Quitting Cigarette Smoking or Any Addiction-How Much Do Your Habits, Beliefs and Self-Image Hurt?

By Joseph Casey

Just how powerfully are your habits and beliefs and self image hurting your chances to quit smoking? How much do they control our addictions? How can we use their power to replace our self-hurtful addictions with empowering addictions. Whether your addiction is cigarette smoking, or gambling, or wasting your life away watching tv.

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Developing The Mindset To Quit Smoking

By Aaron Walker

Every smoker has one single thing in common - they want to quit smoking. Even those diehard fans of the “habit” want to quit. Ironically the most common thought on any smokers mind once they start smoking is how to stop smoking. There are those who say they enjoy smoking. To those people I say “each to their own” but for the rest of the smokersout there this article will aim to put you that one step closer to being a healthier and happier former smoker forever.

There are some important considerations to present here before we start. Firstly smoking is a choice. This choice then becomes habit and like all habits that can be a difficult thing to break. The more often we do something the stronger that habit becomes. It could be chewing gum, spitting, playing with our hands and especially smoking. Our brains become accustomed to smoking, it develops associations between smoking and relaxation or smoking and pleasure. The point is that the more you choose to smoke the harder it can be to break the habit of smoking.

The next consideration to take into account is that smoking is by and large a psychological addiction. Now I know there’s people reading this who are going to strongly disagree and stamp their feet and say that nicotine and heroin/morphine are equally addictive. That, I’m afraid, is the worst kind of pop pyschology and misdiagnosis that exists in the realm of treating smoking. How then can some smokers simply quit the habit and get on with their lives in a matter of days? The psychological addiction definitely leads to a physical dependence and the withdrawal symptoms can be extremely severe based on that - that’s the power of the mind at work. You can quit smoking overnight if you choose to do so. Remember you chose to start smoking and you’ll equally need to choose to quit.

That brings us nicely to developing a quitters mindset. That may sound very complicated and give you the impression that it could take days and weeks to develop the mindset that you need to quit smoking. The really good news is that developing a quitters mindset takes as long as it did to read this sentence. The method is simple - You need to want to quit smoking for yourself and nobody else. If you cannot establish that thought pattern in your mind then no pill, hypnosis, book or doctor can help you permanently quit smoking. You must, must, must want to quit smoking for yourself. If you truly do then stopping smoking is something you can achieve with practically no withdrawal symptoms and zero cravings.

So if you really want to quit smoking then you’ll need to make a choice and make it today. Choose to live a healthier life. Choose to stop spending money on a habit that’s killing you. Whatever you do make a decision to quit smoking and get yourself in the right mindset today. It’s the single most effective way to becoming a happier, healthier and wealthier former smoker.

Discover more about how you can quit smoking today: www.quittersguide.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Walker

               

Quit Smoking Cold Turkey

By Jeffrey Langfels

The free way

A vast majority of people who try to stop smoking find after a short period of time they resume the habit, many are unsuccessful simply because of the method they used to help them stop smoking. Of the people who have been successful in their quest to stop smoking and who have stopped smoking completely have done it several times before completely kicking the habit. One of the oldest and most reliable methods is to quit smoking cold turkey.

It is not easy to quit smoking cold turkey you need to be prepared. Most people are under the impression that you can just quit and that will power will be the motivation to not start again. Most smokers will find this is not really feasible. The suggestion is to make sure that you are prepared for any type of method used to quit smoking. Many smokers also think that when you quit smoking cold turkey, it means you quit smoking without using any smoking cessation aids such as nicotine gum or patches.

The cold turkey method to help you quit smoking can work quite well if you use smoking cessation aids like gum or nicotine patches because those aids can help you if you start to go through nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which are often associated when you stop smoking. When you quit smoking cold turkey, you tap into probably the most popular albeit not the most successful method for quitting.

A smoker may improve the chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if they follow a few simple guidelines: such as understanding what the withdrawal symptoms are and how they can affect the process, and making sure that you treat them properly. Drinking plenty of water will help to get the toxins out of your system. Keeping your mouth busy by chewing gum or using a toothpick and keeping a chart of what you are experiencing when you have a craving will help you to keep track on what is happening with your body as you try to quit smoking.

You can help you increase the chances of being successful during your effort to quit smoking by taking a walk or talking to a friend when you crave a cigarette . Willpower is a vital component and your success will rely on how badly you want to quit smoking and also whether or not you believe that you can quit. Now keep in mind that not everyone will have feelings of withdrawal. You may experience no withdrawl symptoms or maybe just one or two withdrawl symptoms and they will differ from person to person and from time to time.

Why not quit today? When you quit smoking cold turkey, you can use the only method that is very low cost or can be totally free and will put money back in your pocket because you are no longer supporting the habit, and you can do it at any time. The good news is, if you are unable to quit smoking by trying the cold turkey method, then you will be happy to know that there are more effective treatments available now that can more than double your chances of quitting successfully.

Byron Watson has been helping smokers of all ages quit smoking. Discover 7 tips to a successful smoking cessation program by visiting the quit smoking website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Langfels

               

It’s Not Your Imagination:Tobacco Giants Fight to Keep Smokers Hooked

It’s Not Your Imagination:Tobacco Giants Fight to Keep Smokers Hooked

By Annette Baril

These days, it seems that the message regarding the dangers of smoking is crystal clear. Whether it be on tv, the side of the local bus, or on the internet, advertising has taken a drastic turn from the past days of luring teens to smoke.

With an estimated 70 percent of smokers wanting to quit, and 40 percent who make the attempt annually, some may wonder why it seems more difficult than ever to break the deadly habit.

It Is Not All In Your Mind:

While there is no question that smoking is the most addictive substance, recent reports from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health indicate that the levels of nicotine in cigarettes have been increased between the years 1998 through 2004. The average increase is 10 percent, with brands such as Kool and Doral weighing in at 30 to 36 percent. According to an article in USA TODAY, smokers also affect their own nicotine intake based on how deeply they inhale. This may also affect which part of the lungs develop cancer, with those who take shallow puffs more prone to developing cancer in the upper lungs.

With these increases, the tobacco industry is insuring the odds that you will continue to be a return customer each and every day. It is simply a business decision from their standpoint.

Your recent attempts may have proved unsuccessful, and it may simply be the fact that you are now struggling against an even stronger nicotine addiction.

However, you need not be a victim if you decide that you desire to give up this senseless, expensive, life threatening habit.

As there are always solutions to every problem, recent technological breakthroughs have emerged to conquer this issue. One such innovation is available here in the US brought over from Europe by Rick Tejpaul. It is a process that enables you to naturally withdraw from nicotine without the uncomfortable cravings. Tejpaul states, “We make sure that each one of our clients are taken care of from the moment they make the appointment to when they finally leave smoke-free after a few short treatments.” Along with the actual treatment, your smoking habits and history are analyzed, so that a plan can be customized specifically for you.

Annette Baril is a New York State Licensed Acupuncturist. To learn more about how you can stop smoking for life, go to: www.nicocess.com or write to: info@nicocess.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Baril

               

Quit Smoking Methods – An Alternative Perspective

Quit Smoking Methods – An Alternative Perspective

By Paul MacIver

‘A cigarette is a pipe with a fire at one end and a fool at the other’ said Dr. Johnson in his sarcastic comment on cigarettes and smoking.

Smoking is in fact a pernicious craving for tobacco products, especially cigarettes and cigars.

An organic compound, nicotine, which is richly found in tobacco smoke, is very detrimental to your health. It is linked with various health risks. It can cause diseases of the cardiovascular system, myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, diseases of the respiratory tract such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) chronic bronchitis and emphysema, cancer (particularly lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and tongue), peripheral vascular disease, birth defects of pregnant smokers’ offspring, Buerger’s disease (thromboangiitis obliterans), impotence, and in some cases it may develop cataracts that may cause blindness.

The statement ‘One thousand Americans stop smoking every day - by dying’ ironically expresses the risks of smoking.

“Sooner or later, everyone stops smoking.” Major health risks can be minimized by cessation smoking. Smoking cessation means to quit smoking, but the cardinal point is how to quit smoking.

Smoking can be quitted by using nicotine-containing tobacco substitutes. Nicotine replacement therapy has been quite an effective treatment. It uses various other nicotine delivery methods to replace nicotine obtained from smoking or other tobacco usage. The nicotine patch, inhaler, nasal spray, gum, gel, and lozenge are some effective tools of NTR. Nicotine gum is a chewing gum, which delivers nicotine to the body.

Nicotine patches are also used to quit smoking. Nicotine patches are transdermal patches that release nicotine into the skin. The patch therapy has been considerably successful in helping many people quit.

Hypnosis Stop-Smoking programs are another alternative that can help people who seriously want to quit.

Quit smoking help with hypnosis involves consultations and sittings with a hypnotherapist, who generally squeezes out the reasons for one’s smoking and the reasons for wanting to quit. Various hypnotherapy techniques, positive affirmations, and suggestions, are used to help the patient undertake a change of mindset and therefore quit smoking. Tools like stop smoking tapes or CDs are provided to the patient. Quit smoking hypnosis therapy is also proving to be a great quit smoking support.

The best way to quit smoking is to develop a strong will power to want to quit smoking. People who have weak will power cannot quit smoking. Weak will power can make even the effective therapies useless.

James I of England expressed his hate for smoking while he quoth, “A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.”

Smoking is not only injurious to health but rather to society also. It should be eradicated as early as possible.

Paul MacIver writes articles on a variety of topics. For further information on successful stop smoking methods visit How to Quit Smoking You may freely reprint this article as long as nothing is changed, this resource box is included and all links are intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_MacIver

               

Stop Smoking Laser Therapy

Stop Smoking Laser Therapy

By Rene Knops

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.

Rene’s website helps light and heavy smokers to quit smoking forever. Please visit the site for more information on Stop Smoking Laser

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rene_Knops

               

How I Quit Smoking

My official “Quit-Smoking” day is November 7, 2001. I have not had a cigarette since this date.

I was never a casual smoker, because I have smoked since I was about 12 or 13 years old. Since about 1980’s I have been consistent with my smoking, reaching about 3 packages of cigarettes for every 2 days or so. On average, I smoked about 40 cigarettes per day - every day - for about the last 25 years. On stressful days or days when I would just light up a cigarette and was super busy and left it burning in an ashtray, the count could have been as high as 50 cigarettes per day.

And I have never wanted to quit smoking. I was never one of those people that said .. “Oh, I can quit anytime” .. or “I’d like to quit, but I can’t” … or “I plan to quit in the near future” ..

With me .. it was more like .. “Quit Smoking? Shaddup! I have no intention of quitting .. I like smoking! Why would I want to quit smoking?” There never was an issue about the money .. I worked for a living and earned the money I used to pay for my cigarettes. Throughout my entire life, I did not ever hear of any stories about people who quit smoking actually saved the money for cigarettes.

I felt bad for Yvonne though .. when I met her in March 1997 .. she was off-and-on quitting smoking. After a while, she gave up on that! We were living together and between the two of us .. we would be going through at least 3 cartons of cigarettes every 10 days. That’s 24 packs of 25 cigarettes or about 60 cigarettes per day between the two of us!

I am an accountant, and have quite detailed financial statements of all my business and personal expenses. Because Yvonne’s grocer of choice was Superstore, she had to buy cigarettes separately at the customer service counter, and received a separate receipt. I began to keep records of how much groceries we spent, and how much we spent on cigarettes alone. In early 2001, when I showed Yvonne our “combined” financial statements for YE 2000, and it showed something like $6900.00 combined cigarette purchases … she (naturally) freaked .. and decided to quit smoking.

And she quit smoking on August 13, 2001 .. (falling on same day as her birthday 13th)

Well, we split household expenses, utilities, etc .. but she wouldn’t buy me any more cigarettes. I was on my own .. but that’s okay. I like to smoke. Been doing it for a lot many years before she was around! But two developments began to take place …

(1) She began to get a better sense of smell ..

She could really smell the nicotine on the clothes, in the air … and the sweet-HART that I am .. I offered to not blow smoke in her face if she promised not to bug me about quitting smoking too … I agreed to smoke either in MY OFFICE, which is upstairs on the 2nd floor … or in the basement. Both areas were fine with me .. because I smoke while I work, and when I’m in the basement I can clean up, do filing, organize (and I setup a secondary stereo and her old speaker system down there too!)

(2) EA Games invented THE SIMS .. I think it was in September 2001 ??

It wasn’t enough that Yvonne wanted to control me, now she wanted to control little SIMulated creatures … she was hooked! Some days she would be on the computer for 18 hours .. it was ridiculous…. but - get this: She still wanted me to only smoke in my office or the basement - even though my computer that she plays THE SIMS was on .. is in my office! And it didn’t really bother her. I think. She was already addicted to Nicorette Gum and as far as I was lead to believe, she had no urge to smoke again.

It just got even more absurd because for the first time in my life, I felt guilty. I think I caused her to smoke again when we first met, and if I continue to work or watch her play THE SIMS and smoke .. she will smoke again … So, I decided to just smoke in the basement.

At the end of September 2001 - we had a cold spell here in Winnipeg, and there’s not much heat in our basement. WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING SITTING IN A COLD BASEMENT SMOKING? Geesh .. that’s when I finally decided.. on October 10th, 2001

I WILL QUIT SMOKING ON OCTOBER 31, 2001

Nobody believed me - but all of a sudden my entire workplace knew about this comment (I work with my dad and Yvonne told my mom.. etc) .. and soon clients would be calling me and congratulating me deciding to finally quit smoking.

One of my clients back then, gave me the best advice that I even remember today …

Remember the day you quit smoking ..
… and you will always remember that you were a smoker who quit smoking ..

Forget the day you quit smoking ..
… and that’s the day you become a non-smoker ..

So I needed a plan. What I did was between October 10th and October 15th .. I counted how many cigarettes I smoked and provided me with a daily average - it turned out to be 44 cigarettes. On October 16th, I determined myself to reduce my smoking by 3 cigarettes per day until I quit, on October 31, 2001. Here’s how my progess actually went - I documented it.

Oct 15 - 44 average calculated
Oct 16 - 41 smokes
Oct 17 - 38 smokes
Oct 18 - 35 smokes
Oct 19 - 32 smokes
Oct 20 - 29 smokes
Oct 21 - 26 smokes
Oct 22 - 23 smokes
Oct 23 - 20 smokes
Oct 24 - 17 smokes
Oct 25 - 14 smokes
Oct 26 - 11 smokes
Oct 27 - 8 smokes
Oct 28 - 5 smokes
Oct 29 - 20 smokes
Oct 30 - 37 smokes
Oct 31 - 49 smokes

(We had a major deadline due October 31, 2001 .. MAN was I stressed!)

Nov 1 - 15 smokes
>> I threw out my cigarettes and bought a rolling machine and rolled my own smokes
Nov 2 - 12 homemade smokes
Nov 3 - 9 homemade smokes
Nov 4 - 6 homemade smokes
Nov 5 - 3 homemade smokes
Nov 6 - 1 homemade smoke
Nov 7 - 1 homemade smoke .. and that was my last cigarette.

I used the patch started November 2nd as well .. and went through the 3 cycle program .. I think it lasted 3 weeks? After the 3rd box was empty - I had no urge to smoke ever again.

Yvonne and I got married August 31, 2002 and she was still addicted to Nicorette gum .. it wasn’t until mid 2003 I got her off of the nicorette gum, but now we both go through quite a bit of Dentyne gum every week.

From November 7, 2001 period to August 31, 2002 .. I probably gained about 35 pounds .. I like to think enjoying the taste of old cuisines that I enjoy .. although some might think food was a substitute for the non-smoking. It’s been a struggle (that I’m documenting on Battling-Obesity.com blog) losing all this excess weight and getting back in shape.

Also - I stopped wearing a watch. It somehow balances both of my arms now (before there used to be a cigarette in my right hand to compensate)

And .. I can still remember the date I quit smoking .. so, I guess I’m not really a true non-smoker … but I’m quite proud of myself for doing it cold turkey - the first time I ever wanted to in my life. My family, friends and relatives can still hardly believe that I was the one that actually quit so easily, where they thought it would be harder for me.

Conclusions?

Well .. if you can’t have a partner to help you quit smoking … just make a plan and do it gradually. Remember - smoking is expensive and it ruins your health. Don’t worry if you quit and start again .. just quit again .. take it one day at a time .. and keep the ultimate goal in mind … YOU WANT TO QUIT SMOKING …

So - Make it happen! Good Luck!