Quittin’ Cold Turkey

So you want to quit smoking the old-fashion way…cold turkey! Well, the great news is you’re in the majority. The American Cancer Society will tell you that 91% of smokers who quit did it without the use of any crutches or training wheels, just good old-fashion will-power. With a few pointers, you can achieve success. It may be hard, but it’s really very simple.

Taking the First Step
The first thing you need to do when deciding to take the plunge is to decide on a specific day. This will give you a chance to get mentally prepared to change your habits and your lifestyle. You can expect that the first 72 hours will be quite uncomfortable as your body goes through withdrawals from nicotine. You will experience some or all of these symptoms: headaches, irritability, nausea and an overwhelming craving for the drug. These symptoms will generally peak in the body at the 72 hour mark and nearly all the chemicals in your body will be completed removed from the body within 10 days to two weeks. Going through detox is no small chore, so there is no sense in getting started if you are not 110% committed.

Just Cutting Down
There have been countless, half-hearted attempts made to “cut down” on their cigarette smoking. But the problem is the nicotine has a hold of the subconscious mind as well as the body. You cannot cut down on your smoking without experiencing pains from temporary detox. If you are serious about quitting and think you can just cut down, you need to know that you are probably not that strong. Nicotine is one of the worst addictions a body can have. It’s like trying to grab a hurricane. It’s next to impossible. Don’t underestimate your addiction. That’s a sure fire way to lose your battle with it.

Motivation
It’s a great idea to write down all the reasons you want to quit. Make sure your reasons are for you, not someone else. If you are not ready to quit because you want to quit, then it’s not the right time to do it. It is a tremendous undertaking and if you aren’t all in, then you have already lost. Write out all the reasons you want to quit smoking. Read them during the trying times when your will is tested. You will be so glad that you did.

The Most Important Element
The fastest thing you will lose during your quitting transition will most likely be your patience. But give yourself a chance. You have developed your addiction and behavior patterns over many years and it will not be changed overnight. In fact, it really may take as long as three to four months before you are completely comfortable as a non-smoker. You will have challenges, some big and some not so big, during your transition, but you have to stay positive and believe in yourself. If you will give yourself the opportunity to achieve, you can accomplish any goal you set your mind on.

Nicotine Gum: Chew Your Way to Freedom

Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult chores a person can tackle. Luckily, we now live in a world where there are assistance programs that can help anyone along. We are living in a world filled with marvelous technology. And nicotine gum is one of the most ingenious ideas to date. If you are a person who is looking for a way to quit smoking, nicotine gum is one of the most popular and has measured a lot of success. Nicotine gum can help you put down those cigarettes for good.

How does it Work?
Nicotine gum, as you would imagine, contains the chemical nicotine, the same addictive substance found in cigarettes. So, a smoker who wants to put down their cigarettes would chew this gum whenever they would normally have a cigarette. They get the same dopamine release as with the cigarettes from the nicotine, but they would not have the numerous other harmful chemicals in cigarettes. There is no ammonia, formaldehyde, arsenic, or carbon monoxide in nicotine gum. Therefore, you would get the rush without the damaging effects of smoking tobacco.

What is the down-side?
The most common complaints about the nicotine gum are minimal. One of the big components of the nicotine gum is that fact that it contains nicotine. The gum has a spicy flavor and tends to sting on the gums due to the nicotine. Another problem with the gum for some smokers is the fact that it’s just not the same as smoking a cigarette, which if you are serious about trying to quit for good that is kind of the point. Some other common problems you may face initially are jaw soreness and stiffness, indigestion, and headaches, but these will subside after the first month. Some also experience side-effects if they chew the gum too fast. If you experience light-headedness, dizziness, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, you may be chewing the gum to fast. Chew slowly and deliberately, this will release the nicotine in a more even pattern. It’s also very important not to smoke while chewing the gum. You could end up with nicotine poisoning, which can be very serious and lead to other medical complications.

Make a Change for Good
If you are serious about quitting smoking then the time to act is now. Nicotine gum has come a long way since its inception and now is available at a much lower cost and without a prescription. Make today the last day you are a smoker. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.

It’s Time to Quit for Good, but How Do I Do It?

Some Common Smoking Cessation Methods
Cigarette smoking and nicotine addiction afflict many people and the numbers continue to rise. Studies show that high school kids continue to pick up the habit at an alarming rate. But, with research over the past several decades, we know today that smoking is a fatal habit. Like many, you may have made the big decision to quit. So let’s look at a few different assistance programs available to aid in your cessation goals.

Hypnosis
There are a couple of different ways to use hypnosis to stop smoking. One option is to go to a therapist who specializes in hypnosis and have them perform the procedure. You can also practice self-hypnosis to create your own hypnotic state. Either way, the method is the same. Once in the hypnotic state, either by therapist or self, the subconscious mind is in the driver’s seat. Messages are given directly to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is always in control of behavior, so addressing the subconscious directly can actually affect behavior patterns. The messages given to the subconscious mind will redirect or reprogram the behavior of smoking. You can actually train your brain to believe you are a non-smoker. This method will take more than one session to work. It usually requires up to three to four weeks to change the smoking habit.

Nicotine Gum
Nicotine gum is another cessation aid. It is gum with nicotine in it, as the name suggests. When you have made the decision to quit smoking, adding in the gum to fight off urges can be extremely helpful. You must quit smoking before using the nicotine gum. Smoking and chewing the gum at the same time can be extremely dangerous. But, since the gum helps with the withdrawal symptoms from nicotine, quitting smoking can happen with less physical stress than going it cold turkey. Most people will chew up to a dozen pieces of gum in the first month, but will chew less and less as the urges slow.

Prescription Medication
There are many prescription drugs on the market to help with smoking cessation. The most common names, Wellbutrin, Zyban and Chantix, are nicotine-free. They work by increasing the chemical messengers in the brain which ease the nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This treatment is usually started at least one week prior to quitting smoking and it generally takes two to three months for the nicotine replacement therapy to work effectively. If you are considering this treatment for quitting smoking, you should consult your doctor. There are some side effects but generally is a great alternative to cold turkey.

Natural Remedies
Herbs such as ginseng, St. John’s Wort and lobelia have been used with varying effectiveness to aid in quitting smoking. Ginseng works to block the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is what creates the sense of pleasure while smoking, to curtail the addiction factor. Lobelia acts in the complete opposite way, replacing the nicotine which is the addictive drug that triggers the release of dopamine. The lobelia will trigger the same effect in the brain. St. John’s Wort has generally been used to treat depression, but seems to have a calming effect on those going through withdrawals.

Never a Better Time to Quit
This is the 21st Century and there are more tools to help you reach your non-smoking goals than ever before. Your health is too precious to waste another day as a smoker. Consult your doctor and choose the plan that’s right for you. Then, enjoy the pleasures of a smoke-free lifestyle.

Hypnosis: The Power in You to Quit

Our mind is an extremely powerful tool. If you have heard anything, you may have heard that the secret to all of our happiness, health and wealth is in the power of our own brain. We control our universe and we control our destiny. Using the power of our own mind, we can change our own future and create a new path. What a better way to start than to quit smoking. The way to make that first step is the art of hypnosis.

How Hypnosis Works
Hypnosis may conjure images of stage hypnotists putting people “under” on stage and getting them to perform crazy antics in front of a large crowd. But the truth is, hypnotherapy has been practiced for centuries and is the key to reaching your subconscious mind. The brain is made up of two parts: the conscious and the subconscious. If you are trying to change behavior patterns, you need to bypass the conscious mind. It acts as the big brother, disseminating information and deciding what will make it through to the subconscious mind or not. The subconscious mind, however, is the control center for all of our behavior, built over a lifetime of input. The easiest way to reach the subconscious mind is through hypnotherapy. All hypnotherapy means is that your conscious mind is in a highly relaxed state without being asleep. In a way, we are all hypnotized quite frequently without even knowing or realizing it. When you go to the movies and sit in the dark movie theater and suspend reality for two hours, you are essentially hypnotized for the duration that you choose to watch the movie. Hypnotherapy simply allows your subconscious mind to come to the forefront.

How to Use the Subconscious Mind
Once you have entered a hypnotic state, either through a hypnotherapist or self-hypnosis (yes, you can do it yourself) you are ready to input new messages about your habits. These messages are generally referred to as affirmations. You can create your own or you may have a professional read some that are already created. They all basically send the same message to your brain. You want to tell your subconscious mind that you are a non-smoker; you breathe deeply, you have healthy clear lungs, you are disgusted by cigarettes; you hate cigarette smoke, etc. These messages will become facts accepted readily by your subconscious. Once you have this new belief about cigarettes, your behavior will begin to follow suit.

Today is the Day
There are many resources available if you will only seek them out. We live in a wonderful world full of technology and an abundance of information. Hypnotherapy has shown great strides in helping smokers achieve their goals through behavior reprogramming and without the use of drugs. Maybe it’s the perfect choice for you.

How Prescriptions Can Help You Quit Smoking

There have been many medical advances made in the past twenty years to help those who need to quit. If you have tried to quit but have not had success with other methods of cessation, talking to your doctor may prove to be a great option for you. Your doctor can prescribe a few different options to help you quit smoking. There are a few different drugs that act in different ways to help you achieve your ultimate goal.

Nicotine Replacement
There are a handful of medications on the market that are nicotine replacement. They do the same thing as nicotine gum or a nicotine patch. You will be able to quit smoking, but still have the nicotine addiction. Nicotrol, one of the most noted brands, offers a nasal spray and an inhaler for nicotine delivery while Habitrol offers a prescription patch. There are also a few over the counter versions of the patch as well as nicotine gum. Using a nicotine replacement can help you break the habit of smoking cigarettes while slowly weaning yourself off of the nicotine. Your doctor will most likely put you on a step-down program to accomplish this. Nicotine replacement has shown a lot of success for those who want to quit.

Non-nicotine Replacement
Some of the newest forms of smoking cessation programs are those that perform the same response in the brain as the nicotine without the nicotine. Varenicline, found in Chantix, one of the newest medications available, does not contain nicotine but interacts with the same receptors in the brain that the nicotine would. Once the Varenicline has intercepted the receptors, the nicotine is blocked. This type of medication will help to break the “pleasure cycle” in the smoking habit. After all, if it wasn’t so enjoyable, would you do it? Varenicline is generally started at least one week prior to quitting smoking and continued for around three months for full effectiveness. This new form of battling nicotine addiction has a lot of promise for those who have had trouble with other methods of smoking cessation.

Anti-Depressants
As odd as it may sound, some drugs previously prescribe to treat depression have had success in helping people quit smoking. The Drug bupropion hydrochloride, found in Wellbutrin and Zyban, work by easing the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The bupropion hydrochloride boosts chemical levels in the brain, which eases the withdrawals and decreases the urge to smoke in most people. This treatment process also begins while still smoking. You will begin approximately one to two weeks before actually quitting smoking and continue for a few months.

Turn Your Life Around
Quitting smoking is truly one of the most difficult things to do. But with so many options, the goal is becoming easier for more people to accomplish. If prescription drugs are the right course for you, you should talk to your doctor. Each drug has side-effects that your doctor will share with you. But this is a great tool that can help turn your life around. Take advantage of the many choices you have today and change your life for the healthier.

An Electronic Alternative: The E-Cigarette

Cigarette smoking is one of the most difficult habits to break. There are many elements to smoking which make it one of the hardest addictions to kick. Many people in the United States try to quit each year with little or no success. There are many different types of assistance programs available to help those who are still imprisoned by their smoking habit. One of the newest products on the market that is offering people hope is the electronic cigarette. There are many benefits to using this handy little piece of modern technology and it may help decrease fatalities caused by smoking. If you have had trouble kicking your smoking habit, the e-cigarette may be a great alternative solution.

What is an E-Cigarette?
The electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, is an alternative to smoking actual cigarettes that still gives a smoker the same feel and sensation of smoking. It looks like an actual cigarette, but is an electronic piece of equipment designed to look, feel and taste like a cigarette. It is powered by microchip technology and allows a smoker to enjoy all the sensations smoking gives them without the health risks. The smoker still gets nicotine into their system, but there is no tobacco products which alleviates the health risks associated with tobacco use. One of the biggest benefits of using the e-cigarette is the absence of tar, arsenic, formaldehyde, acetone, ammonia and many other extremely poisonous, dangerous chemicals which are all in traditional cigarettes. Eliminating these harmful carcinogens from your body is enough reason alone to invest in the e-cigarette if you are a smoker.

What are the Benefits?
E-cigarettes are very similar to traditional, tobacco cigarettes. They look the same; they taste the same; they even feel the same. However, with the e-cigarette, there is no flame. So, the danger of accidentally setting a fire is virtually eliminated. Also, since there is no smoke from an e-cigarette, there is no second hand smoke with which to contend. There is no need to ban e-cigarettes from restaurants or entire cities because no one else is affected by a person smoking an e-cigarette. There is no need for segregation because no one has to endure someone else’s second-hand smoke. There is no odor, there is no carcinogens, there is only the e-cigarette’s end lighting up as a person inhales the nicotine. So, going to the bar could soon be a completely new scene. With no smoke, there is no damage to clothing, furniture, walls, drapery, skin or air. It’s hard to imagine walking into an establishment that has allowed smoking inside and not have the stale scent of cigarette smoke filling your nostrils. With the advent of the e-cigarette, that may be an image that will soon fade into memory.

Can E-cigarettes Help Me?
Switching to the e-cigarette can be a great way to continue smoking without continuing to damage your body. The damage caused by years of smoking can be repaired over time and using the e-cigarette can help accomplish that goal. It’s important to realize that the e-cigarette still provides a person with their nicotine fix and does not alleviate their dependence on it. So, if you have tried to quit smoking but couldn’t and you want to stop the damage to your system, then the e-cigarette is a wonderful alternative. But, the nicotine addiction will still be a part of your life. The dependency on this harmful drug should be addressed, probably separately, at a later time. But the e-cigarette may be a great stepping off point if you are serious about kicking this debilitating habit for good.

A Cheaper Way to Smoke: The E-Cig

Cigarette smoking has become a very expensive habit over the years. With the new tax fully in effect, the cost of a pack of cigarettes is now more than $6 in most places. To buy a carton, $50 is now what it will take. There is an alternative that has finally reached the market that can alleviate the costs, in more ways than one. Meet the e-cig!

What is an E-cigarette?
The electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, is a smoking alternative. It’s an electronic device, powered by a microchip, designed to look and feel like the real thing. The cigarette-shaped device houses a lithium battery and a cartridge filled with liquid nicotine. The major difference between real cigarettes and the electronic alternative is there is no tar or other harmful chemicals in the e-cig. It produces a smoke, but it is not the harmful smoke filled with carcinogens associated with tobacco smoke. The nicotine, once exhaled, becomes a vapor that resembles smoke, giving the smoker the feel of smoking a real cigarette. There are some obvious health benefits to using the e-cig. The absence of tobacco makes smoking the e-cig a much healthier alternative to smoking the real thing. No, smoke in the lungs, no wheezing, emphysema, lung cancer or many other health risks. There are no carcinogens, no chemicals that will slowly kill you. And there is essentially no second-hand smoke either.

Is the Cost Worth it?
The initial cost of an e-cig starter kit runs around $100 – $150. Once the starter kit is purchased, which includes a cigarette, a battery, a charger and usually some cartridges to get you started, the continued purchases will included additional cartridges. After the initial charge of the kit, the cost to smoke a cartridge, which is approximately the equivalent of a pack, will be substantially less than the average cost of a pack of cigarettes today. Depending on what cartridges you purchase, the average cost could run as little as $1.00 per “pack.” The e-cig is still new to the market and is currently still working some kinks out of the technology, but the concept is a breakthrough for all smokers who are looking to get the pleasure of smoking without risking their health.

The smoker still gets nicotine into their system, but there is no tobacco products which alleviates the health risks associated with tobacco use. One of the biggest benefits of using the e-cigarette is the absence of tar, arsenic, formaldehyde, acetone, ammonia and many other extremely poisonous, dangerous chemicals which are all in traditional cigarettes. Eliminating these harmful carcinogens from your body is enough reason alone to invest in the e-cigarette if you are a smoker.

Smoke Deter

Smoke Deter, formerly called Nicocure is a all in one system that includes a homeopathic spray that you use 3 times a day along with a relaxation cd. They also have an online program and mp3 program that you can download.

This program has had zero complaints with the BBB and has a clean record on Rip Off Report.com. Read more

Electronic Cigarettes

There are many different brands of electronic cigarettes on the market today. Some of the most common are the Njoy, the Nic Stic, E Puffer and Crown. They are electronic gadgets to help you get the enjoyment of cigarettes without many of the side effects. They are also legal in many places where smoking is illegal, which is a great benefit in places where there are tough anti smoking laws. Read more

How to Quit Smoking Using Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

Alan Densky asked:


If you are someone who is trying to quit smoking cigarettes, you know how tough it is to eliminate this damaging compulsion. It is possible however, and half of all adult smokers are able to quit smoking forever. Many smokers have been able to quit smoking cigarettes by replacing them with new, more positive habits without having to suffer through withdrawal symptoms. By far, the most effective and easiest method to quit smoking and accomplish this end is hypnotherapy.

Quit smoking hypnosis is one of the most commonly practiced forms of hypnosis. It is often cited as a tool to quit smoking along with strategies such as the use of nicotine gums and patches and other popular methods. It helps end the smoking addiction by combating cravings for cigarettes, motivating you to stay committed to quitting, and promoting relaxation and stress relief so you will not feel the urge to smoke.

The smoking addiction has both physiological and psychological components. The physiological addiction is a physical need the body acquires for nicotine. This aspect of the addiction is what causes the withdrawal symptoms that make it initially feel near impossible to quit smoking. However, this is a short, temporary stage in the overall course of quitting smoking, lasting only between three days and one week. By the end of this time period, your body acclimates to usual, nicotine-free functioning. Based on thirty years of experience, I believe that the physical need for nicotine constitutes only ten percent of the addiction to smoking.

By far, the most challenging part of breaking the smoking addiction is overcoming the psychological addiction, which are the mental and emotional aspects of smoking. I believe this represents ninety percent of the smoking addiction. When you develop a smoking habit, you develop an unconscious desire to smoke at certain times, such as when watching TV. This is called a conditioned response. Quit smoking self-hypnosis helps eliminate the unconscious associations that cause one to crave cigarettes, thereby eliminating the conditioned response to smoke. Hypnotherapy also helps you stay motivated to give up smoking by reinforcing the ideas that gave you the wish to break the smoking addiction in the first place.

Smokers get stuck in the habit of following a ritual of lighting up and smoking. This is why people who attempt to quit smoking using nicotine patches or gums alone usually have such a difficult experience. They quickly overcome the physical addiction, but they have no replacement or relief for the ritual of smoking cigarettes, which has become a habit and pleasurable source of stress relief. Self-hypnosis techniques eliminate this habit and serve as stress reducers as well. As a relaxation tool, hypnosis helps effectively relieve anxiety and stress so you will lose the cravings for cigarettes.

Combined with some powerful NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques, stop smoking self-hypnosis can keep you committed to kicking the habit by training the unconscious mind to focus on the benefits of quitting. Eliminating tobacco benefits you in numerous ways. Within days of quitting, body parts damaged by smoking begin to heal, damaged nerves re-grow, and the sense of taste and smell improves significantly. Within a few weeks, lung function and blood circulation improve. Within one year, your risk of heart disease is less than half that of a smoker. Within five to fifteen years, the risk of having a stroke is the same as a non-smoker. Your risk of heart disease is the same as someone who has never smoked at all, and the risk of death from lung cancer and numerous other cancer risks have decreased.

In spite of the harmful effects of smoking and the benefits of quitting, some smokers never overcome their harmful addiction. For the most part, this is because they have never really committed to quitting. Other smokers are afraid to suffer through withdrawal symptoms or give up the smoking habit. However, quitting smoking does not have to be the difficult process that makes so many smokers hesitant to even attempt quitting. Hypnotherapy provides a very simple, natural method of quitting.

Hypnosis is a powerful tool for easing cravings for cigarettes, providing powerful motivation, and promoting relaxation and stress relief to eliminate the psychological aspects of the smoking addiction. Stop smoking hypnosis techniques can be easily learned from specialized self-hypnosis CDs that have been developed after decades of experience using hypnosis, Neuro-VISION video hypnotherapy, and NLP to get clients to quit smoking.

Hypnotherapy CDs make it easy to quit smoking for good because they break the smoking compulsion in a process that helps eliminate cravings and the desire to smoke. Whatever your motivation is for quitting, hypnosis and NLP makes it easier to focus your mind on these reasons, which makes you feel a great urge to quit. Stop smoking hypnosis CDs eliminate the impulse to smoke. Although quitting smoking can be a painful and unsuccessful experience for some, those who take advantage of stop smoking self hypnosis have a much greater rate of success because it makes the process much easier. Hypnotherapy is the most effective method for smoke cessation.

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