We all know that smoking is bad, but there are too few successful people who can quit smoking...
It's not that you don't want to quit, it's that it's really hard to quit smoking!
It is said that there is now a kind of black technology: quit smoking by playing mobile phones (quitting smoking Apps), which is very popular in foreign countries.
Quit smoking with a mobile app? This must be a lie, right?
We were skeptical at first, but when we looked it up, we found that there was a similar app that had been approved in Japan! There is also ample evidence for clinical studies!!
Is it useful at all? We decided to take a closer look!
If you or a family member or a friend have the idea of quitting smoking, you may wish to take a few minutes to understand it.
To understand this, we have to start with why quitting smoking is so difficult.
(Source: soogif)
To tell the truth, once the smoke thing is stained with it, it is difficult to escape in this life.
Some research statistics show that without relying on external forces, relying only on personal perseverance to quit smoking, the success rate is only 3% to 5% [1].
Why is it so hard? Because smoke has two shady tricks.
Negative Damage Trick 1: Make your body addicted
There is a substance called nicotine in the smoke, and when smoked, it quickly reaches your brain and stimulates the central nervous system to release dopamine.
Dopamine activates the brain's reward pathways and makes you feel happy and happy!
Over time, the body becomes addicted!
Once you don't smoke, the body has withdrawal reactions: anxiety, depression, restlessness, headaches, can't sleep...
How uncomfortable it is to be.
(Source: soogif)
Negative Trick 2: Make you mentally addicted
Think about it, when do you usually smoke?
After eating, when working overtime, when you want to touch the fish, when the lights are red and green.......
Think again, in what mood would you smoke?
Stressful, irritable, restless, idle...
Over time, you associate smoking with these moments and emotions [2,3]. Will feel:
You should smoke after working overtime, you should smoke after meals...
If you are in a bad mood, you should smoke, and even smoking can make your mood better.
As a result, the psychology is addicted.
If you don't smoke, it seems that this day is not normal, the whole person is not good, and you will especially want to smoke again.
(Source: soogif)
As soon as the two tricks of smoke come out, few people can bear it, and they will fall into the strange circle of "tobacco dependence", a chronic disease, and they cannot escape if they want to [4].
I figured out the yin damage trick of smoking, and if I wanted to quit smoking, I had to break it.
To deal with physical addiction, it is now more used to treat drugs. For example, nicotine patches, bupropion hydrochloride extended-release tablets, varenicline, etc. [4].
To deal with the "heart demon" of psychological addiction, you have to come up with a big trick - cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). (There are other big tricks, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness theory, etc., this article mainly introduces CBT)
(Source: soogif)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sounds fresh, but it is actually a very classic and reliable psychological intervention. It has been shown to be effective in numerous studies [5-7]. Many domestic and foreign smoking cessation clinics and smoking cessation institutions are used.
Simply put, it helps you implement the action of quitting by changing your perception and thinking about smoking and quitting.
Specifically, there are many specific measures [4,8], such as:
1. Help develop a smoking cessation plan
For example, set a quit day to give you the determination to quit smoking.
2. Science related to withdrawal symptoms
Tell you what smoking can be addictive, which behaviors are normal symptoms of withdrawal, and don't worry too much.
Also find ways to deal with withdrawal symptoms, such as:
"I feel nervous and irritable" – take a deep breath, take a walk;
"I always want to eat" – eat more vegetables, fruits and other snacks.
3. Identify factors that make people easy to smoke
When you are stressed, drinking, and seeing others smoking, it is easy to smoke and can be avoided.
Or replace smoking with behaviors such as drinking water, chewing sugar-free gum, exercising, etc.
Or change smoking-related habits, such as washing and eating in the morning, and then going to the bathroom.
4. Self-smoking cessation monitoring
5. Give positive encouragement and support
For example, share smoking cessation experience and so on.
A simple summary is to let you fully understand the routine of the inner demon, and when you quit smoking, you can see the tricks and tricks, the so-called knowing yourself and knowing the other, and never losing a battle.
Small reminder:
Cognitive behavioral therapy and drug therapy, used in combination, can exert the effect of 1+1>2 [9-11].
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is good, but there is a problem, it mainly relies on outpatient or smoking cessation facilities, professional guidance to you.
But many people are unwilling or do not have time to go to these professional places, and many smoking cessation apps are to solve this difficulty. (This article mainly introduces the smoking cessation app developed based on this therapy))
It turns cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into animated videos, audio conversations, exercises, quizzes, games, etc., all placed in the smoking cessation app, equivalent to "electronic smoking cessation doctor", with drug treatment, anytime, anywhere can help people quit smoking.
It actually has a professional name called Quit Digital Therapy.
Log in to these apps, and you will generally receive a smoking cessation plan developed by your doctor based on your personal information.
There may also be [12] in this app:
Smoking cessation diary
Quit smoking articles, pictures, videos
Ai-powered nurses who are ready to help quit smoking
A personalized to-do list of habit-changing habits
Online guidance from a professional doctor
Quit smoking mini-games
In short, many of the cognitive behavioral guidance that can be obtained in the clinic can be found in the app.
(A Japanese software interface, source: Reference 12)
You may still wonder: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works, but can it still work when it is put into smoking cessation apps?
After a large number of clinical research data, some smoking cessation apps have been shown to be really effective.
For example, the CureApp SC, Phase III clinical trial in Japan showed that the continuous smoking cessation rate in this product group from 9 to 24 weeks was 63.9%, which was significantly higher than the 50.5% in the control group [13].
This product is also approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, Japan's main department responsible for health care and social security, for manufacturing and sale.
(Source: Software CureApp SC official website)
For example, the World Health Organization recommended Quit Genius, in a single-blind randomized controlled trial of 530 participants, found that quit smoking for 28 days, Quit Genius's smoking cessation rate was 44.5%, significantly higher than the 28.7% in the general care group [14].
(Source: Quit Genius official website)
However, there are also retrospective studies that the smoking cessation app is now mixed, and the clinical research evidence of some apps is insufficient, and the effect needs to be considered [15,16].
If you want to use it, it is best to find one that has been approved by the state. At present, there are no approved digital therapies for smoking cessation in China.
If one day, it did come to you, would you want to try it? What other good ways have you tried to quit smoking? Feel free to let us know in the message area.
Review expert: Wang Tao
Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Peking University
bibliography
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[16] García-Pazo P, Fornés-Vives J, Sesé A, et al. Apps for smoking cessation through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. A review[J]. Adicciones, 2021, 33(4).
Author: Zhao Yanan
Editors: Zhao Yanan, Wu Jiaxiang, Ye Zhengxing
Typesetting: Han Ningning | Operations: Li Yongmin | Coordinator: Ye Yichu