the 4 stages here.

Just enter your name and email address so I will know where to send you the video.

For now, know that these quit smoking solutions that I’m about to share with you are a great way to test drive the CBQ method.

And they will help you stop smoking.

Ready??

1. Win Your Morning Cigarette

Why is taking control of the morning cigarette so important?

Because most smokers believe that the morning cigarette is the one they will miss the most when they quit.

Just the thought of waking up and not smoking is enough to bring our confidence down and prevent even the most determined among us from making a successful quit attempt.

Yes.

The fear of feeling deprived in the morning can keep us hooked to nicotine for life.

If you are like I was, you probably think that you can’t wake up properly without a cigarette.

Maybe you believe that your whole day will be stressful and overwhelming if you don’t get these first morning puffs.

Or maybe you’re worried that if you don’t smoke in the morning, you won’t be able to enjoy the rest of your day.

Well, if any of these are true for you know that you are not alone.

Most smokers feel they need a cigarette to enjoy their morning.

But is this cigarette really enjoyable?

And do we really NEED it?

The first cigarette of the day tastes awful- unless we smoke it while drinking our coffee or tea or after having breakfast.

For me having a cigarette immediately after brushing my teeth in the morning, was the most disgusting thing. It gave me cotton mouth and the taste was horrible. I still get the chills just thinking about it.

Still, what do you think happened when I didn’t have time to grab a coffee with my morning cigarette?

I still smoked it right after brushing my teeth!

Enjoyment had nothing to do with it. But I thought I needed it. Otherwise, my cravings would be too painful and intense.

But things changed when I started asking myself this question:

Why during the day, I can’t possibly go without cigarettes, but at night I can sleep 6,7 or 8 hours without smoking?

If the nicotine cravings were so painful then they would wake me up!

But we don’t wake up at night from the intensity of our cravings. Do we?

Why?

Because the physical cravings for nicotine can be so subtle that we don’t even notice them.

That’s why we don’t wake up every hour for a cigarette break.

Yet, if we go 8 hours in the day without smoking…. then the cravings become annoying and overwhelming.

Why is it that at night our cravings don’t bother us but when we are awake we feel we NEED a cigarette?

What’s different about sleeping and being awake?

What really changes?

What changes, is that our mind is awake.

And it is our mind that reminds us we haven’t smoked for so many hours.

It tells us that we need to smoke. Otherwise, we will be agitated and stressed all day.

It is our mind that misses the cigarette, not our body.

This happens because the smoking addiction is 80% mental and 20% physical.

The physical addiction to smoking is our body’s need for nicotine.

The mental dependence on smoking is how smoking makes us feel and how much we think we need it.

This is actually good news.

Because it means that we can easily avoid our morning cigarette, as long as we keep ourselves happy and busy in the morning.

When we see that there are other ways to feel good without smoking, then we don’t need to use willpower to resist a cigarette, because there is nothing to resist.

So how can you win over your morning cigarette and kick-start your day?

How to Start Your Day without Smoking

Here are some tips:

•  Begin each day with a planned activity that will keep you busy. This can be talking a walk, showering, making a phone call.
• Write something down — Did you have any good ideas or dreams while you were asleep? Write them down right after you wake up or while drinking your coffee.
• Think of something you’re grateful for or excited about.
• Play a game on your phone to keep your hands busy.
• Begin each day with deep breathing.
• When your mind tells you “You need to smoke”, reply back. Take your most confident, empowering face and say “I don’t need to do anything” or say “later” or “shut up” (I used to say that to myself- To my surprise, it worked).

2. Keep Your Motivation High

All smokers have reasons to quit. These reasons are our motivation.

We want to be healthier and live longer to enjoy our time with our loved ones.

We also want to stop paying our hard earned money to the tobacco companies. Click here to check how much money you will save by quitting smoking.

And, of course, we want to breathe better so we can beat the painful COPD symptoms.

So yes, we all have some quit smoking motivation.

Then why don’t we do it?

What is stopping us?

Why does our motivation evaporate?

You might think that what destroys your motivation to quit comes down to self-destruction or weakness. That’s far from the truth.

What destroys our motivation to quit is…. our motivation to smoke.

On the one hand, we want to get back our health, wealth, and peace of mind.

On the other hand, we are motivated to keep on smoking because we are afraid of losing the cigarette friend that helps us relax, socialize and control our weight.

We simply have a conflict of motivations.

And quitting smoking is all about making our motivation to quit become greater than our motivation to smoke.

It’s about having more reasons to quit than to keep on smoking.

So now let’s do an exercise together to help you keep your motivation to quit high. If you can, do this exercise as you are reading this post (no better time than the present, right?)

It will only take a few minutes, I promise.

Okay, take a piece of paper or open a notes app on your phone or tablet.

We will make 2 lists.

On list #1 write ALL the quit smoking benefits. Or else, the reasons why you want to stop smoking.

On list #2 write ALL the smoking benefits. In other words, the reasons why you want to keep on smoking.

These 2 lists may look something like this:

I encourage you to spend 5 minutes writing everything that comes to your mind…

And when you finish, check your lists.

Which list is bigger?

Do you have more reasons to quit or more reasons to smoke?

And which reasons are more important? The ones on the first list or the second?

I think you already know.

So every time you feel like giving up on your decision to quit, look at these lists.

This will keep your motivation high.

Moving on.

I bet that somewhere on your Reasons to Smoke list, you wrote about stress. Right?

This brings me to our next point.

3. How to Bring Your Stress Down

COPD and Smoking can increase your anxiety.

See, all smokers face daily stress. But having COPD is a stressful situation all by itself.

Just knowing that your lungs are harmed, is distressing. It creates guilt. And guilt is a big burden to carry.

And having to cope with symptoms like chest tightness, wheezing, constant coughing, tiredness, headaches and swollen feet, is not only stressful but also painful.

Now being hooked on oxygen tanks goes beyond stressful.

And then there is the loving pressure to quit that comes from your loved ones.

This can be a lot to handle, right?

The more problems you’re facing, the more you feel you need smoking. The very thing that caused all of these problems.

It doesn’t make sense but for some reason, it appears to help.

But does it really help?

As if the existing stress in your life wasn’t enough, you now have the stress coming from your nicotine cravings.

Cravings are very agitating.

They make us tense.

Anxious.

When we crave, we can’t think of anything else other than smoking.

So we smoke.

When we smoke, we relieve the irritating craving.

But every cigarette we smoke also causes our next cigarette craving. And when the next craving comes, what happens?

We feel stress if we don’t smoke to satisfy that craving too.

So we smoke again. And the same vicious circle repeats itself 20, 30, 50 times a day until the end of our lives.

Smoking is not relaxing us.

On the contrary, it’s causing us stress all day, every day.

It’s true. Smokers are more stressed than non-smokers.

Yep, that’s right.

Although smoking a cigarette might feel like an effective mood control, being addicted to nicotine increases your anxiety.

So our goal is to remain smoke-free and stress-free.

Remember what we talked about earlier in this post.

A successful and easy quit attempt happens when we know how to cope with our biggest cravings BEFORE we have to face them.

The key here is to start managing your stress without cigarettes BEFORE you smoke your last cigarette.

That way, you will know exactly what to do when a craving strikes.

Your anxiety will go down.

You won’t feel overwhelmed.

You will be prepared. And it will work.

If you think that this is hard, let me reassure you that it is not.

The only reason you feel you need smoking to relax is this: You never had the chance to learn how to relax without a cigarette.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t relax without smoking.

You can. I promise you.

All you have to do is to experiment with new ways to relax without smoking.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

How to Relax without Smoking

1. Focus on today.

Really, when you feel overwhelmed tell yourself “Focus on today”. Forget about yesterday or tomorrow. Take it one day at a time. Solve one problem at a time.

Focus on getting through today. Then focus on getting through tomorrow when it comes.

2. Write it down.

Recharge your mind by writing down your thoughts.

Don’t let all these worries run around in your head. That way, they get bigger and they blow out of proportion.

Instead, take a pen and a paper and start writing down what’s stressing you out.

Then ask yourself: Will smoking solve this problem?

3. Get perspective.

What helped me (and still helps me) calm down when I was stressed and anxious was getting some perspective on my problems. I was asking myself these questions:

• Is anyone else on this planet going through a harder time right now?
• And what would my best friend (spouse, mother, grandmother, son, daughter) say to me about this problem?

Conclusion

Now you can how to deal with COPD and smoking.

The fastest way to get started is to use the 3 tools from the quit smoking stage- Change Your Smoking Pattern:
– How to smash your morning cigarette
– How to keep your motivation to quit high
– And how to tackle stressful situations without cigarettes.

To quit smoking permanently and easily, makes sure you follow the 4 stages of the CBQ method.

These 4 stages take you from where you are now to a happy non-smoker.

And they are designed to help you quit even if you love smoking.

Click here to request access to the exclusive video of the 4 stages.

It’s 100% free.

All you need to do is enter your name and email address so I can send you the link to the video.

Get the 4 stages of the CBQ method now.

See you on the inside!