Put your most potent dependence recovery weapon to work

Medical Advice for Stop Smoking

It is the nicotine in cigarettes that causes the addiction. However, nicotine replacement products help in smoking cessation. They deliver small, measured doses of nicotine into the body. This helps relieve cravings and withdrawal symptoms and thus help people quit smoking.

These nicotine replacement products prevent the person from inhaling tobacco smoke which contains many toxic and cancer-causing substances. Even long-term use of nicotine replacement products is not known to be associated with any serious harmful effects.

All the approved nicotine replacement products are equally effective. They are:

Nicotine Patch is available without a prescription. This patch is changed daily and worn on a different location everyday. It sends a steady amount of nicotine into the body. The nicotine patch comes as pat of an 8-week quit smoking treatment. As the treatment progresses, nicotine doses are gradually lowered. However it is not advisable for people who are allergic to adhesive tape or who have skin problems. In addition, people who experience side effects like vivid dreams must opt to wear the patch only during the day.

Nicotine Gum is an over-the-counter treatment and comes in 2mg and 4mg strengths. A new gum every 1 or 2 hours releases steady amounts of nicotine into the bloodstream through the lining of the mouth. The 4mg dose works better for the highly dependent smokers, smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day. However, nicotine gum might not be suitable for people with dentures and bridges or for people with temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) disease. When on nicotine gum, use of beverages like coffee, juice or other acidic beverages must be curtailed.

Nicotine Lozenge is also available without a prescription in 2mg and 4mg strengths. Acting in a similar fashion to the nicotine gum, the lozenge is placed between the cheek and gum tissue and allowed to dissolve, releasing nicotine into the bloodstream through the lining of the mouth. A new lozenge can be sucked every 1 or 2 hours. Consumption of coffee, juice and other acidic beverages must be stopped while sucking on the nicotine lozenge.

Nicotine Nasal Spray is a prescription only drug. It comes in a pump bottle and can be inhaled when the urge to smoke arises. This is the fastest absorbing nicotine replacement therapy. However, this product is not recommended for people with nasal or sinus conditions, allergies, asthma or young tobacco users. Side effects from this product include sneezing, coughing, and watering eyes which usually go away with continued use.

Nicotine Inhaler, also available on prescription only, delivers the vaporized form of nicotine. It is inhaled through a mouthpiece attached to a plastic cartridge but like a cigarette it does not deliver nicotine directly into the lungs. Most of the nicotine is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth and the throat. Common side effects include throat and mouth irritation and coughing. People with a bronchial problem such as asthma must use this product with caution.

Various nicotine replacement therapies can be combined upon recommendation from a health care provider. In addition, it is advisable to for smokers to quit using tobacco products before starting the use of nicotine replacement products because nicotine overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, weakness and rapid heartbeat.

your willpower

Risk Factors of Smoking

Smoking – however controlled – has been linked to serious health risks. It affects the:

Lungs: It has been revealed that smoking alone is accountable for about 90% of the deaths due to lung cancer. Moreover, it may result in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which also includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Asthamatic smokers who give up smoking can improve their lung function in as little as a week. Therefore the harmful effects of smoking can be easily reversed.

Cardiovascular System: Tobacco, in all its forms (smoking, chewing tobacco and inhaling second hand smoke), is known to raise the risk of heart attacks. Smokers face a risk up to three times greater of having a heart attack compared to non-smokers. The risk of heart attacks among those who have stopped smoking slowly decreases over time.

Effects on Male Fertility and Impotence: Smoking negatively affects a man's sexuality and fertility. It is said to be a contributory factor in impotence because it decreases the blood flow into the penis. In men with high blood pressure, smoking causes an almost 26-fold increase in impotence.

Smoking weakens sperm motility, decreases sperm lifespan, and has the potential to cause genetic changes that can affect the offspring. In addition, smokers (both men and women) are found to have lower success rates with fertility treatments. Moreover, studies have revealed that male smokers have a decreased libido and therefore less frequent sex.

Effects on Female Infertility, Pregnancy, and Childbirth: In women, smoking is linked to many reproductive problems. Smoking during pregnancy may affect the health of the foetus. Negative effects of smoking on female fertility include:

Greater risk for infertility (in women who smoke one or more packs a day or start smoking before the age of 18

Earlier menopause (because toxins in cigarette smoke damage the eggs)

Pregnancy complications (smoking increases the risk for ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage)

Is the Thought of Gaining Weight Putting You Off?

The thought of gaining weight is a common concern for people who are in the process of deciding whether or not to quit smoking and of course this is only natural. Our health is of great importance to us but on the other hand, so is our appearance. A question people often ask themselves is - do I carry on smoking or do I quit and gain 10 pounds?

Of course quitting alone does not make you add excess body fat to your figure; it’s the extra food that you eat to compensate for doing without cigarettes. I have experienced this first hand and can fully appreciate the dilemma. Back in 2003 my children were constantly on at me to stop. This was especially true of my eldest, as she had been learning about the dangers of tobacco in school.

I have to admit that I really didn’t want to quit at first but I knew they were right so the decision was made. I substituted my cigarettes for boiled sweets and got through around half a pound of them a day. Now, here’s the thing. After about two months I hadn’t gained an ounce, in fact I’d actually lost weight (five pounds if I remember correctly).

How could this be possible? Well, I enjoyed cycling but because I smoked I had reached a certain level of fitness and was unable to take it to the next level. Now, not only did I have the stamina to cycle further I could also cover distances in far less time than previously and I felt like going out cycling more often.

I had much more energy and could run around with the kids at the park instead of sitting on a bench watching them play. Every day chores became much easier and I could get through them far quicker than before. Because I had gained a greater degree of cardiovascular fitness by quitting smoking this enabled me to burn more calories than I was taking in.

the Addiction and the Habit

If you want to quit smoking then there are two main obstacles that you will have to face and overcome. Firstly there is the physical addition you will have developed to nicotine over time. Secondly there is the actual habit of smoking itself. We are all individuals and we react to all kinds of situations in different ways but for me it was the habit that was the hardest to break.

I quit back in 2003 and I remember getting over the physical addiction quite quickly. It’s been a while but if I remember correctly it only took about a couple of weeks. It was the habit that I found really tough to shake. It was about six full months after I’d stopped smoking and I was still patting my pockets to make sure I’d got my cigarettes with me when I left the house. I would be sitting at my PC and without even thinking about it, I’d reach out for a cigarette.

Some people may say that this behaviour is all part of the physical addiction but I don’t define it in this way. My physical cravings for tobacco had long since disappeared. I was no longer on edge and I really didn't feel the need to smoke. On the other hand I was still going through the motions of a smoker. This was understandable because I’d been smoking for well over twenty years and was used to having a cigarette in my hand. This is the reason why I define this aspect as habit.

There is no getting away from the fact that if you make the decision to quit then it’s going to be tough whether it’s the addiction that you find hard to break or the habit. Just keep focusing on the benefits and keep on the right path. In time you’ll look back on the day you stopped and it will rank way up there as one of the best days of your life.

Quit Smoking for Good

While most people are determined to know exactly how many times it takes to really quit. Getting a firm grasp on the number of tries that it will take is important. You might be confused as to what this information can actually do for you. It actually serves the purpose of setting you up to be confident as you approach the date when you need to quit smoking. If you have a grasp on the amount of time it could take you to quit, it will prevent you from feeling as a failure in the event that it takes you more than a single try. This is very important, because most people start to feel as if they just cannot quit after failing a single time.

The majority of people in all honestness to themselves usually take at least two attempts to successfully quit smoking. While most people would love to quit after a single attempt, it is usually necessary to have two attempts minimum. You might wonder exactly why two attempts are necessary but the answer is really simple. For the most part the first time people start trying to quit they have an attitude that tells them it is very simple. This tends to find most consumers completely off guard, especially since it is not as easy to quit smoking as you might imagine.

Breaking the addiction to nicotine is not easy, nor is it something that can always be done in a single attempt. If you are prone to trying to quit entirely on your own with no help you will often find that your chances of success are much lower. It is almost always necessary to obtain some form of help when you are trying to quit smoking in order to be successful. This is the primary reason why it typically takes a minimum of two tries to quit smoking. No matter how many attempts you may try, it is best to plan to quit for good anytime you attempt to quit.

Being aware of how difficult it really is to quit smoking is quite significant. If you are aware of the challenges you will be in a much better position because you will have the ability to create a plan to help you quit. Knowing the challenges that you face will also allow you to create a plan that is suitable based upon the precise reason that you smoke. For example, if you tend to smoke due to stress you should be aware of what causes you stress out and look for ways to avoid the stress.

If you have a plan created to help you quit smoking before your first attempt even begins you may find that you are able to quit after a single attempt. Not having a plan before you even attempt to quit will increase the chances that it takes several tries to be successful. Creating a plan to help you stop smoking is not impossible, it merely means you need to be able to identify the problems that you could experience in your attempt to quit smoking. This means if you simply sit down and create a plan to help you deter temptations and also avoid potential problems you will have a much better success rate.

Varenicline Stop Smoking Pill

Varenicline is only the second nicotine-free smoking cessation drug to gain FDA approval. Pfizer Inc. plans to market the twice-daily tablet as Chantix stop smoking pill.

Varenicline works in two ways, by cutting the pleasure of smoking and reducing the withdrawal symptoms that lead smokers to light up cigaret again.

Most other stop-smoking pills are various nicotine-replacement therapies, sold by prescription and over the counter in gum, patch, lozenge, nasal spray or inhaler form. In 1997, the FDA approved bupropion, an antidepressant already sold as Wellbutrin but rebranded it as Zyban, an anti-smoking drug.

The approved course of Chantix pill treatment is 12 weeks, a period that can be doubled in patients who successfully stop to increase the likelihood they will remain smoke-free, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Other clinical trials show the drug's effect is more pronounced in the short-term: 44 percent of patients quit smoking following a 12-week course of treatment with Chantix, compared to the 30 percent of Zyban patients who quit, according to Pfizer. However, smoking cessation experts said the longer-term data are more applicable, given the difficulty of quitting the habit for good.

"It's not going to be a revolution, it's going to be a substantial step forward," Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends at the American Cancer Society, said of varenicline. Glynn added that the greatest value will be for smokers who have tried Zyban or nicotine-replacement therapy but failed to quit.

"My bet is that it will work as well as they do and, from the look of things, a little bit better," he said.

Varenicline latches on to the same receptors in the brain that nicotine binds to when inhaled in cigarette smoke, an action that leads to the release of dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain. Taking the drug blocks any inhaled nicotine from reinforcing that effect.

The drug also slows the release of dopamine, which cuts the craving to smoke that occurs when nicotine's effect wears off, said Pfizer research chemist Jotham Coe, who invented the drug.

"It's a shield and at the same time, it stabilizes you and prevents you from having the lows, which lead to craving and withdrawal, but at the same time, it shields you from the highs," said Coe, a former 2 1/2 pack-a-day smoker who quit smoking a first time cold turkey and then a second time with the help of nicotine gum.

One in five American adults, or nearly 45 million people, smoke. An estimated 32 million of those smokers would like to quit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking kills nearly 440,000 Americans a year.

Looking for Ways to Stop Smoking?

Of all the many ways to quit smoking, there is no one way that is best for everyone. That’s why there are so many stop smoking programs out there. You will need to do some research to find one that feels right for you.

Some Common Ways To Quit Smoking:

Cold Turkey

Nicotine Patch or gum

Herbal Products

Hypnosis

Behavior Modification

Acupuncture

These first two ways to quit smoking don’t have a very good success rate, so they aren’t highly recommended. People claim to have a very high success rate with hypnosis or herbal products, often combining these two ways to quit smoking. Combining multiple methods may greatly increase your chances of quitting.

Quit Smoking Before Everyone Quits You

Definitely there are health as well as non-health related effects due to smoking. Very vital organs like lungs, heart, eyes get damaged to such an extent that effects can not be reversed if time passes and at last only wait and watch situation remains. Each and every part of human body gets affected due to smoking. Lung start crying for fresh air, heart starts complaining lung to provide oxygen, eyes starts complaining that they are unable to see clear objects and so on.

A smoker can see money going out of their wallet due to this habit. A smoker pays extra for insurance, gets less for car sale, wastes a lot of money in smoking and pays hefty hospital bills. There are so many such incidents which empties wallet. If this habit persists, money quits smoker and smoker starts begging for a puff.

Employers find it very serious that there are measurable amount of productivity loss due to smoking. A smoker wastes productive hours going out for smoking. This gets multiplied with number of cigarettes. Smoker loose concentration when there is any urge for nicotine and tries to escape for smoking. It costs money for employers and they dislike it. Many organizations don’t allow smoking near premises. Also they degrade performance appraisal of smokers.

There is a very serious long-term effect of smoking due to teens smoking. Here DNA signature gets altered and next generations get lung diseases and this is worst. Future generations can complain their parents and grandparents of diseases supplied by them which they have not generated.

Society also treats smoker as alien in society. Due to this type of dislikes, a smoker becomes unwanted entity and all starts cornering smoker and it happens after sometime that smoker feels themselves out of society and in long term they loose track of their career growth and normal way of living.

It is a common human behavior that people realize things only if they feel it by themselves. So it is important that smoker realizes surrounding impact by themselves. If a smoker does not take cigarette in the morning hours and goes in an area where other smokers are smoking, then they can realize how others feel about him/her. Smoker can find other smokers coughing during smoke; they can feel smell coming out of smoker body and all external effects can be felt. Similarly other non-smoker may be having feeling about the smoker. If this realization is there with smoker then they can take their immediate action to prevent future damages, so that they can live a life which a non-smoker enjoys.

7 Steps for Quitting Smoking

Everyone's body is different, and everyone's reaction to nicotine and to withdrawals is going to be a little bit different. However, there are some good patterns you can use if you're ready to start down the path to quitting.

You have to start thinking about quitting first. Talk to non-smokers about what they think about smoking, look at yourself in the mirror, check into the benefits of quitting. Think about all of the negatives of continuing to smoke, and the positives of becoming a non-smoker.

Look into quitting itself. Talk to people who have quit, and think about what it will be like when you quit. Wait a little longer than usual to light up when you have a craving so that you can really see what you're up against. Become aware of your smoking patterns and think about ways to change them.

Modify your habit. Switch to a healthier brand (lower tar), smoke fewer cigarettes per day, adopt a new hobby that doesn't gel well with a smoking habit, like dancing, swimming, or gourmet cooking.

Decide to quit, but don't set a date yet. Keep a journal of how many cigarettes your use every day and start cutting back. Buy packs instead of cartons, and start identifying cigarette triggers.

Set a date for quitting and create a system to help you get there. Stay away from other smokers whenever you can, switch brands with each pack, start putting money in the bank that you can have after you've been clean for a certain period of time.

Go 24 hours without smoking. Make sure you have plenty to do that day - consider having your teeth cleaned, washing the smoke out of all of your clothes, and throwing away your ashtrays as part of your day.

Complete your first week - and reward yourself. Notice all of the good things about quitting, like the taste of food. Stay away from drinking and smoking areas as much as possible, and instead treat yourself to baths and massages to help you relax.

How to Quit Smoking

*Try smoking fewer cigarettes than usual. For many smokers, holding out few hours without smoking can prove very difficult. Familiarize yourself with the sensation and understand how difficult it can be. I know what you are saying, “Why the practice run for the suffering”. Some smokers get very panicky when they first experience a serious withdrawal symptom. It’s much like dipping your toe in the pool before jumping in. You do not want to be discouraged to a point where you can’t even imagine yourself ever quitting smoking.

*Skip the entire morning smoking session. Experience what happens when you don’t jump start your day with your nicotine fix. This is different from just holding out few hours without smoking. You’ll try to spend an entire morning without smoking a single cigarette. With enough patience on your part, by noon when you are about to finally light one up, you will notice a few things. First it’s the ups and downs of the craving. The withdrawal symptom is not constant and there will be long periods, a whole chunk of minutes that go by when you don’t really feel much craving. This was true for many former smokers I’ve interviewed and it was true for me as well. You have to try this in the morning because otherwise it’s no different from the method above. I encourage you to try this because many former smokers will attest to the fact that on your quit day, you have to make sure you start the day clean without a smoke. By the way, when you give up smoking for good, you will inevitably experience these mornings.

*For some, postponing smoking half an hour to an hour every time craving hits works wonders. Again it’s a similar method to the two above but it’s very different in its approach. This method is used to strategically cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day but in a very gradual manner. Reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day will undoubtedly be helpful in quitting smoking. The general rule of thumb is the less you smoke per day, the less severe withdrawal symptoms you will have. Remember, if you know you are not a particularly patient person. You do not want to try this method.

*Stop smoking aid products do work, you just have to work with them. There isn’t a stop smoking product that’s suitable for every smoker in the world. While a particular product may work better for Joe no.1, Jo no.2 might just do better with a different product. The recurring cost of using stop smoking products should be less than the cost of maintaining most smokers’ addiction. That’s not even counting the fact that once you quit you no longer need buy additional stop smoking products, but you will keep smoking as long as you are still an addict. You have to understand that stop smoking products are meant to aid you in combating nicotine addiction. They are not automatic fix it all products and they don’t claim to be it. It’s useless unless used as intended. So you might be wondering, “Since I do all the work, why would I even bother with these products”. The answer to that it’s simple. You can run miles without sneakers, but that doesn’t mean you do it. You can run faster and safer if you just put on a sneaker, so we choose to run with our sneakers on. Stop smoking aids can make smoking cessation experience anywhere from easy to tolerable for many smokers. As withdrawal symptoms can last days to even weeks, you can make the quality of your life substantially better than going cold turkey.

*Convince a buddy to quit smoking with you, anyone in your life who smoke can participate. Having a quit partner can trigger either camaraderie or competitiveness and either one can be beneficial in quitting smoking. If you don’t know anyone who smokes, make a wager with a friend on that you can quit. Tell everyone you know you are quitting, their support and the responsibility that comes with your announcement will help you keep your word and stay cigarette free.

*Don’t set a quit day, rather quit on the day that cigarette taste particularly nasty. Every smoker undoubtedly has these days when cigarette taste awful. Of course following this advice alone most likely won’t make you quit, but you could combine different strategies together. For example, you start by cutting down on the cigarettes you smoke. Tell everyone you know you are quitting and go grab a nicotine gum at your local pharmacy. Wait until “the day” comes, it should be easy enough. As former smoker I know smokers live through nasty cigarette tasting days at least a couple of times a month. Just use it as another arsenal to combat your nicotine dependency, it’s as simple as that.

Breathe Easier And Cleanse Your Lungs

Almost everyone knows by now that smoking is not the healthiest thing to do, but do you know why smoking is bad for the lungs? The answer is not difficult Each time you take a puff, your lungs fill up with toxic chemicals, tar, and nicotine from your cigarette. And this is only one of the reasons why smoking is bad for you.

And regrettably, most of the toxic junk stays in your lungs after you exhale. In fact, around 60 percent of these toxic substances remain lodged in your lungs after you exhale. And over a period of time, this toxic crap begins to build up inside your lungs. And this is the second reason why smoking is bad for the lungs.

Not including your brain, your lungs are the most delicate organ in your entire body. If your lungs are healthy, there are thousands of minute air chambers and passage ways. Each time you take a breath, life giving oxygen is pulled into the lungs. After entering the lungs,, oxygen is exchanged to the red blood cells in exchange for carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide waste is eliminated from your body each time you exhale. This is what happens with each breath you take. It happens about 17,000 times each day.

In order to allow oxygen into your blood stream and get rid of the carbon dioxide , the passage ways in your lungs have to be clean and free of sediments that can clog the minuscule air chambers and impede the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. In an effort to maintain these tiny air-ways and keep them clear, your lungs contain tons of minute hair like stalks that are called cilia. The cilia cleanse your lungs by continually sweeping impurities and waste out of the air ways to cleanse your lungs and keep them clear.

When you smoke, noxious substances and chemicals are drawn deep into your lungs. If you just smoke the occassional cigarette, the cilia can easily do their job and cleanse your lungs. But if you chain smoke, the cilia are not able to efficiently do their job and cleanse your lungs. Over time, more and more of the tiny cilia are damaged, this makes the cleaning process nearly impossible. Over time, toxins from cigarette smoke begin to seal the minuscule air-ways.

How Safe is the Electronic Cigarette?

The opponents of the technology have cited various reasons as to why the electronic cig should be illegal. The commonest debates include ; they might be marketed to youngsters and they have not been proven as an efficient and safe smoking termination device by the FDA.

James Watt, Electronic Cigarette Association Vice Head honcho , addressed these concerns by stating "Although some unscrupulous suppliers won't be verifying age before selling the product, the majority are only selling to those of legal smoking age. To ban a product due to some bad apples is not sound policy. "

And when questioned about the safety and efficacy of the electronic cig as a smoking suspension device, Mr. Watt replied by saying, "For those who wish to claim it's a smoking cessation device, then they should do the testing. I suspect smokers should have a right to select a substitute for smoking that doesn't contain the 4,000+ chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Give up or die is a flawed philosophy"

And what is in the solution that the e-cigarette vaporizes? The most typical ingredients include Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Water, Flavoring, and optionally - nicotine. The solution, or "ELiquid", comes in numerous levels of nicotine or no nicotine at all.

Dr. Murray Laugesen of Health New Zealand is the premiere analyst undertaking the questions and worries that arrise from the use of the electronic cigarette. He's done not simply a clinical study on a brand of cartridges, but he has conducted the sole controlled test of the electronic cig to date, as reported in the prestigious New Scientist.

Dr. Laugesen observed that "All pointers so far show the device is safe. Whether it will be a successful smoking device in the future depends on whether executives wrap it in cotton-wool regulations or allow smokers to purchase it with a modicum of reasonable safety checks."

The Electronic Cigarette Association's mission is "to institute and promote industry-wide standards and a code of behavior, work to maintain sound professional practices, educate the public and policy-makers on the industry's activities and potential, and ensure the moral use of electronic cigarette technologies."

Dangers of Cigarette Smoking to Women

What is certain and perhaps bound to happen one day in future is the consequences of having to be an addict of cigarette smoking in general.

Nevertheless, women have got more to loose health wise than men because, apart from suffering from common diseases linked to smoking, there are other specific illnesses that occur only to women.

To start with is the menstruation or menopause. Some reliable knowledge quote smoking as being capable of lowering the levels of estrogen in a woman’s body, which is why they develop normal cycle alterations or unusual bleeding.

Also, they say that it is linked to severe problems during menopause or just having it come earlier than it should.

Infertility problems is the effect of cigarette smoking that many of us are aware of and women addicts stand a higher chance of giving birth to premature, low weight babies and reduced chances of conceiving.

If you would like to understand the theory behind cigarette smoking and reproduction in women and men, your doctor is in a better position to explain more.

Women who also use hormonal types of contraceptives and smoke are said to be at higher risks of developing severe risks such as blood clots, heart conditions and stroke.

And since smoking affects your man such that he become impotent, you realize that as a woman who does not smoke, probability of getting pregnant by him is reduced.

What’s more, they can risk suffering breast cancer that is a great killer of women and also men now. Studies state that the number of cigarettes smoked per day can affect a woman’s survival rate.

The infrequent form of cancer of the vulva is forty eight percent times more likely to affect a woman who is addicted to cigars.

And is looking youthful when we are actually aged not what many women dream of? The bad news is that cigarette smoking cause premature wrinkling on the skin and the opposite happens.

You know, appearing old than a woman is! For you stay away heart conditions, respiratory problems, cancers and all diseases caused by this form addiction, quit it now!

This has never been easy, but many people have done this successfully. One must make up their minds so as to avoid the urge for a cigar.

Women who want to survive this addiction must want to avoid the health problems related to it from within. Keeping a distance from peers who also smoke is a plus.

Learn more to quit smoking

Quit Smoking for Better Health

To be honest that is just the way my friend Sally is, she makes decisions on the spur of the moment which makes her a fun and lively girl but when she said he was going to quit for the 3rd time I had to ask if she had methods of how to quit smoking cigarettes before she went on her merry way, doomed to another failure and increasingly worse smokers cough.

Her answer of course was “no”, she had no methods and no plan because she blamed the last two attempts that failed on the stresses she was under or the environment she was in without taking any responsibility for herself. This time though she agreed to sit down and come up with a plan with some methods and rules for herself to overcome this unhealthy addiction for good.

Do you have a plan to quit?

If not, you may be like my friend Sally, headed for another failure all because you did not spend just a little bit of time and maybe a little bit of extra money to secure a success from their quitting goals. This is your health and your family’s health you are dealing with after all!

Methods of how to quit smoking cigarettes do not need to be long winded just some basic things written down to help you along. I tend to divide them into three sections.

Goals - Write down realistic goals with dates on them to keep. It could be the exact date you will go cold turkey or it might be how many you will reduce smoking every day. As long as it is written down and carried with you as a reminder

How to deal with Cravings - Some people suffer badly from the cravings caused by the nicotine addiction you have built up over your time smoking. IT is important to have a plan on what to do when they hit, typically you need to distract yourself. Go clean up your office or home might be one or think of people playing tennis (bizarre but true it helps! Must be the repetitive back and forth is soothing) or anything lese that has nothing to do with smoking.

Reasons - One of the most important things you need to do is to change your mindset from that of a smoker to that of a non-smoker. To do this you need good solid reasons for why quitting will be good … write down all the benefits you will see, extra money, health, family; whatever is MOTIVATING to you!

Learn more to quit smoking

Quit Cigarette Smoking - Do You Know Your Options?

To combat this here is a quick list of help available to smokers looking to kick their habit and be happier, healthier (and have a wallet with more cash in it too!)

1. Products

There is a range of cessation treatment products designed to wean smokers of cigarettes and hold off cravings by feeding the nicotine addiction that is a large cause (but not the only one) of the need to smoke again.

You can purchase nicotine patches, nicotine gum (like Barack Obama), nicotine spray and inhalers too. These are all designed to help with nicotine cravings but they will not stop you smoking cigarettes if you have a strong psychological addiction to them which most people have. They can be a useful addition to your attempt to quit though as long as you do not put all your faith in them!

2. Support Groups

There are many support groups and therapy groups available for smokers which can be located through local medical centers and hospitals. One problem with therapy and groups like this though is that everyone else is hooked like you and all you do is talk about smoking which can be a distraction from quitting sometimes! IT can generate more stress than it solves and the quitting rate from these is quit poor. However if you have no support from anyone else in your life this may be the best option because everyone needs personal support going through this rough time.

3. Hypnosis

Many may scoff at the thought of quitting cigarette smoking through hypnosis but more and more people who are open to the idea have found some relief with hypnosis. This is because it does not change the way you think with mind control as many may think but instead it is a tool to slightly reprogram the way you think but only if you want it to. Skeptics should keep away from this but if you believe in the power of the mind and what6 hypnosis can do it has produced decent results. As a note you can also do self hypnosis with many audio courses available on the internet to help you quit smoking cigarettes.

4. Neuro Linguistic Programming

This term has a mixed reaction in the psychological sciences, some discredit it but under various different names extremely successful life coaches like Anthony Robbins have taken the core concept and shaped it to change millions of people’s lives for the better. The basic concept is that through language and certain ways of thinking you can reprogram the way you think. Much like hypnosis it requires an open mind but NLP practitioners have shown it can be a powerful ally to strengthen resolve and change life habits.

5. Lung Detoxification

This is something you rarely hear about but has had many success stories also. The basic premise is that your lungs are filled with tar and gunk from smoking cigarettes for so long and to quit cigarette smoking you must detox your lungs and clean them out. While this is simply a great idea for your health it has the added benefit that it actually puts you off cigarette smoking once it is done because the rapid detox effect leaves the body unused to smoking and makes it quit un-enjoyable.

Learn more to quit smoking

be Smoke Free Forever

To help you kick your addiction to cigarettes and the addictive component nicotine here are 10 tips and ways to quit smoking cigarettes that can show you it can be done and it is not as hard as people can make it out to be if you have a plan!

1. Write a list of reason you LIKE smoking

It may seem counter to your needs to quit smoking but ignoring why you like smoking and why you continue to smoke is important so that psychologically you can overcome these things or leave them behind or replace them with something. Ignoring them simply means when cravings hit those reasons subconsciously attack your reasoning and resolve.

2. Make a list of reasons it will be hard to quit

Wow, I sound so negative so far which I am sorry for but bear with me! Honesty is massive part of overcoming an addiction to nicotine and cigarettes because many people try to quit without being honest with themselves first and those people usually fail on that attempt. So write down a list of reasons you think might make it hard to quit or the reasons you know from experience have made it harder.

3. Write a list of reasons you want to quit

Ok now we are getting more positive! Again HONESTY is the big word here for the same reason stated before. You need as many solid positive reasons for quitting cigarettes so that these ways to quit smoking cigarettes work! HINT: List them in a positive way so instead of writing “Scared of lung cancer” write “I want to be healthy and live a long life!” … negative reasons are not as strong as positive ones.

4. Write down a list of ways to tackle cravings

When the cravings hit all reasoning and resolve can suddenly go out the window as you may already have experienced and is not something to be ashamed of. You just need a way to overcome these things, having something to distract you from the cravings is a very important things to do whether it is to get your joggers on and hit the pavement or if you are at work to maybe chew some gum, get a coffee or clean up your office space.

5. Compare lists

Now you have a few sheets of paper (or for some people nearly a book!) you can compare your negative and positive reasons. This is important because often if you have more reasons you like smoking compared to reasons you want to quit smoking cigarettes then you may not be ready to quit and might need to find some more reasons and support to quit. Also if your list of things to do to overcome cravings do not have an answer to all your reasons why quitting might be hard then you may need to revisit the former list and add to it. Once you have done this not only have you been introspective enough to see things clearly and plan ahead you have created the base work for a contract with yourself to quit which is a cornerstone of quitting cigarettes for good.

6. Set a quit date

Having firm goals is important when dealing with addictions and when looking for ways to quit smoking cigarettes this is a vital step. Having a set date you set for yourself and can plan for means you will not make snap decision when you are not ready and you will also force yourself to commit to a date than a vague “I will quit next week” then that week never seems to come …

7. Throw out all smoking paraphernalia

Get rid of them when that quit date hits! Get rid of your smokes, if you hold on to any cigarettes it is a temptation and a subconscious easy way out .. if you are serious break the fags and toss them out, if you can’t do that you are not ready to quit. Also get rid of lighters and anything else that has to do with smoking in your space.

8. Busy your hands and mouth

One part of the addiction to cigarettes that people ignore in favor of concentrating on the dependency effects of nicotine is the habit that has formed over many years of the actual ACTION of smoking. IF you carry some toothpicks you can suck on or some nuts you can crack open and eat you will busy your hands looking for a familiar action, no need for anything terribly elaborate just keep them busy or they may stray to a cigarette.

9. State your intention to quit smoking cigarettes

Tell your friends, tell your family and tell your co-workers that you plan to quit smoking cigarettes for a two reasons. One, you need a support network to help you so it is good to get as many well wishers and helpers as you can. Two if you are not announcing it does not become REAL to you and is less substantial because it is like you are a keeping a secret often as many do not want the stigma of people knowing they failed if it comes to that which is just another excuse!

10. Stay Positive, Quit positive

Research has shown that those that quit when in a good and positive mood stand a much greater chance of achieving their goal. IF you plan to quit and map out your ways to quit smoking cigarettes while under stress of when depressed it does not bode well as a negative reason as has been mentioned is no where near as strong as positive ones!

Learn more to quit smoking