Quit Smoking

Six Step Quit Smoking

2009-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

The idea of giving up cigarettes can be daunting and even a bit frightening. It's a lifestyle change. Along with the physical addiction to nicotine there are several psychological barriers that you will need to overcome. Consider the following as you prepare to make changes for a smoke-free lifestyle.

First -Understand the addiction.Nicotine is the additive drug found in tobacco products. Be prepared for the temporary symptoms of nicotine withdrawal . There are several nicotine patches and gums available which ease the physical aspects. Seek advice from your physician to determine which option is best for you. The following are some withdrawal symptoms you may experience. The important thing to remember is that these are temporary. Hang in there and don't be discouraged. What you're experiencing is common and it will pass.
>Cigarette cravings will be most prevalent the first week, lessening over time.
>Hunger pangs, sometimes confused with cigarette cravings.
>Irritability and anxiety, usually lasting 2 to 4 weeks.
>Temporary feelings of depression.
>Decreased concentration, lasting a couple weeks.
>Insomnia (sleepless nights) may occur initially, lasting a few days.
>Light-headedness from increased oxygen, lasting a day or two.
>Coughing or dry throat may result to rid extra mucus caused by smoking.
Second- Be clear on why you want to quit. Your reason for giving up cigarettes is likely because there is something you wish to gain in your life. What benefits will you get from quitting? What makes it meaningful to you? Are you looking for increased energy as when you hike, go for a jog or climb a flight of stairs? Do you want to sing at the top of your lungs? Do you want freedom from a controlling habit? Are you seeking increased social acceptance? Do you want to experience more joy in your life? Are you seeking a healthier lifestyle? Whatever your motivation for quitting, be sure to keep it the forefront of your thinking. Visualize yourself living out your ideal lifestyle. Focus your thoughts on what you are gaining not what you are giving up. This is your life. Whatever difficulty you face as you transition to smoke-free lifestyle is worth it. Remember what you stand to gain.
Third- Be Aware of your smoking patterns. Smoking is a habit. Habit is formed by repetition. Over prolonged periods the repetition of smoking becomes associated with your daily routine. What everyday activities do you connect with smoking? Talking on the phone, finishing a meal, driving in the car, waking up, feelings of stress or relaxation? Identify the parts of your routine that trigger the urge to smoke. Once you know what they are, you can begin to think of ways to disrupt these triggers and break the habit. This often requires lifestyle changes. Begin with those triggers which are strongest. What other behavior can you introduce in those situations? Wash the dishes, brush your teeth, have a glass of water, call a friend, read your email, workout, go for a walk or a bike ride, eat healthier, avoid alcohol, take a warm bath? Modify your lifestyle to create an environment that facilitates changing the old patterns. Change is not only possible it is inevitable. Stick with it. It will pay off.
Fourth- Recognize "gremlins" and negative self-talk. The gremlins referred to here are actually our fear habits. We all have them. This is the part of us that hates change and will do anything to keep the status quo. We may do this as a way of protecting ourselves from the uncertainty that may result from the change. Or sometimes it comes in the form of self-sabotage because we don't think we are worthy of a better life. The form the gremlin takes is the negative self-talk that occurs when we begin to make changes. These are the thoughts you have which attempt to justify why you shouldn't even try to give up cigarettes. "I'm going to be more stressed." "I'll gain weight." "I'll be irritable." " I won't be able to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee." "I'll never succeed." "Why even bother?" You know the rest. These are self-limiting beliefs which are false. Recognize this negative self talk exists and be prepared to disarm it. Often just by noticing it, we weaken its power over our behavior. So when the negative self-talk starts in, don't listen to it. You know better. It's possible to be successful. You can give up smoking. You deserve to achieve a better lifestyle. Don't lose sight of this!
Fifth- Create an environment of encouragement. Find a least one person who will be your champion and hold you accountable. You need support. Don't be ashamed to seek it out. Be proud of yourself for quitting. Share the hurdles and victories with someone who cares. Reward yourself for the effort and sacrifice you are making. Treat yourself to something special, using the money you are saving by not buying cigarettes. Ask family and friends to support your decision by not smoking around you. Encourage them to join you in quitting as well.
Sixth -Be prepared for the possibility of a relapse. There's a good chance that this is not the first time you've tried to quit smoking. If this is true for you, then you have already experienced a relapse. A relapse can occur at anytime; sometimes within the first day or six months or even years after quitting. This experience can leave you feeling like a failure and often drains motivation to continue the process of quitting. The key here is to remember that quitting is a process; and the relapse is a common part of the process for many people. Instead of focusing on the relapse, turn your attention on what can be learned from the experience. What can you do differently? What caused you to take that cigarette? Was it a familiar smoking pattern? What was the social situation? Who were you with? Was the any negative self-talk occurring at time? With this information you can focus on what to do differently in the future. Remember your reasons for quitting in the first place. These reasons are no less important now. Be good to yourself, avoid self pity and get rid of the cigarettes. Changing habits and routines can be a challenging process but not impossible. A relapse does not mean defeat. You can still be successful in achieving a smoke-free lifestyle. Keep at it!

Article Source by :Carla_Paton

Find Quit Smoking Support

2009-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

Quit smoking support is just around the corner or at the tip of your fingers from your keyboard. Compared with the situation many anti smokers were in say back in the 1960's when the entire quit smoking movement began. They started out with virtually no resources. Fighting against a formidable giant in the form of the tobacco companies was very daunting to say the least.
Today you've got the opportunity to use novel medicines that are really on the cutting edge of treatment. They provide a plethora of routes to take the medication. For example some people find they like taking pills and voila you can use Zyban or Chantix. Funny things happened in that the original use of Zyban was for treatment of depression. Scientists noticed that many of those that were being treated for depression also were able to stop smoking with ease. Hence, the stop smoking pill industry was born.
Many physicians today do not think twice about using nicotine as a treatment to stop smoking. I know that some of you are thinking isn't that what we are trying to get away from? Yes, you are but when using nicotine in this fashion you are able to taper yourself down from the normal amounts you'd use. This provides a kind of easing into smoking cessation so as to avoid the withdrawal effects. There are other ways to do this to, but read on to find out how.
So, you have a proverbial choice of how you want to take your stop smoking treatments. You could suck on a lozenge, apply a nicotine replacement patch, swallow a pill, or even spray a nose spray and still be able to go about your day as you please. This has got to be the first time in history that so many quit smoking resources have been at your disposal.
With the advent of these new methods, many insurance companies are allowing access to these treatments in a mainstream kind of way. But since over 40 million people in the U.S. alone do not have access to adequate health coverage, you may be left out. Be sure to look for the resources below that show you how to get your quit smoking treatments for FREE.
Quit smoking support can be effectively managed. What I mean is that since it comes in so many formats, you are sure to find something that meets with your own time demands and dimensions.
But if you want a truly unique route to quit smoking you should have a look at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. You don't have to go to an office to get a session going. The resource is easy to use and best of all you won't have ANY cravings, weight gain issues and the anxiety challenges are handled to. I know it sounds to good to be true, so take a moment to read our review of CBT right here.

Article by: Todd_Lloyd

Stop Smoking With Hypnosis

2009-01-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

There any many different methods that you can use to give up smoking. They range from will power (yeah right, great if you're superhuman!) through patches and gum and right the way up to quit smoking hypnosis.
Of the various methods available to help you stop your smoking habit, hypnosis is one of the most successful.
Before you use any method to quit smoking, it's a good idea to have a reason. This can be as strong or as flimsy as you like, but it's better than just having a whim one day that you're going to give up the habit.
And smoking is definitely a habit. It may be an occasional one, where you only smoke in the evening if there's a social occasion to justify it, or it could be a regular number of cigarettes a day kind of habit. Whichever category it falls into, it's still a habit.
Which is why using hypnosis is one of your best bets to break the habit.
Hypnosis excels at this kind of thing because it works at a deep level of your consciousness. The same level that's currently forcing you to light up another cigarette.
And the same level that makes it so difficult to quit smoking "just because". It's not easy to work on your own on these deep levels, which is why you've likely found it difficult to quit in the past.
You can expect a quit smoking hypnosis session to start by relaxing you. After that, it will begin to work with your subconscious mind to change the triggers that cause you to spark up a cigarette. The change my take place fast or it may be a gradual one, where you get less urge to smoke and seemingly just wake up one day to find that you're a non-smoker at last.

Article by:Trevor_Johnson