How To Quit Smoking - Ways To Quit Smoking
Every year, thousands of people around the world fall prey to a small but deadly evil. Cigarettes ensnare people with their strong flavor and stimulating effects, but few realize that these joys are short-lived. Cigarettes are made of tobacco, which contains nicotine. Nicotine is an organic compound, which tends to physically and mentally stimulate humans when taken in small dosages. However, an overdose of this substance may lead to several complications.
Nicotine addiction is hard to fight. Once a person is hooked onto cigarettes, he will find it hard to let go. We all know that the harmful effects of smoking are many. From simple respiratory disorders to more complex and lethal cases of heart diseases and cancer, quitting smoking is a life saving necessity.
Many people around the world try to quit this life-threatening addiction. Although it might seem difficult, the task is not impossible. How to quit smoking is a question that a smoker asks himself when he or she decides to take the path towards self-recovery. There are several steps one can take to get started. Fixing a date for quitting and listing out the reasons for the same is the starting point. A person should try and stick to the date without postponing it indefinitely. Quitting might seem hard at first and people tend to experience withdrawal symptoms. Hence, the process should be gradual. To help oneself, a person could try switching to a different brand, so the taste difference might act as a deterrent.
A person usually tends to smoke when he has nothing to do. Therefore, keeping busy constantly is a great solution to the problem. Apart from staying busy, one can also keep the mouth occupied with sugarless gum or candy so that the temptation to smoke does not arise.
The most important aid to quitting is getting the full support of one’s family and friends. A word of encouragement by a loved one can go a long way in helping a person overcome the addiction.
Ways To Quit Smoking
For several million smokers around the world, cigarettes are considered almost as important as oxygen for their survival. They have fallen prey to a deadly addiction. Nicotine is an active ingredient in tobacco and is present in cigarettes in large quantities. In small doses, nicotine acts as a stimulant. However, an overdose of nicotine is lethal.
A large proportion of cigarette smokers suffer from a variety of disorders. From respiratory diseases and skin ailments to heart problems and cancer, the complications are many. To save the body from damage, one must quit smoking at an early stage. Although they say it is never too late, letting go of the habit at a later stage is more difficult. There are several ways to quit smoking. While some methods require professional guidance and counseling, the person may practice others independently.
The “cold turkey” method is practiced by several smokers and is quite popular. This way, a person quits smoking abruptly, by entirely giving up smoking. There is no tapering off.
Nicotine replacement therapy is another popular method employed by many. When a person is trying to quit, he or she might experience severe withdrawal symptoms because the supply of nicotine to the smoker’s blood has been taken away. In this method, the nicotine delivered through cigarettes is replaced by nicotine delivered through the skin. Nicotine patches, nicotine gum and nicotine nasal sprays are the options available in this therapy. Experts suggest a step tapering method when following this policy, as it eases the withdrawal symptoms gradually.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is probably the best way to go about quitting. This method requires a great amount of self-control and determination to ward off the urge to smoke. Getting rid of external influences that promote smoking, delaying every smoke session, creating an aversive condition by smoking and focusing on the positive rewards are all part of this therapy.
Other methods used to quit smoking are counseling sessions, acupuncture and hypnosis.
These methods, along with a firm resolve will help a person on the path to recovery. It is essential that a smoker feels the need to quit from within himself and is not trying methods to quit smoking due to external pressure. When the smoker is determined to quit, though, their chosen way to quit smoking will have a greater chance of success.
Stop Smoking and Get All Those Things You Thought You Couldn’t Afford
Not only do we smokers pay through the nose for the privilege of our habit, we almost certainly put ourselves into an early grave too. Smokers do die younger, at least on average (we all know one aunty, uncle or granddad who smoked until they were 100 – and ‘it did them no harm’, but this is the exception not the norm). In fact, figures show that 83,200 people die each year in England alone due to smoking related illness. Not a pretty picture and one to consider when lighting up that next cigarette.
With the cost of smoking having already reached an incredible average of £92,000 in a lifetime, you really could get all those items you thought you couldn’t afford, if you could give them up. £92,000 could buy a very nice car, many luxury holidays, even a house and the savings don’t stop there.
After the initial staggering cost of buying cigarettes there are many other savings to be had too, life insurance being one of them. Insurance companies are obviously going to up their price for a smoker who is much more likely to contract a serious illness than a non smoker, it stands to reason. Premiums are actually generally around 50% less for a non smoker.
To qualify for these savings, however, you need to have kicked the wicked weed for at least a year with some companies asking for five years abstinence. Stopping is the easy bit it’s staying off them that is the tough part. In the past year nearly a half of all smokers have attempted to quit and you can bet your bottom dollar that a high percentage of them are smoking again now.
If you do manage to stop, however, you will want to know how much lower your current insurance premiums can be. A good starting point is to contact your current life insurance provider, if you have one of course, to revise your policy. Although a good starting point I would strongly suggest this isn’t your only action. The best savings are almost certainly likely to be found on the internet so shop around and you are sure to find a much improved quote.
Do make sure you have received your final price before cancelling you current policy (best done by simply cancelling your current direct debit payments), as internet base prices are highly likely to increase after medical questionnaires and other forms are completed. Even more so these days as insurance companies battling for custom on the internet are trying to lower their base rates. This obviously gives them an advantage of showing customers a better price on initial contact. This soon mounts up as questionnaires are filled, especially for the smokers amongst us!
Quit Smoking
Cigarettes and cigars are a multi-million dollar industry around the world. Cigarette smokers around the world cannot pass a single day without puffing on these tobacco products. Many smokers don’t realize that they have become addicted to a very dangerous substance until it is too late. All cigarettes contain nicotine, an organic compound found in the tobacco plant. In small doses, nicotine has a stimulating effect, increasing activity, alertness and memory. However, in large doses, such as smoking, nicotine can have a harmful effect.
Nicotine addiction is a hard habit to fight. The chemical, coupled along with carbon monoxide has a detrimental effect on ones health. Constant smoking coats the inner lining of the lungs with a layer of tar. This case further complicates itself and leads to breathing disorders, reduction in blood flow, lack of oxygen supply to the body and in severe cases, lung cancer. Whether one admits it or not, smoking kills, slowly but surely.
Apart from these well-known ailments, smokers suffer from several other diseases. They tend to suffer from constant exhaustion, as the body does not get enough oxygen. The skin becomes wrinkled and the lips and teeth get stained from the smoke. Moreover, men may suffer from infertility and expectant mothers who smoke may run the risk of delivering premature or stillborn babies. Even casual smokers suffer from several ailments such as asthma and bronchitis.
It may be difficult to stop smoking, but it is not impossible. Once a person sets his mind to it, there are various aids to help him in the process. Rehabilitation centers offer several therapies, programs and lectures on how to quit smoking. In fact, a person can quit even without visiting such centers if one has a firm resolve.
Those who decide to quit should receive full support from their family and friends. The path to recovery is a difficult one but can be overcome if the right environment is created.
How I Quit Smoking With the Right Mindset
Quitting smoking can be the hardest thing you ever do in life. It’s not easy, so don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, but I did do it. I wish I could tell you there is an exact scientific formula that could be bottled and sold on the market that could help all smokers quit, but I can’t. I can tell you what happened to me in my long quest to quit smoking. First you have to understand, I am a person who believes in God and the power of prayer, but I am also a person who believes that God helps those who help themselves.
For years I have been living a wild contradiction. Working out in the gym anywhere from 3-5 times a week pushing weights, running on a treadmill, and occasionally playing basketball at the park. Even though I love to exercise and love athletics, I had a problem with smoking. I would get down to a half a pack a day, but when a bad day would come, I was back up to smoking a full pack. I was so stupid that I would go outside to smoke in the middle of a workout and wonder why I felt dizzy.
As I mentioned already, I believe in the power of prayer, and I prayed for over 10 years to quit smoking. I actually quit a few times, but it was back to smoking as usual after just one more. That’s all I was going to have. The problem is just one is never enough. After the one, it’s just one more, until you’ve smoked another pack. My frustration was mounting.
After so many years had passed, I couldn’t believe I was still smoking. Stress was a contributing factor, or so I thought. Any time I felt it, I had to smoke. Stress at work was terrible, but I think God was listening because I was eventually able to start to work from home on creating webpages. Being a webmaster is something I enjoy doing very much. I still smoked though at first. I was amazed. I no longer had a great source of stress from my old work place, but I still had to smoke. It wasn’t just the great stress of my old job, but it was any stress. I used any excuse to smoke. So I continued to pray night after night that somehow God would help me quit. I started to see that my face was getting a little wrinkled. I couldn’t tell if it was simply a matter of my age, or if my smoking was causing me to age faster, but still I couldn’t quit.
Then that fateful day, something happened. The reason why I had to mention the praying is do in fact that I cannot completely explain away how I quit. I really believe that God doesn’t force us to anything. Even things we ask for, but somehow He gave me the right mindset. I had to be willing to finally give up smoking completely. I had to be willing to quit and to not look back. You can cut back only so far before you are smoking right back at the same level again. Every time I smoked, I increased my level of addiction. I had to finally be willing to give it up cold turkey with no looking back. To a non-smoker it seems probably silly to be so emotional over something as destructive a habit as smoking, but at that moment as ashamed as I am to admit it, I actually shed a tear. I shed a tear, feeling as if I were giving up a friend. It was a friend that was always there when problems arose. I now know that my feelings were just plain stupid. Cigarettes are not only bad for your health, but who wants anything in your life that isn’t there by choice. No matter what a smoker tells you, if most could easily choose not to smoke, they would.
But I guess in the end addiction or not, we all have a choice. I don’t know about most people who quit, but after all the times I failed, I’m convinced that it took help from heaven for me to quit. I cannot to this day explain in any other way how just out of the blue after 10 years I was able to get the strength to completely turn my back on smoking.
Your Personal Plan to Quit Smoking in Just 30 Days
The first 30 days as an ex-smoker are the hardest. You have a lot of hardship to cope with. If you make it through the first 30 days, it will get easier from that point on. Let’s take a look at a “plan of attack” to help you quit smoking in just 30 days. There are a few elements:
* a well devised plan (very necessary)
* a few aids (not necessary)
* a lot of motivation (very necessary)
Let’s talk about each one of them:
The plan:
You need to plan exactly what you schedule will be and what activities you plan on having during these next 30 days. This is critically important because you want to insure that there
are as little surprises and stressful events as possible. Every time you go through stressful event you are at risk to start smoking again. Also, do not plan any diet or other radical life
style changes during this month. You will have enough to deal with as it is, wouldn’t you? You should also plan special time to exercise, do breathing exercises and sleep properly ( you can’t smoke while you sleep).
The next thing to do in your plan is to get all the help you can get during this month. To do that you can:
* Ask your friend and family to help you quit smoking. Ask them to watch over you and make sure you are not tempted to smoke.
* Hang reminders at your computer, bathroom, kitchen etc. telling you that you are now an ex-smoker.
* Through away all Tobacco products. This seems obvious, but many smokers who try to quit still keep a cigarette stash somewhere in case they’ll need it…don’t be one of them.
* Try not to drink any alcohol during this month. That’s because we don’t want your will power and your judgement to weaken, which tends to be the case when you drink.
OK, so mow that we have a plan, let’s look at some other ingredients:
Stop smoking aids:
There are a few stop smoking aids that were proven effective. The medicine called Zyban is an effective craving reducer (need prescription). There are also many herbal replacements to
Zyban that do not require prescription. Other methods are the shots and the laser treatment. All good methods, but quit pricey. Using these aids might help, but it can’t replace your will
power.
Your will power and motivation:
An absolute must have. You won’t make it without a true desire to quit smoking. You really must find that desire within you. Your life will be so much better after you quit smoking, and you must find that desire for life and health.
That’s it. Your complete battle-plan for your first 30 days as an ex-smoker. So now that you have it, it’s totally up to you. Good luck!
Stop Smoking – A Few Tips
Many people have tried to quit smoking and failed. What most of them don’t know that most smokers will fail several times before they quit completely. There have been many studies that have shown that cigarette smoking is as hard to break as a cocaine addiction. Some people have found it beneficial admitting to themselves that they are powerless over nicotine, before starting their journey to quitting smoking. If you admit that you are now smoking because you are addicted and not because it is a personal choice may help motivate you to making the next steps to quitting smoking.
Surprisingly about eighty percent of people try to quit smoke without help. Ninety five percent of those people fail. So getting help to quit smoking is a must. Do not try to do it by yourself. Seek help with programs and there are even meetings for people who are trying to quit smoking to help give you support. Find a program that may work for you, better yet find two or more. You can use a combination of programs. You can place a call to your local American Cancer Society and get a list of inexpensive mainstream programs. There are over the counter nicotine replacement methods that you can use such as nicotine gum and the patch. You could get a prescription for the nicotine inhaler or Zyban. You should buy a quit smoking book and audio tapes to listen to on the way to work. Some work places offer you a reward for quitting smoking. So not only do you save money you may get money as well.
A lot of people who have quit smoking claim that learning to take slow deep breaths were a very important technique to learn. Essentially every time you want a cigarette, you take a deep long breath and then very slowly exhale. If you purse you lips it will force you air to come out more slowly. When you exhale try to imagine all the tension coming out of you body and let you chin fall to your chest. Let the tension just flow out. You also need to remember the urge for a cigarette lasts for about five minutes. So if you get the strong urge to smoke, practice your breathing and tell yourself that you can make it through these five minutes. Then it will be better.
You will need to drink lots of water for the first few days to flush all the nicotine and toxins out of your body. Stay away from coffee, alcohol and high calorie snacks, these can trigger a craving for a cigarette. Some people find it helpful to find a substitute for their cigarette such as gum, lollipops, cinnamon sticks and hard candy. It may be helpful to change your normal routine. Take a walk or go to the gym during lunch or breaks. Please do not forget to ask for support form family, friend and co-workers. That way they know you are trying to quit and understand if you are a little grumpy! Do not be afraid to ask people around you not to smoke. This may be more important than you realize.
It will be helpful to write down ten things about being a non-smoker and then ten things bad about smoking. It really helps. It will also help if you reaffirm to yourself that you are a non-smoker, not a smoker who isn’t smoking at the moment. Repeat to yourself all day that you are a non-smoker. It is ok to grieve about quitting smoking. Your body has been programmed that smoking made you feel good. You will miss it in the beginning; it is okay to feel that grief.
Acupuncture Treatment to Quit Smoking – does it Actually Work?
Acupuncture is an alternative medical method that originated from China.
This method is based upon the old Chinese assumption that there are invisible energy point scattered across the human body. Theses energy points are called Meridians. during an Acupuncture treatment, tiny needles are inserted into the Meridians, causing he energy flow through them to change. This principle is used for quit a few benefits:
* It can “open up” energy blocks that will relieve pain and stress
* It can reduce cravings
* It can strengthen your energy and vitality
In the past years, Acupuncture has been used, among other uses, to help people stop smoking. The treatment included inserting the needles to specific points (among them, a few points in the outer ear).
This treatment was supposed to reduce the cravings to another cigarette and help those people on their way to quit smoking. In the first few years of using this method, it was quit popular and gained a lot of followers that recommended it. That was mainly because the method is not invasive and is very suitable for people who can’t, or won’t take medicine and other “strong stuff”.
But, for the last few years, the use of Acupuncture in smoking cessation has reduced significantly. This happens because of the following reasons:
* The percentage of people who actually stooped smoking while using Acupuncture
was small. This indicated that Acupuncture is not the best choice for people who want to quit smoking.
* New solutions were introduced to the scene, such as laser treatment, and shots treatment. This article does not discuss these methods, so let’s just say that they proved to be by far more effective than Acupuncture.
To conclude, It is clear that Acupuncture has it’s place as an alternative method, and many people report getting results with it. If you want to give it a shot in your efforts to stop smoking, it is advised that you find a therapist with a proven back record of success with helping people stop smoking.
However, I would say that as a means to help smoking cessation, there are much better solutions out there, so Acupuncture is in my opinion not the best choice.
Smoking As A Part Of Culture
Smoking has a long tradition and history in all major countries. It is not just a personal habit. It is a part of our culture. No matter what laws are made and how many campaigns launched against it, smoking tobacco is today a very essential ingredient in the lives of many.
As a cultural trait, smoking is very well known in literature, movies, and music. The smoke-filled cafes and public houses are the first impressions noted down by travelers and writers in countries where smoking is popular. The movies too have added their touch of glamour and romance to this habit, whether it is the scenario as described above, or the gentleman smoker with his girlfriend and a cigar in one hand.
There are countries where the younger generation has taken heavily to smoking tobacco. It fills their life with some meaning, provides relaxation in difficult times, and brings two people together when they may have stayed away.
How and when smoking tobacco began is not the subject matter here, but the natural product seems to have been long known to native users. As its use spread to other countries, new ways of processing and preparing the product were invented, culminating in the modern, sleek version – the cigarette. At once handy and easily procurable from small kiosks the world over, it stands as a symbol of the modern man and for the modern world.
The ill effects of smoking or chewing tobacco are well known. These are the rallying points of the laws and the campaigns that back them up. It is indeed our responsibility to take care of our health and to know the adverse effects. The very young too need to be kept away from easy enticements. The final decision is ultimately in our hands. If life is to be lived with full meaning, than this decision must be left to the individual users – how they wish to live.
Stop Smoking Laser Therapy
Stop smoking laser treatment is a well know method since over 20 years. It is a common practice designed for people trying to quit smoking.
Stop smoking laser therapy is based on the ancient acupuncture. In ancient times, people used needles to stimulate certain points of the human body and thus stimulate hormone secretion. Nowadays low-level lasers substitute the needles. The laser stimulates the nerve endings and increases the endorphin secretion.
Laser therapy is completely painless. Most people describe the feeling as a warming, even tingling feeling. After each session, people feel relaxed and happier. Their smoking cravings are greatly reduced and the depression that goes along with the ceasing process is gone.
Prices for Stop smoking laser therapy are relatively low nowadays. The costs may vary of course but they are usually about $500. If you calculate how much money you are spending on cigarettes, you will see that the cost of the laser treatment is neglectfully low. Moreover, smoking damages your health so badly that you will need a great amount of money to try repair the damages later.
Any stop smoking laser therapy has two stages. The first stage is meant to help detoxification. This usually happens within the first two days of the therapy. During the rest of the course, the lasers are used to reduce he depression rate and the nicotine cravings.
Laser treatment is a non-medical procedure. However, it is not considered appropriate for people who experience specific medical conditions. Pregnant women, people suffering from epilepsy or cancer are not suitable for a stop smoking laser treatment. You should always consult your therapist before undertaking stop smoking laser treatment. If this treatment turns to be inappropriate for you your doctor will be able to prescribe you other medication to help you quit smoking.
It is important to remember is that stop smoking laser treatment does not guarantee that you will actually quit smoking. Smoking habit has two faces – physiological (your body is accustomed to certain substances found in cigarettes’ smoke) and the psychological (connected with your perception of smoking, your habits and lifestyle). Laser therapy can help reduce the physical symptoms of the smoking habit. The rest – you should fight yourself. Stop smoking laser treatment can give excellent results if combined with a behavior treatment, more exercising and the support you can get from your family and friends. The good thing about it is that it is a non-medical treatment so you will not need to take any medications.
Should Smoking be Banned?
Why is it that countries everywhere want to ban smoking and related advertisements and also benefit from taxing its sales, both at the same time? The same goes for alcohol and other such commodities.
Smoking and drinking are universally prevalent habits. That itself is the biggest argument against any such bans. Why then would any lawmaker try to wipe it out?
The main motive behind such moves seems to be a paternalistic one – to protect others from harming themselves. As adults our personal habits are chosen by us and we are solely responsible for them. It seems there is a tendency to consider the civil population as a group or community whose welfare one is responsible for. In fact, no one can hold another person responsible if somebody dies of smoking induced cancer, except that person himself/herself.
If the above is true, than why would anyone think of imposing such bans? If the victim is solely responsible for his/her actions, then why should such actions become a subject for regulations, unless they are considered harmful to others?
This last point has in fact been explored in case of smoking, and passive smoking is one argument made in favor of banning public smoking.
Several habits are a matter of personal freedom and these must be kept out of reach of bans and impositions.
A just point made by someone on the internet was that smokers do not continue to smoke due to lack of knowledge of its harmful effects. It at all it is, it is considered a vice. That is what motivates such bans.
Or is it that governments can’t tolerate anything more popular than themselves?!
Is Smoking a Socially Fashionable Habit?
If smoking was really that hazardous and a killer habit, very few would smoke today. Nicotine – the active substance in cigarettes – is akin to similar chemicals found in tea and coffee, and other habit related drugs. Having a cigarette means very much the same to a smoker as having a cup of tea means to us. Yet one habit is vilified, and the other is even encouraged as being healthy.
What attracts young people to smoking? The bad effects are well known and well documented. It is injurious to health in the long run. Still people continue to pick up the habit, and continue smoking.
It seems the attraction to smoking lies in the very act of smoking. Holding a cigarette in one’s hand, and defying others and the norms. It is the first step into adulthood – of being oneself, rather than being defined by others. It is a show of the emerging self. It is this aspect that is glamorously portrayed in the movies.
Remove this charm, this act of rebellion, and smoking would be just another habit that some people can’t get rid of. Just another addiction, another drug to soothe and calm.
The same perhaps goes for alcohol, to some extent, though not much. It is much easier to smoke in public than drink. The aspect of show is therefore limited with alcohol.
It is no wonder therefore that programs to reduce or eliminate smoking strike first at the advertisements. The heroes who make such acts glamorous in the first place. Still, the roots of smoking lie not in the ads and product publicity, but more in our minds.
It appears fanciful, and just what one ought to do.
In the long run, however, it is debatable if one should continue with the habit. It has harmful effects. The decision should be left to the individuals concerned. It is a matter of personal choice.
Vitamins and Smoking Cessation
If you have recently quit smoking, or if you are getting ready to embark on a smoking cessation program – congratulations! You have taken the first steps to improved health and a longer, happier life.
Years of smoking can take quite a toll on your physiology and appearance. Among other things, excessive smoking causes the production of harmful free radicals in the body.
But it is possible to reverse some of this damage, and vitamins play a big part in the healing process. Antioxidants found in many vitamin compounds can eliminate free radical activity and restore your body to a healthy state.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that everyone needs to stay healthy, but smokers have a special need for this compound. Smoking depletes the body of ascorbic acid, so a smoker will need up to three times more Vitamin C than the average non-smoker.
Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, which means more oxygen in your blood stream. This vitamin even counteracts atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, caused by smoke inhalation.
Smoking can cause bone loss associated with aging to happen at an accelerated rate. It’s common knowledge that calcium works to prevent bone loss, but did you know Vitamin C improves your ability to absorb and use calcium?
Good sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruit, broccoli, strawberries and cabbage.
Folic acid is another important vitamin compound, especially for smokers. This is a B-complex vitamin, and is crucial for lung health. Studies have shown that increasing folic acid intake can reduce symptoms of bronchitis and other lung-related maladies.
Get your folic acid via orange juice or fortified cereal.
Smoking also depletes the body’s Vitamin E supply. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that offers protection from dangerous free radicals and can help the body rebuild.
In fact, research even indicates that Vitamin E can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Sources of natural Vitamin E include oils, nuts, seeds, liver, and clams.
In addition to eating a well-balanced diet, many doctors and rehabilitation specialists recommend that smokers and ex-smokers take a good multivitamin supplement to help the body recover from the devastating effects of smoking.
Stop Smoking Program
Wondering what to do to help your smoking cessation, why do not you consider attending a stop smoking program. There is plenty of smoking cessation programs available and their success rates are reasonably good.
You can ask your doctor to refer you to a good stop smoking program. Alternatively, ask your friends or relatives who have already attended such program for advice. If none of the options works out – you can search for a stop smoking program on the internet, in the newspaper ads or the yellow-pages-kind of guides.
Regardless who referred you to the program you plan to attend, there are always a few factors to consider. First, you should know what to expect from a stop smoking program. If you imagine it is a magical place that will instantly eradicate your bad smoking addiction. What you will be offered within the course will be counseling services, a quit smoking plan, in certain paces a behavior therapy. Some of the sessions will be held with your therapist only, other may be group sessions where you will meet other people trying to stop smoking.
Since this is a kind of shrink thing you should ask for all information that you can think of – ask for the companies background what are the certificates (as well as other education stuff) of your future therapist, ask for previous customers recommendations. Companies that are reluctant to provide you with similar information or provide just bits and pieces unwillingly are better to be avoided.
What is important to remember is that these programs are not necessarily very expensive. Also (as any other service nowadays) a high price does not guarantee perfect results.
Most people say that stop smoking programs give very satisfactory results. Other found pretty useless. The truth is that if the program includes serious and regular sessions (with duration more that 30-40 minutes) the chances of success are quite big. Of course if we assume the therapist is an educated and experiences professional as well. So when considering which stop smoking program to attend, take into account the number and the frequency of the sessions and their duration.
What some people find useful is attending regular meetings are some ex-smokers organizations (similar of the Anonymous Alcoholic ones). This is a good follow up practice that will help you overcome the smoking habit totally and will invite new friends into your life.
Finally, as in any their thing you try to achieve in life, smoking cessation is a matter of personal decision, consistency and strong will. Make sure you realize and understand the reasons why you want to stop smoking and do your best to achieve this goal.
Effects Of Cigarette Smoking
Medical institutions around the world have concluded that cigarette smoking is related to many health problems. A recent study showed that smokers have a very high risk of acquiring lung cancer than non smokers. Major problems related to cigarette smoking include cancer of the throat, lung cancer, oral cancer, various lung problems like emphysema, chronic smoker’s cough, general oxygen depletion, prematurely wrinkled skin, bloodshot eyes, lack of endurance and stamina, loss of libido and loss of appetite.
Nicotine is the most predominant stimulant and active ingredient in cigarettes. Nicotine is highly addictive, and children and pets may even die by eating cigarette butts and cigarettes. The tobacco smoke contains toxic and carcinogenic compounds like radon and radium-226, which are known to be related to lung cancer.
Another serious health disorder related to cigarette smoking is emphysema. It is characterized by loss of lung tissue, destruction of the structures supporting the alveoli, and the destruction of capillaries feeding the alveoli. As a result, the airways collapse during expiration and cause the air to be trapped in the lungs, an obstructive form of lung disease.
Smoking is more dangerous to women, with smoking causing prematurely wrinkled skin. It is much more dangerous for pregnant women. Extreme cases of smoking may cause miscarriages. If a woman continues smoking during pregnancy, there are chances that the child may be exposed to passive smoking. One symptom of women smoking during pregnancy is underweight children.
Passive smoking is another increasing problem of interest among the common public. It occurs when the exhaled smoke from a smoker’s cigarette is inhaled by other people around the smoker. Cigarette smoke contains tar, which is known to be more dangerous than the nicotine in the cigarettes.
Stop Smoking Herbs, What’s all The Fuzz About?
Smoking habits are stronger than people are. That is a well-recognized fact. There are thousands of advice newsletters and hundreds of ways to help you fight this habit.
Most folk find the process extremely frustrating and regularly just give up to the smoking cravings. Others are so determined to leave the smoking habit behind that they seek the help of medicines. There are medicines designed to help you cease smoking and others to fight the depression that usually goes along the smoking cessation process. Although all medicines on the market as soon as possible are scrutinyed and approved for sale by the respective pharmaceutical body, it is a well-known fact that there is no harmless diet.
For this reason, many inhabitants use herbs to help them getting through the withdraw symptoms . Here is a brief overview of the basic natural substances you can use if you are heading on the path to smoke free life.
One of the most well-known among stop smoking herbs is Lobelia. Lobelia, also called Indian Tobacco, has a similar to nicotine effect on the nervous system. That is why it is recommended as a nicotine expediency substance. The good thing about using Lobelia is that you cannot addict to Lobeline. You can buy dried herb or a liquid extract to take it anytime you feel nicotine hunger.
Any smoking withdrawal process is connected with other frustrating symptoms such as headaches, nervousness, anxiety, etc. Most people eulogize Mimosa tea to calm you down and improve your mood. Popular herb that reduces anxiety and has a painkilling effect, mimosa is also a non-addictive herb. That is why it is recommended for use instead of anti-depressant pills or herbs such as valium for illustration).
There is a variety of traditional Chinese stop smoking herbs. For example, a cut of the made of the CaoSu herb will diminish your cigarette desire.
Any ex-smoker knows from experience that the smoking cessation working is very much connected with the smoking habit. If you manage to dispute it you have won half of the battle. However, what should you do when you cannot resist it? There is a natural, herbal solution to this problem as well. Instead of lighting a real tobacco cigarette, light up a non-tobacco one.
Non-tobacco cigarettes come in many favors: Menthol, Burnt sienna and some other with stronger taste. They are made of herbs do not contain nicotine and tar. As they look the same to normal cigarettes and give you the same feeling while smoking, these cigarettes are a great way to resist the physiological desire to smoke. Nevertheless, non-oral Tobacco cigarettes are less expensive than the regular ones.
If you are eager to try the matter-of-course medical alternative to help you quit smoking you better network your physician first. Although herbs are not chemical medicines, they still interact with your body. Some herbs contain substances very similar to substances used in many drugs.
That is why you should check with your doctor if your medical predicament grants you using a distinct kind of stop smoking herbs.
Giving Up Smoking Will Increase Your Wealth
Figures released recently by the Health Development Agency confirm that smoking is killing around 83,200 people a year in England. It is the largest cause of illness and significantly decreases smokers expected life-span.
Speak to any reformed smoker and they will tell you just how difficult it was to overcome the habit, although invariably they enthuse about their improved health and the saving in money. Did you know that smokers spend an incredible £92,000 on cigarettes, on average, during their lifetime? How’s that for an incentive to quit?
It’s not only the cost of the cigarettes that they’ll save on. Life and critical illness insurance premiums will be healthier too – smokers can pay up to double the cost of their insurance cover. With the increased accessibility to information on the internet, people have been searching for ever lower prices for their insurance cover. This has led to a price war with insurance companies battling to retain their share of the market. In an effort to recoup some of the lost revenue, insurers have tightened their criteria and now insist that smokers must pay an increased premium to cover the health risk which their habit fuels. The standard rates for these insurance policies shown in insurance advertisements are for the fit and healthy and clearly the risks to which smokers expose themselves take them out of this category.
For even more incentive, smoking bans are now in place in enclosed public places in Scotland and Ireland and England will be joining them around mid 2007. An impressive number of people have given up their smoking habit as a result of this.
Once you’ve achieved your goal and broken the habit, you’ll have to convince your insurer that you’re a reformed character! You need to have given up smoking for between 1 and 5 years (most companies would be happy with 1
year) before you can be counted as a non-smoker. Then you can contact your company and ask them to re-quote. You’ll see a very much reduced premium. At this stage it’s worth trying the internet to see if you can save even more money. It would be as well to wait until your new insurer has checked your health details and accepted your application before cancelling your current cover.
It’s no trouble to cancel a policy – stop paying! If you cancel your direct debit the insurer will contact you fairly quickly to see what’s going on. You then need to tell them that you no longer require the cover. Cancellation charges will not apply.
Talking of health details, please be completely truthful when you fill in the proposal form. In the event of making a claim, your insurer will approach your Doctor for confirmation of your non-smoking status and if you’re found to have misled them, your claim will be refused due to non disclosure of facts.
However long you’ve been a smoker, the improvement in your health gained by quitting is very worthwhile. Remember, to miss-quote someone famous, “Tis better to have smoked and stopped, then never to have stopped at all!” Or something like that.
Quit smoking the wellness effects of smoking thereby smokers shall quit smoking
Government warnings to the populace to quit smoking are established with the facts that half a million Americans died of threatening diseases related to smoking. And 90% of the figures are lung cancer deaths. High part of the cancers of the lungs, larynx, lip, utter, throat and esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas are make of cigarette smoking. Cigarette and tobacco smoking hazards is high because of its components of properties by which cigarettes are made of. The tar or the brown colored part at the aim of the cigarette can supplies a gum disease called periodontitis which makes the lose of teeth. One of the connected studies shows that tar can destroy the lining of the lungs which is ordinarily called the Cilia. Tar is a toxic chemical element in a cigarette that regarded a older cause in lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis. While nicotine when mixed with carbon dioxide could get heart palpitation and affect blood insistency that will lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Medical researchers and practitioners advices the populace to quit smoking because of their studies’ conclusion that there is also a risk among the non-smokers. The exposure of the non smokers on the environmental tobacco smoke or the ETS contains besides toxic chemicals from smoking. Non-smokers are also not exempted from the diseases like asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and some troubles in blood circulation. In United States of America, youngster begins their smoking habit at the early stage. They went usual smokers at the early age of 18. The government and various personal organisations are doing their thing by raising their warnings using various paths and systems through the dissimilar medium of mass media and publications. They are trying to give the populace the knowingness of the harmful effects linked to smoking. They besides are campaigning for users to quit smoking and live in a healthy surroundings.
Ways to stop stress – smoking risks – are electronic cigarettes safe
ways to stop stress
Many smokers believe they are addicted to nicotine. They fear withdrawal symptoms if they quit. This article reveals the truth explaining how you can quit easily without cravings or weight gain.
Are you having trouble quiting smoking? There is an easy solution to stop smoking
Quitting smoking is a serious commitment because it takes determination willpower and support to succeed. That is why you should look for and get all of the stop smoking aid which you can so that to quit for good. Read this article to know more about stop smoking aid
Everyday thousands of people fail in trying to stop smoking by using quit smoking medication therefore they now would be on the lookout for how to quit smoking naturally. Of course there are some smokers who manage to just stub out their last cigarette and never bother again. Although for most of us giving up smoking is a tough job and it require determination and patience however always rewarding us for success with the promise of good health
Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the Unites States. With the ill effects of this habit on the teeth skin lungs and cardiovascular system a lot of smokers have made several attempts to kick the habit. Unfortunately the withdrawal symptoms caused by nicotine addiction are difficult to fight
In your quest for quitting the smoking habit you will find many useful and useless supports. But you will be your best stop smoking aideNicoNot is an all natural anti smoking pill that eventually curbs your desire for nicotine. Its unique herbal formula has been appreciated by millions worldwide who have reported a complete stop in their smoking habit without any occurrence of a relapse
Quitting smoking had always been the issue involved with most of the smokers all over the world. The most common problem is that smokers always claim that they enjoy smoking and they do not want to quit but the real cause is that they do not have the strong will to quit smoking. One of the worst things about smoking is that it is a double edged addiction while the nicotine is controlling your nervous system and brain; the habit itself is also preventing you from quitting
Many smokers do not feel the subtle effect that smoking has on their bodies and the risk that increases each time they light up. That is why they often underestimate the benefits of stopping smoking. While a huge amount of publicity is being given to the dangers of smoking less attention is being paid to the benefits of stopping smoking – something that can motivate the smoker to give up the habit. If you are a smoker here’s what giving up on the habit can do for you.
How To Quit Smoking
Every year, thousands of people around the world fall prey to a small but deadly evil. Cigarettes ensnare people with their strong flavor and stimulating effects, but few realize that these joys are short-lived. Cigarettes are made of tobacco, which contains nicotine. Nicotine is an organic compound, which tends to physically and mentally stimulate humans when taken in small dosages. However, an overdose of this substance may lead to several complications.
Nicotine addiction is hard to fight. Once a person is hooked onto cigarettes, he will find it hard to let go. We all know that the harmful effects of smoking are many. From simple respiratory disorders to more complex and lethal cases of heart diseases and cancer, quitting smoking is a life saving necessity.
Many people around the world try to quit this life-threatening addiction. Although it might seem difficult, the task is not impossible. How to quit smoking is a question that a smoker asks himself when he or she decides to take the path towards self-recovery. There are several steps one can take to get started. Fixing a date for quitting and listing out the reasons for the same is the starting point. A person should try and stick to the date without postponing it indefinitely. Quitting might seem hard at first and people tend to experience withdrawal symptoms. Hence, the process should be gradual. To help oneself, a person could try switching to a different brand, so the taste difference might act as a deterrent.
A person usually tends to smoke when he has nothing to do. Therefore, keeping busy constantly is a great solution to the problem. Apart from staying busy, one can also keep the mouth occupied with sugarless gum or candy so that the temptation to smoke does not arise.
The most important aid to quitting is getting the full support of one’s family and friends. A word of encouragement by a loved one can go a long way in helping a person overcome the addiction.
Every year, thousands of people around the world fall prey to a small but deadly evil. Cigarettes ensnare people with their strong flavor and stimulating effects, but few realize that these joys are short-lived. Cigarettes are made of tobacco, which contains nicotine. Nicotine is an organic compound, which tends to physically and mentally stimulate humans when taken in small dosages. However, an overdose of this substance may lead to several complications.
Nicotine addiction is hard to fight. Once a person is hooked onto cigarettes, he will find it hard to let go. We all know that the harmful effects of smoking are many. From simple respiratory disorders to more complex and lethal cases of heart diseases and cancer, quitting smoking is a life saving necessity.
Many people around the world try to quit this life-threatening addiction. Although it might seem difficult, the task is not impossible. How to quit smoking is a question that a smoker asks himself when he or she decides to take the path towards self-recovery. There are several steps one can take to get started. Fixing a date for quitting and listing out the reasons for the same is the starting point. A person should try and stick to the date without postponing it indefinitely. Quitting might seem hard at first and people tend to experience withdrawal symptoms. Hence, the process should be gradual. To help oneself, a person could try switching to a different brand, so the taste difference might act as a deterrent.
A person usually tends to smoke when he has nothing to do. Therefore, keeping busy constantly is a great solution to the problem. Apart from staying busy, one can also keep the mouth occupied with sugarless gum or candy so that the temptation to smoke does not arise.
The most important aid to quitting is getting the full support of one’s family and friends. A word of encouragement by a loved one can go a long way in helping a person overcome the addiction.
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For several million smokers around the world, cigarettes are considered almost as important as oxygen for their survival. They have fallen prey to a deadly addiction. Nicotine is an active ingredient in tobacco and is present in cigarettes in large quantities. In small doses, nicotine acts as a stimulant. However, an overdose of nicotine is lethal.
A large proportion of cigarette smokers suffer from a variety of disorders. From respiratory diseases and skin ailments to heart problems and cancer, the complications are many. To save the body from damage, one must quit smoking at an early stage. Although they say it is never too late, letting go of the habit at a later stage is more difficult. There are several ways to quit smoking. While some methods require professional guidance and counseling, the person may practice others independently.
The “cold turkey” method is practiced by several smokers and is quite popular. This way, a person quits smoking abruptly, by entirely giving up smoking. There is no tapering off.
Nicotine replacement therapy is another popular method employed by many. When a person is trying to quit, he or she might experience severe withdrawal symptoms because the supply of nicotine to the smoker’s blood has been taken away. In this method, the nicotine delivered through cigarettes is replaced by nicotine delivered through the skin. Nicotine patches, nicotine gum and nicotine nasal sprays are the options available in this therapy. Experts suggest a step tapering method when following this policy, as it eases the withdrawal symptoms gradually.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is probably the best way to go about quitting. This method requires a great amount of self-control and determination to ward off the urge to smoke. Getting rid of external influences that promote smoking, delaying every smoke session, creating an aversive condition by smoking and focusing on the positive rewards are all part of this therapy.
Other methods used to quit smoking are counseling sessions, acupuncture and hypnosis.
These methods, along with a firm resolve will help a person on the path to recovery. It is essential that a smoker feels the need to quit from within himself and is not trying methods to quit smoking due to external pressure. When the smoker is determined to quit, though, their chosen way to quit smoking will have a greater chance of success.
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Stop Smoking and Get All Those Things You Thought You Couldn’t Afford
Not only do we smokers pay through the nose for the privilege of our habit, we almost certainly put ourselves into an early grave too. Smokers do die younger, at least on average (we all know one aunty, uncle or granddad who smoked until they were 100 – and ‘it did them no harm’, but this is the exception not the norm). In fact, figures show that 83,200 people die each year in England alone due to smoking related illness. Not a pretty picture and one to consider when lighting up that next cigarette.
With the cost of smoking having already reached an incredible average of £92,000 in a lifetime, you really could get all those items you thought you couldn’t afford, if you could give them up. £92,000 could buy a very nice car, many luxury holidays, even a house and the savings don’t stop there.
After the initial staggering cost of buying cigarettes there are many other savings to be had too, life insurance being one of them. Insurance companies are obviously going to up their price for a smoker who is much more likely to contract a serious illness than a non smoker, it stands to reason. Premiums are actually generally around 50% less for a non smoker.
To qualify for these savings, however, you need to have kicked the wicked weed for at least a year with some companies asking for five years abstinence. Stopping is the easy bit it’s staying off them that is the tough part. In the past year nearly a half of all smokers have attempted to quit and you can bet your bottom dollar that a high percentage of them are smoking again now.
If you do manage to stop, however, you will want to know how much lower your current insurance premiums can be. A good starting point is to contact your current life insurance provider, if you have one of course, to revise your policy. Although a good starting point I would strongly suggest this isn’t your only action. The best savings are almost certainly likely to be found on the internet so shop around and you are sure to find a much improved quote.
Do make sure you have received your final price before cancelling you current policy (best done by simply cancelling your current direct debit payments), as internet base prices are highly likely to increase after medical questionnaires and other forms are completed. Even more so these days as insurance companies battling for custom on the internet are trying to lower their base rates. This obviously gives them an advantage of showing customers a better price on initial contact. This soon mounts up as questionnaires are filled, especially for the smokers amongst us!
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Cigarettes and cigars are a multi-million dollar industry around the world. Cigarette smokers around the world cannot pass a single day without puffing on these tobacco products. Many smokers don’t realize that they have become addicted to a very dangerous substance until it is too late. All cigarettes contain nicotine, an organic compound found in the tobacco plant. In small doses, nicotine has a stimulating effect, increasing activity, alertness and memory. However, in large doses, such as smoking, nicotine can have a harmful effect.
Nicotine addiction is a hard habit to fight. The chemical, coupled along with carbon monoxide has a detrimental effect on ones health. Constant smoking coats the inner lining of the lungs with a layer of tar. This case further complicates itself and leads to breathing disorders, reduction in blood flow, lack of oxygen supply to the body and in severe cases, lung cancer. Whether one admits it or not, smoking kills, slowly but surely.
Apart from these well-known ailments, smokers suffer from several other diseases. They tend to suffer from constant exhaustion, as the body does not get enough oxygen. The skin becomes wrinkled and the lips and teeth get stained from the smoke. Moreover, men may suffer from infertility and expectant mothers who smoke may run the risk of delivering premature or stillborn babies. Even casual smokers suffer from several ailments such as asthma and bronchitis.
It may be difficult to stop smoking, but it is not impossible. Once a person sets his mind to it, there are various aids to help him in the process. Rehabilitation centers offer several therapies, programs and lectures on how to quit smoking. In fact, a person can quit even without visiting such centers if one has a firm resolve.
Those who decide to quit should receive full support from their family and friends. The path to recovery is a difficult one but can be overcome if the right environment is created.
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How I Quit Smoking With the Right Mindset
Quitting smoking can be the hardest thing you ever do in life. It’s not easy, so don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, but I did do it. I wish I could tell you there is an exact scientific formula that could be bottled and sold on the market that could help all smokers quit, but I can’t. I can tell you what happened to me in my long quest to quit smoking. First you have to understand, I am a person who believes in God and the power of prayer, but I am also a person who believes that God helps those who help themselves.
For years I have been living a wild contradiction. Working out in the gym anywhere from 3-5 times a week pushing weights, running on a treadmill, and occasionally playing basketball at the park. Even though I love to exercise and love athletics, I had a problem with smoking. I would get down to a half a pack a day, but when a bad day would come, I was back up to smoking a full pack. I was so stupid that I would go outside to smoke in the middle of a workout and wonder why I felt dizzy.
As I mentioned already, I believe in the power of prayer, and I prayed for over 10 years to quit smoking. I actually quit a few times, but it was back to smoking as usual after just one more. That’s all I was going to have. The problem is just one is never enough. After the one, it’s just one more, until you’ve smoked another pack. My frustration was mounting.
After so many years had passed, I couldn’t believe I was still smoking. Stress was a contributing factor, or so I thought. Any time I felt it, I had to smoke. Stress at work was terrible, but I think God was listening because I was eventually able to start to work from home on creating webpages. Being a webmaster is something I enjoy doing very much. I still smoked though at first. I was amazed. I no longer had a great source of stress from my old work place, but I still had to smoke. It wasn’t just the great stress of my old job, but it was any stress. I used any excuse to smoke. So I continued to pray night after night that somehow God would help me quit. I started to see that my face was getting a little wrinkled. I couldn’t tell if it was simply a matter of my age, or if my smoking was causing me to age faster, but still I couldn’t quit.
Then that fateful day, something happened. The reason why I had to mention the praying is do in fact that I cannot completely explain away how I quit. I really believe that God doesn’t force us to anything. Even things we ask for, but somehow He gave me the right mindset. I had to be willing to finally give up smoking completely. I had to be willing to quit and to not look back. You can cut back only so far before you are smoking right back at the same level again. Every time I smoked, I increased my level of addiction. I had to finally be willing to give it up cold turkey with no looking back. To a non-smoker it seems probably silly to be so emotional over something as destructive a habit as smoking, but at that moment as ashamed as I am to admit it, I actually shed a tear. I shed a tear, feeling as if I were giving up a friend. It was a friend that was always there when problems arose. I now know that my feelings were just plain stupid. Cigarettes are not only bad for your health, but who wants anything in your life that isn’t there by choice. No matter what a smoker tells you, if most could easily choose not to smoke, they would.
But I guess in the end addiction or not, we all have a choice. I don’t know about most people who quit, but after all the times I failed, I’m convinced that it took help from heaven for me to quit. I cannot to this day explain in any other way how just out of the blue after 10 years I was able to get the strength to completely turn my back on smoking.
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Your Personal Plan to Quit Smoking in Just 30 Days
The first 30 days as an ex-smoker are the hardest. You have a lot of hardship to cope with. If you make it through the first 30 days, it will get easier from that point on. Let’s take a look at a “plan of attack” to help you quit smoking in just 30 days. There are a few elements:
* a well devised plan (very necessary)
* a few aids (not necessary)
* a lot of motivation (very necessary)
Let’s talk about each one of them:
The plan:
You need to plan exactly what you schedule will be and what activities you plan on having during these next 30 days. This is critically important because you want to insure that there
are as little surprises and stressful events as possible. Every time you go through stressful event you are at risk to start smoking again. Also, do not plan any diet or other radical life
style changes during this month. You will have enough to deal with as it is, wouldn’t you? You should also plan special time to exercise, do breathing exercises and sleep properly ( you can’t smoke while you sleep).
The next thing to do in your plan is to get all the help you can get during this month. To do that you can:
* Ask your friend and family to help you quit smoking. Ask them to watch over you and make sure you are not tempted to smoke.
* Hang reminders at your computer, bathroom, kitchen etc. telling you that you are now an ex-smoker.
* Through away all Tobacco products. This seems obvious, but many smokers who try to quit still keep a cigarette stash somewhere in case they’ll need it…don’t be one of them.
* Try not to drink any alcohol during this month. That’s because we don’t want your will power and your judgement to weaken, which tends to be the case when you drink.
OK, so mow that we have a plan, let’s look at some other ingredients:
Stop smoking aids:
There are a few stop smoking aids that were proven effective. The medicine called Zyban is an effective craving reducer (need prescription). There are also many herbal replacements to
Zyban that do not require prescription. Other methods are the shots and the laser treatment. All good methods, but quit pricey. Using these aids might help, but it can’t replace your will
power.
Your will power and motivation:
An absolute must have. You won’t make it without a true desire to quit smoking. You really must find that desire within you. Your life will be so much better after you quit smoking, and you must find that desire for life and health.
That’s it. Your complete battle-plan for your first 30 days as an ex-smoker. So now that you have it, it’s totally up to you. Good luck!
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Stop Smoking – A Few Tips
Many people have tried to quit smoking and failed. What most of them don’t know that most smokers will fail several times before they quit completely. There have been many studies that have shown that cigarette smoking is as hard to break as a cocaine addiction. Some people have found it beneficial admitting to themselves that they are powerless over nicotine, before starting their journey to quitting smoking. If you admit that you are now smoking because you are addicted and not because it is a personal choice may help motivate you to making the next steps to quitting smoking.
Surprisingly about eighty percent of people try to quit smoke without help. Ninety five percent of those people fail. So getting help to quit smoking is a must. Do not try to do it by yourself. Seek help with programs and there are even meetings for people who are trying to quit smoking to help give you support. Find a program that may work for you, better yet find two or more. You can use a combination of programs. You can place a call to your local American Cancer Society and get a list of inexpensive mainstream programs. There are over the counter nicotine replacement methods that you can use such as nicotine gum and the patch. You could get a prescription for the nicotine inhaler or Zyban. You should buy a quit smoking book and audio tapes to listen to on the way to work. Some work places offer you a reward for quitting smoking. So not only do you save money you may get money as well.
A lot of people who have quit smoking claim that learning to take slow deep breaths were a very important technique to learn. Essentially every time you want a cigarette, you take a deep long breath and then very slowly exhale. If you purse you lips it will force you air to come out more slowly. When you exhale try to imagine all the tension coming out of you body and let you chin fall to your chest. Let the tension just flow out. You also need to remember the urge for a cigarette lasts for about five minutes. So if you get the strong urge to smoke, practice your breathing and tell yourself that you can make it through these five minutes. Then it will be better.
You will need to drink lots of water for the first few days to flush all the nicotine and toxins out of your body. Stay away from coffee, alcohol and high calorie snacks, these can trigger a craving for a cigarette. Some people find it helpful to find a substitute for their cigarette such as gum, lollipops, cinnamon sticks and hard candy. It may be helpful to change your normal routine. Take a walk or go to the gym during lunch or breaks. Please do not forget to ask for support form family, friend and co-workers. That way they know you are trying to quit and understand if you are a little grumpy! Do not be afraid to ask people around you not to smoke. This may be more important than you realize.
It will be helpful to write down ten things about being a non-smoker and then ten things bad about smoking. It really helps. It will also help if you reaffirm to yourself that you are a non-smoker, not a smoker who isn’t smoking at the moment. Repeat to yourself all day that you are a non-smoker. It is ok to grieve about quitting smoking. Your body has been programmed that smoking made you feel good. You will miss it in the beginning; it is okay to feel that grief.
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Acupuncture Treatment to Quit Smoking – does it Actually Work?
Acupuncture is an alternative medical method that originated from China.
This method is based upon the old Chinese assumption that there are invisible energy point scattered across the human body. Theses energy points are called Meridians. during an Acupuncture treatment, tiny needles are inserted into the Meridians, causing he energy flow through them to change. This principle is used for quit a few benefits:
* It can “open up” energy blocks that will relieve pain and stress
* It can reduce cravings
* It can strengthen your energy and vitality
In the past years, Acupuncture has been used, among other uses, to help people stop smoking. The treatment included inserting the needles to specific points (among them, a few points in the outer ear).
This treatment was supposed to reduce the cravings to another cigarette and help those people on their way to quit smoking. In the first few years of using this method, it was quit popular and gained a lot of followers that recommended it. That was mainly because the method is not invasive and is very suitable for people who can’t, or won’t take medicine and other “strong stuff”.
But, for the last few years, the use of Acupuncture in smoking cessation has reduced significantly. This happens because of the following reasons:
* The percentage of people who actually stooped smoking while using Acupuncture
was small. This indicated that Acupuncture is not the best choice for people who want to quit smoking.
* New solutions were introduced to the scene, such as laser treatment, and shots treatment. This article does not discuss these methods, so let’s just say that they proved to be by far more effective than Acupuncture.
To conclude, It is clear that Acupuncture has it’s place as an alternative method, and many people report getting results with it. If you want to give it a shot in your efforts to stop smoking, it is advised that you find a therapist with a proven back record of success with helping people stop smoking.
However, I would say that as a means to help smoking cessation, there are much better solutions out there, so Acupuncture is in my opinion not the best choice.
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Smoking has a long tradition and history in all major countries. It is not just a personal habit. It is a part of our culture. No matter what laws are made and how many campaigns launched against it, smoking tobacco is today a very essential ingredient in the lives of many.
As a cultural trait, smoking is very well known in literature, movies, and music. The smoke-filled cafes and public houses are the first impressions noted down by travelers and writers in countries where smoking is popular. The movies too have added their touch of glamour and romance to this habit, whether it is the scenario as described above, or the gentleman smoker with his girlfriend and a cigar in one hand.
There are countries where the younger generation has taken heavily to smoking tobacco. It fills their life with some meaning, provides relaxation in difficult times, and brings two people together when they may have stayed away.
How and when smoking tobacco began is not the subject matter here, but the natural product seems to have been long known to native users. As its use spread to other countries, new ways of processing and preparing the product were invented, culminating in the modern, sleek version – the cigarette. At once handy and easily procurable from small kiosks the world over, it stands as a symbol of the modern man and for the modern world.
The ill effects of smoking or chewing tobacco are well known. These are the rallying points of the laws and the campaigns that back them up. It is indeed our responsibility to take care of our health and to know the adverse effects. The very young too need to be kept away from easy enticements. The final decision is ultimately in our hands. If life is to be lived with full meaning, than this decision must be left to the individual users – how they wish to live.
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Stop Smoking Laser Therapy
Stop smoking laser treatment is a well know method since over 20 years. It is a common practice designed for people trying to quit smoking.
Stop smoking laser therapy is based on the ancient acupuncture. In ancient times, people used needles to stimulate certain points of the human body and thus stimulate hormone secretion. Nowadays low-level lasers substitute the needles. The laser stimulates the nerve endings and increases the endorphin secretion.
Laser therapy is completely painless. Most people describe the feeling as a warming, even tingling feeling. After each session, people feel relaxed and happier. Their smoking cravings are greatly reduced and the depression that goes along with the ceasing process is gone.
Prices for Stop smoking laser therapy are relatively low nowadays. The costs may vary of course but they are usually about $500. If you calculate how much money you are spending on cigarettes, you will see that the cost of the laser treatment is neglectfully low. Moreover, smoking damages your health so badly that you will need a great amount of money to try repair the damages later.
Any stop smoking laser therapy has two stages. The first stage is meant to help detoxification. This usually happens within the first two days of the therapy. During the rest of the course, the lasers are used to reduce he depression rate and the nicotine cravings.
Laser treatment is a non-medical procedure. However, it is not considered appropriate for people who experience specific medical conditions. Pregnant women, people suffering from epilepsy or cancer are not suitable for a stop smoking laser treatment. You should always consult your therapist before undertaking stop smoking laser treatment. If this treatment turns to be inappropriate for you your doctor will be able to prescribe you other medication to help you quit smoking.
It is important to remember is that stop smoking laser treatment does not guarantee that you will actually quit smoking. Smoking habit has two faces – physiological (your body is accustomed to certain substances found in cigarettes’ smoke) and the psychological (connected with your perception of smoking, your habits and lifestyle). Laser therapy can help reduce the physical symptoms of the smoking habit. The rest – you should fight yourself. Stop smoking laser treatment can give excellent results if combined with a behavior treatment, more exercising and the support you can get from your family and friends. The good thing about it is that it is a non-medical treatment so you will not need to take any medications.
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Should Smoking be Banned?
Why is it that countries everywhere want to ban smoking and related advertisements and also benefit from taxing its sales, both at the same time? The same goes for alcohol and other such commodities.
Smoking and drinking are universally prevalent habits. That itself is the biggest argument against any such bans. Why then would any lawmaker try to wipe it out?
The main motive behind such moves seems to be a paternalistic one – to protect others from harming themselves. As adults our personal habits are chosen by us and we are solely responsible for them. It seems there is a tendency to consider the civil population as a group or community whose welfare one is responsible for. In fact, no one can hold another person responsible if somebody dies of smoking induced cancer, except that person himself/herself.
If the above is true, than why would anyone think of imposing such bans? If the victim is solely responsible for his/her actions, then why should such actions become a subject for regulations, unless they are considered harmful to others?
This last point has in fact been explored in case of smoking, and passive smoking is one argument made in favor of banning public smoking.
Several habits are a matter of personal freedom and these must be kept out of reach of bans and impositions.
A just point made by someone on the internet was that smokers do not continue to smoke due to lack of knowledge of its harmful effects. It at all it is, it is considered a vice. That is what motivates such bans.
Or is it that governments can’t tolerate anything more popular than themselves?!
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If smoking was really that hazardous and a killer habit, very few would smoke today. Nicotine – the active substance in cigarettes – is akin to similar chemicals found in tea and coffee, and other habit related drugs. Having a cigarette means very much the same to a smoker as having a cup of tea means to us. Yet one habit is vilified, and the other is even encouraged as being healthy.
What attracts young people to smoking? The bad effects are well known and well documented. It is injurious to health in the long run. Still people continue to pick up the habit, and continue smoking.
It seems the attraction to smoking lies in the very act of smoking. Holding a cigarette in one’s hand, and defying others and the norms. It is the first step into adulthood – of being oneself, rather than being defined by others. It is a show of the emerging self. It is this aspect that is glamorously portrayed in the movies.
Remove this charm, this act of rebellion, and smoking would be just another habit that some people can’t get rid of. Just another addiction, another drug to soothe and calm.
The same perhaps goes for alcohol, to some extent, though not much. It is much easier to smoke in public than drink. The aspect of show is therefore limited with alcohol.
It is no wonder therefore that programs to reduce or eliminate smoking strike first at the advertisements. The heroes who make such acts glamorous in the first place. Still, the roots of smoking lie not in the ads and product publicity, but more in our minds.
It appears fanciful, and just what one ought to do.
In the long run, however, it is debatable if one should continue with the habit. It has harmful effects. The decision should be left to the individuals concerned. It is a matter of personal choice.
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If you have recently quit smoking, or if you are getting ready to embark on a smoking cessation program – congratulations! You have taken the first steps to improved health and a longer, happier life.
Years of smoking can take quite a toll on your physiology and appearance. Among other things, excessive smoking causes the production of harmful free radicals in the body.
But it is possible to reverse some of this damage, and vitamins play a big part in the healing process. Antioxidants found in many vitamin compounds can eliminate free radical activity and restore your body to a healthy state.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that everyone needs to stay healthy, but smokers have a special need for this compound. Smoking depletes the body of ascorbic acid, so a smoker will need up to three times more Vitamin C than the average non-smoker.
Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, which means more oxygen in your blood stream. This vitamin even counteracts atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, caused by smoke inhalation.
Smoking can cause bone loss associated with aging to happen at an accelerated rate. It’s common knowledge that calcium works to prevent bone loss, but did you know Vitamin C improves your ability to absorb and use calcium?
Good sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruit, broccoli, strawberries and cabbage.
Folic acid is another important vitamin compound, especially for smokers. This is a B-complex vitamin, and is crucial for lung health. Studies have shown that increasing folic acid intake can reduce symptoms of bronchitis and other lung-related maladies.
Get your folic acid via orange juice or fortified cereal.
Smoking also depletes the body’s Vitamin E supply. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that offers protection from dangerous free radicals and can help the body rebuild.
In fact, research even indicates that Vitamin E can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Sources of natural Vitamin E include oils, nuts, seeds, liver, and clams.
In addition to eating a well-balanced diet, many doctors and rehabilitation specialists recommend that smokers and ex-smokers take a good multivitamin supplement to help the body recover from the devastating effects of smoking.
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Wondering what to do to help your smoking cessation, why do not you consider attending a stop smoking program. There is plenty of smoking cessation programs available and their success rates are reasonably good.
You can ask your doctor to refer you to a good stop smoking program. Alternatively, ask your friends or relatives who have already attended such program for advice. If none of the options works out – you can search for a stop smoking program on the internet, in the newspaper ads or the yellow-pages-kind of guides.
Regardless who referred you to the program you plan to attend, there are always a few factors to consider. First, you should know what to expect from a stop smoking program. If you imagine it is a magical place that will instantly eradicate your bad smoking addiction. What you will be offered within the course will be counseling services, a quit smoking plan, in certain paces a behavior therapy. Some of the sessions will be held with your therapist only, other may be group sessions where you will meet other people trying to stop smoking.
Since this is a kind of shrink thing you should ask for all information that you can think of – ask for the companies background what are the certificates (as well as other education stuff) of your future therapist, ask for previous customers recommendations. Companies that are reluctant to provide you with similar information or provide just bits and pieces unwillingly are better to be avoided.
What is important to remember is that these programs are not necessarily very expensive. Also (as any other service nowadays) a high price does not guarantee perfect results.
Most people say that stop smoking programs give very satisfactory results. Other found pretty useless. The truth is that if the program includes serious and regular sessions (with duration more that 30-40 minutes) the chances of success are quite big. Of course if we assume the therapist is an educated and experiences professional as well. So when considering which stop smoking program to attend, take into account the number and the frequency of the sessions and their duration.
What some people find useful is attending regular meetings are some ex-smokers organizations (similar of the Anonymous Alcoholic ones). This is a good follow up practice that will help you overcome the smoking habit totally and will invite new friends into your life.
Finally, as in any their thing you try to achieve in life, smoking cessation is a matter of personal decision, consistency and strong will. Make sure you realize and understand the reasons why you want to stop smoking and do your best to achieve this goal.
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Effects Of Cigarette Smoking
Medical institutions around the world have concluded that cigarette smoking is related to many health problems. A recent study showed that smokers have a very high risk of acquiring lung cancer than non smokers. Major problems related to cigarette smoking include cancer of the throat, lung cancer, oral cancer, various lung problems like emphysema, chronic smoker’s cough, general oxygen depletion, prematurely wrinkled skin, bloodshot eyes, lack of endurance and stamina, loss of libido and loss of appetite.
Nicotine is the most predominant stimulant and active ingredient in cigarettes. Nicotine is highly addictive, and children and pets may even die by eating cigarette butts and cigarettes. The tobacco smoke contains toxic and carcinogenic compounds like radon and radium-226, which are known to be related to lung cancer.
Another serious health disorder related to cigarette smoking is emphysema. It is characterized by loss of lung tissue, destruction of the structures supporting the alveoli, and the destruction of capillaries feeding the alveoli. As a result, the airways collapse during expiration and cause the air to be trapped in the lungs, an obstructive form of lung disease.
Smoking is more dangerous to women, with smoking causing prematurely wrinkled skin. It is much more dangerous for pregnant women. Extreme cases of smoking may cause miscarriages. If a woman continues smoking during pregnancy, there are chances that the child may be exposed to passive smoking. One symptom of women smoking during pregnancy is underweight children.
Passive smoking is another increasing problem of interest among the common public. It occurs when the exhaled smoke from a smoker’s cigarette is inhaled by other people around the smoker. Cigarette smoke contains tar, which is known to be more dangerous than the nicotine in the cigarettes.
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Stop Smoking Herbs, What’s all The Fuzz About?
Smoking habits are stronger than people are. That is a well-recognized fact. There are thousands of advice newsletters and hundreds of ways to help you fight this habit.
Most folk find the process extremely frustrating and regularly just give up to the smoking cravings. Others are so determined to leave the smoking habit behind that they seek the help of medicines. There are medicines designed to help you cease smoking and others to fight the depression that usually goes along the smoking cessation process. Although all medicines on the market as soon as possible are scrutinyed and approved for sale by the respective pharmaceutical body, it is a well-known fact that there is no harmless diet.
For this reason, many inhabitants use herbs to help them getting through the withdraw symptoms . Here is a brief overview of the basic natural substances you can use if you are heading on the path to smoke free life.
One of the most well-known among stop smoking herbs is Lobelia. Lobelia, also called Indian Tobacco, has a similar to nicotine effect on the nervous system. That is why it is recommended as a nicotine expediency substance. The good thing about using Lobelia is that you cannot addict to Lobeline. You can buy dried herb or a liquid extract to take it anytime you feel nicotine hunger.
Any smoking withdrawal process is connected with other frustrating symptoms such as headaches, nervousness, anxiety, etc. Most people eulogize Mimosa tea to calm you down and improve your mood. Popular herb that reduces anxiety and has a painkilling effect, mimosa is also a non-addictive herb. That is why it is recommended for use instead of anti-depressant pills or herbs such as valium for illustration).
There is a variety of traditional Chinese stop smoking herbs. For example, a cut of the made of the CaoSu herb will diminish your cigarette desire.
Any ex-smoker knows from experience that the smoking cessation working is very much connected with the smoking habit. If you manage to dispute it you have won half of the battle. However, what should you do when you cannot resist it? There is a natural, herbal solution to this problem as well. Instead of lighting a real tobacco cigarette, light up a non-tobacco one.
Non-tobacco cigarettes come in many favors: Menthol, Burnt sienna and some other with stronger taste. They are made of herbs do not contain nicotine and tar. As they look the same to normal cigarettes and give you the same feeling while smoking, these cigarettes are a great way to resist the physiological desire to smoke. Nevertheless, non-oral Tobacco cigarettes are less expensive than the regular ones.
If you are eager to try the matter-of-course medical alternative to help you quit smoking you better network your physician first. Although herbs are not chemical medicines, they still interact with your body. Some herbs contain substances very similar to substances used in many drugs.
That is why you should check with your doctor if your medical predicament grants you using a distinct kind of stop smoking herbs.
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Giving Up Smoking Will Increase Your Wealth
Figures released recently by the Health Development Agency confirm that smoking is killing around 83,200 people a year in England. It is the largest cause of illness and significantly decreases smokers expected life-span.
Speak to any reformed smoker and they will tell you just how difficult it was to overcome the habit, although invariably they enthuse about their improved health and the saving in money. Did you know that smokers spend an incredible £92,000 on cigarettes, on average, during their lifetime? How’s that for an incentive to quit?
It’s not only the cost of the cigarettes that they’ll save on. Life and critical illness insurance premiums will be healthier too – smokers can pay up to double the cost of their insurance cover. With the increased accessibility to information on the internet, people have been searching for ever lower prices for their insurance cover. This has led to a price war with insurance companies battling to retain their share of the market. In an effort to recoup some of the lost revenue, insurers have tightened their criteria and now insist that smokers must pay an increased premium to cover the health risk which their habit fuels. The standard rates for these insurance policies shown in insurance advertisements are for the fit and healthy and clearly the risks to which smokers expose themselves take them out of this category.
For even more incentive, smoking bans are now in place in enclosed public places in Scotland and Ireland and England will be joining them around mid 2007. An impressive number of people have given up their smoking habit as a result of this.
Once you’ve achieved your goal and broken the habit, you’ll have to convince your insurer that you’re a reformed character! You need to have given up smoking for between 1 and 5 years (most companies would be happy with 1
year) before you can be counted as a non-smoker. Then you can contact your company and ask them to re-quote. You’ll see a very much reduced premium. At this stage it’s worth trying the internet to see if you can save even more money. It would be as well to wait until your new insurer has checked your health details and accepted your application before cancelling your current cover.
It’s no trouble to cancel a policy – stop paying! If you cancel your direct debit the insurer will contact you fairly quickly to see what’s going on. You then need to tell them that you no longer require the cover. Cancellation charges will not apply.
Talking of health details, please be completely truthful when you fill in the proposal form. In the event of making a claim, your insurer will approach your Doctor for confirmation of your non-smoking status and if you’re found to have misled them, your claim will be refused due to non disclosure of facts.
However long you’ve been a smoker, the improvement in your health gained by quitting is very worthwhile. Remember, to miss-quote someone famous, “Tis better to have smoked and stopped, then never to have stopped at all!” Or something like that.
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Quit smoking the wellness effects of smoking thereby smokers shall quit smoking
Government warnings to the populace to quit smoking are established with the facts that half a million Americans died of threatening diseases related to smoking. And 90% of the figures are lung cancer deaths. High part of the cancers of the lungs, larynx, lip, utter, throat and esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas are make of cigarette smoking. Cigarette and tobacco smoking hazards is high because of its components of properties by which cigarettes are made of. The tar or the brown colored part at the aim of the cigarette can supplies a gum disease called periodontitis which makes the lose of teeth. One of the connected studies shows that tar can destroy the lining of the lungs which is ordinarily called the Cilia. Tar is a toxic chemical element in a cigarette that regarded a older cause in lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis. While nicotine when mixed with carbon dioxide could get heart palpitation and affect blood insistency that will lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Medical researchers and practitioners advices the populace to quit smoking because of their studies’ conclusion that there is also a risk among the non-smokers. The exposure of the non smokers on the environmental tobacco smoke or the ETS contains besides toxic chemicals from smoking. Non-smokers are also not exempted from the diseases like asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and some troubles in blood circulation. In United States of America, youngster begins their smoking habit at the early stage. They went usual smokers at the early age of 18. The government and various personal organisations are doing their thing by raising their warnings using various paths and systems through the dissimilar medium of mass media and publications. They are trying to give the populace the knowingness of the harmful effects linked to smoking. They besides are campaigning for users to quit smoking and live in a healthy surroundings.
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Ways to stop stress – smoking risks – are electronic cigarettes safe
ways to stop stress
Many smokers believe they are addicted to nicotine. They fear withdrawal symptoms if they quit. This article reveals the truth explaining how you can quit easily without cravings or weight gain.
Are you having trouble quiting smoking? There is an easy solution to stop smoking
Quitting smoking is a serious commitment because it takes determination willpower and support to succeed. That is why you should look for and get all of the stop smoking aid which you can so that to quit for good. Read this article to know more about stop smoking aid
Everyday thousands of people fail in trying to stop smoking by using quit smoking medication therefore they now would be on the lookout for how to quit smoking naturally. Of course there are some smokers who manage to just stub out their last cigarette and never bother again. Although for most of us giving up smoking is a tough job and it require determination and patience however always rewarding us for success with the promise of good health
Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the Unites States. With the ill effects of this habit on the teeth skin lungs and cardiovascular system a lot of smokers have made several attempts to kick the habit. Unfortunately the withdrawal symptoms caused by nicotine addiction are difficult to fight
In your quest for quitting the smoking habit you will find many useful and useless supports. But you will be your best stop smoking aideNicoNot is an all natural anti smoking pill that eventually curbs your desire for nicotine. Its unique herbal formula has been appreciated by millions worldwide who have reported a complete stop in their smoking habit without any occurrence of a relapse
Quitting smoking had always been the issue involved with most of the smokers all over the world. The most common problem is that smokers always claim that they enjoy smoking and they do not want to quit but the real cause is that they do not have the strong will to quit smoking. One of the worst things about smoking is that it is a double edged addiction while the nicotine is controlling your nervous system and brain; the habit itself is also preventing you from quitting
Many smokers do not feel the subtle effect that smoking has on their bodies and the risk that increases each time they light up. That is why they often underestimate the benefits of stopping smoking. While a huge amount of publicity is being given to the dangers of smoking less attention is being paid to the benefits of stopping smoking – something that can motivate the smoker to give up the habit. If you are a smoker here’s what giving up on the habit can do for you.
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How To Quit Smoking
Every year, thousands of people around the world fall prey to a small but deadly evil. Cigarettes ensnare people with their strong flavor and stimulating effects, but few realize that these joys are short-lived. Cigarettes are made of tobacco, which contains nicotine. Nicotine is an organic compound, which tends to physically and mentally stimulate humans when taken in small dosages. However, an overdose of this substance may lead to several complications.
Nicotine addiction is hard to fight. Once a person is hooked onto cigarettes, he will find it hard to let go. We all know that the harmful effects of smoking are many. From simple respiratory disorders to more complex and lethal cases of heart diseases and cancer, quitting smoking is a life saving necessity.
Many people around the world try to quit this life-threatening addiction. Although it might seem difficult, the task is not impossible. How to quit smoking is a question that a smoker asks himself when he or she decides to take the path towards self-recovery. There are several steps one can take to get started. Fixing a date for quitting and listing out the reasons for the same is the starting point. A person should try and stick to the date without postponing it indefinitely. Quitting might seem hard at first and people tend to experience withdrawal symptoms. Hence, the process should be gradual. To help oneself, a person could try switching to a different brand, so the taste difference might act as a deterrent.
A person usually tends to smoke when he has nothing to do. Therefore, keeping busy constantly is a great solution to the problem. Apart from staying busy, one can also keep the mouth occupied with sugarless gum or candy so that the temptation to smoke does not arise.
The most important aid to quitting is getting the full support of one’s family and friends. A word of encouragement by a loved one can go a long way in helping a person overcome the addiction.