Ask your pharmacist help to give up smoking

Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie This is a follow up to last week’s article in the Westmeath Examiner in which I discussed reasons to give up smoking

Weight gain is a concern for many when giving up. However, the average weight gain is only about 5lbs and you can lose this gradually once you have succeeded in stopping smoking.

Three steps to giving up smoking are

1. Preparing to stop

2. Stopping

3. Staying stopped.

It can take up to three months to become a non-smoker, but it usually takes less time. The physical craving for a cigarette often disappears in less than a week, but the psychological craving can last longer.

Step 1 - Preparing to stop it is important that you stop smoking because you want to. Think of the many benefits that you will gain by stopping smoking (see last week’s article). Do not expect giving up smoking to be easy, but remember that the first 3-4 days will be the most difficult. If you can, give up with a friend, or family member, who also wants to quit.

Here are a few tips to help you give up: Set a specific date to give up and cut down on the number of cigarettes that you smoke before that date. Get the support of your family and friends to help you give up. Set yourself a reward for the end of your first day, first week, first month. Get rid of everything smoking related, such as cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters, on the day before you give up.

Step 2 - Stopping your initial goal is to get through the first day without smoking. If you need to put something in your mouth, chew sugar-free gum, or something else that is healthy and non-fattening, such as fruit. If you need to do something with your hands, find something to fiddle with, such as a pencil, a coin, or a stress relief ball.

Step 3 - Staying stopped take it one day at a time. Think positively, remain determined, and reward yourself. At the beginning, it may help to change your normal routine, in order to avoid situations that you would normally associate with smoking. Avoiding alcohol for a while may also help. Most importantly, do not give up trying to quit, even if you do not succeed the first time. Most people need several attempts at quitting long-term before they stop smoking completely.

Want more motivation?
Mullingar Lions Club is hosting a motivational seminar called Health, Work and Wellbeing Seminar with guest speakers including Caroline Currid (Performance Psychologist), Richie Power (All Ireland Winning Kilkenny Hurler) and Sinead Sheridan (Specialist in Preventative Medicine).

If you are looking for motivation and inspiration to perform better in sport, your career, in business or to improve your health including the motivation to exercise more or giving up cigarettes, this event could be invaluable to you. The seminar is on Wednesday February 4th at 8pm in the Greville Arms. Tickets are €10 and on sale in the Greville Arms Hotel.

Upcoming talk on depression and mental health
Whelehans Pharmacy has organized an expert panel to discuss depression and mental health in February. The talk will be held in The Greville Arms Hotel on Tuesday February 10th at 7pm. Speakers will include Consultant Psychiatrist from St Lomans Mental Health Service, Dr Ciaran Corcoran; Specialist Psychiatric Nurse Colette Moriarty and Pharmacist Eamonn Brady. 

This talk is open to all and is free of charge. You can turn up on the night or incase it is booked out you can put your name down in advance by calling Whelehans at 04493 34591.

To be continued….I will discuss treatment options to help you give up smoking in the coming weeks in the Examiner
  
This article is shortened to fit within Newspaper space limits. More detailed information and leaflets is available in Whelehans