How dependent are you?
Nicotine dependency is an addiction that is progressive. If you have decided to stop smoking you should be prepared to face some withdrawal symptoms as your body will be nicotine dependent.
Smokers can be dependent in 2 ways:
Psychological dependency:
Characterised by the pleasure you get from smoking. You may regard smoking as a way to communicate more easily with others, and it is often strongly linked to rituals, habits and gestures.
Physical dependency:
Characterised by the irrepressible urge to smoke (directly related to the effect nicotine has on your brain) and by the presence of withdrawal symptoms when a smoker stops smoking. These symptoms usually appear when you drop below your nicotine “withdrawal threshold” and include irritability, anxiety, concentration difficulties, sleepiness and hunger.
The first thing to do when you decide to stop smoking is to assess your physical dependency. You will then be able to select which nicotine replacement therapy is best suited to helping you deal with any withdrawal symptoms.
Take the Dependency Test (sometimes known as the Fagerström Test) below
Willpower is not the only thing you need to successfully stop smoking – it’s also about choosing the right method of support. Before you decide on a nicotine replacement therapy, make sure you have as much information as possible – browse through this site and speak to your doctor, pharmacist or a smoking cessation advisor if you are unsure about which method would be best suited to you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – you can do it!
