Your Stop Smoking Blog

There are many different medications, tools and techniques that you can incorporate into your plan to stop smoking. In terms of mainstream medicine, these primarily include nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) in the form of patches, lozenges, nasal sprays and gum. The primary concept behind these products is to provide an alternative to quitting cold turkey and allow individuals to slowly reduce their nicotine intake, thereby decreasing the severity of withdrawal symptoms. At the same time, switching to an alternative source of nicotine helps break the other behavioral habits that are a strong component of any addiction. In this way, you can get used to the changes in your daily routine that will come with giving up cigarettes, without having to deal with the side effects of nicotine withdrawal all at the same time.

Other medications such as Bupropion (Zyban) are also thought to help individuals through nicotine withdrawal, although the processes through which this works are not fully understood. Similar in composition to an antidepressant, this approach may contribute to an emotional calm that makes it easier to resist temptation through lessened agitation and anxiety during withdrawal. These drugs are not appropriate for everyone, and need to be discussed with your doctor in terms of effectiveness and potential side effects.

Traditional, herbal products can also be used to help you quit smoking. Teas, capsules, and patches are all available to assist you in a variety of ways. Herbs can reduce your desire to smoke by making cigarettes taste bad, as well as promote relaxation to help decrease the underlying stress or nervousness that may otherwise compel you to smoke. Herbs can also help cleanse, detoxify and flush out your system, reducing cravings and promoting recovery and improved general health. In some cases herbal products contain ingredients that act as substitutes for nicotine, effectively convincing your body that it is not missing the stimulants it has grown accustomed to. Explore your options in herbal formulations designed specifically for the purpose of stopping smoking to determine if these might be useful as a part of your individualized stop smoking strategy.

Depending on the severity of your addiction, the strength of your desire to change, and your general willpower, you may require more or fewer tools to help you along the way. Quitting smoking is different for everyone, and it is important to enlist as much help as necessary in order for you to achieve your goal. From conventional medicine, to alternative herbal remedies drawing on more ancient healing formulas, there are a number of choices for you to consider. Withdrawal is not easy, but it is temporary, so do not give up. It will not belong before you have made it over the first and most difficult hurdle, and from here on the road to better health will get easier and more straightforward as you go.

Mike Durand
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/medication-to-help-you-stop-smoking-80894.html

I’m 16 and I’ve been smoking since I was 14.
It started off socially, like once a week but its only in the last year that its become a real habit.
I smoke around five a day, more if I’m with my friends.
I really want to stop, I know its difficult but it can be done.
I just want to know, is it too late or can my lungs slowly recover?

I also started smoking socially and quickly found I was becoming more and more ’social’ even when by myself! I gave up smoking on 2nd July having smoked 20-30 a day for 15 years. After 5 and a bit weeks I feel so much better already. You will probably find that you cough a bit for the first couple of weeks -my breathing had never been worse! however, my lungs now feel so much better than they did when I smoked. and if you look at the timeline that someone else has posted here, you will see that in time your lungs will repair themselves completely. you can do it!
what is helping me is (a) I am using nicotine patches. i am not sure whether they really do anything or whether it is psychological but on the rare occasion that I fancy a cigarette I rub the patch! (b) find another addiction. Preferably not something else harmful though! I took up karate and kickboxing and while I couldn’t breathe at all even in the warmup when I started, I am now completely addicted, train 15-20 hours a week and want to get superfit asap so really have no desire to mess it up by smoking.
So go for it!

any ideas, a gift ? anything that would be nice to help.
thanks!

dont know really but i wish you were a friend of mine i packed up today and nobodys even mentioned it ;it is hard im trying to find things to keep me busy .

Have you or anyone you know used hypnosis to stop smoking? Was it successful? I’d like to hear about your experience.

Hello

From a Hypnotherapist angle, as not a smoker, yes it can.

The client, however has to want it for the right reasons & is an excellent support tool as withdrawal is travelled through. In some cases one session can be enough.

Sadhara

When I started dating my boyfriend I didn’t know he smoked weed. He tried to get me to smoke with him but it’s just not for me. I’ve asked him to stop smoking but that only made him go behind my back. He’s kind of got better but everytime his sister wants to smoke he does. I don’t know how to get him to stop and I know the only way he will stop is to want to stop himself.

For most, if they don’t get involved with other drugs before they quit causing more serious addictions etc, just "grow out" of smoking weed.
I found this to be the case with myself, as a young teenager, I would smoke daily, the older I became, the less interesting it was. By the time I hit 19 it was boring, and even irritating to be "high" so I gave it up, and never looked back.
You can’t really change anyone or Force their behavior. I personally believe No one will quit doing anything that they do "smoking, cursing, etc" unless they Personally Want to quit. Standard rehab shows this from the fact that 80% or more usually relapse within 1 month of release.
I also quit smoking because I got tired of that as well, and didn’t want to die of cancer. No drugs, no therapy, cold turkey.
Only thing you can do, is try to set limits like the one above mentioned (which he will probably either break or it will make him avoid being with you to get high), you can try to just cope with it, or you can try to find things he enjoys doing MORE than smoking weed, be it driving, skateboarding etc. Most weed smokers are usually bored, and become lethargic etc after smoking. Find outdoor physical activities you both enjoy, and try to do more of them together.
Last note, if he gets on "harder" drugs, hit the road. Most harder drugs lead to stealing and radical personality changes that you will do well to avoid,, trust me on that one.

Has anyone used and had succesfull results with stop smoking aids like the patch or the gum? I have been smoking for 10 years but have recently cut back and am considering stoping so any advice would be great!

I tried nicoderm, wellbutrin and nicorette, didnt work. I started going to yoga class everyday for 1.5 hrs. worked like magic. once you breathe healthy you wouldn’t want to smoke again, I had a relapse a few times but felt like crap after 2 puffs, since then I have been smoke free =) try it.

Everyone knows that smoking is a terrible habit. Aside from the obvious health risks, smoking makes your teeth yellow, makes your clothes stink, and it turns you into a social outcast. If you’ve already made the decision to stop smoking, good for you! Now it’s time to take the next step and establish a support system to help you maintain your smoke-free lifestyle.

People who stop smoking by way of techniques like hypnotherapy often think that they’ve kicked the habit for good. It’s important to know that even the most proven stop smoking programs aren’t guaranteed to last. You need to have help you can turn to on a daily basis.

It’s time to assemble your personal stop smoking support group. Establishing this group is easy. You already have a network of friends and family members who are anxious for you to quit. The help you need is waiting for you; and best of all, this is a free stop smoking resource!

Anyone who has tried to quit knows that one person can’t do it alone. You need help to stop smoking and to stay smoke-free, and the best help you can have isn’t sold in any form.

Believing that you are harming yourself, and exposing your loved ones to the dangers of second-hand smoke, is enough to make you want to quit. If those who care about you are ready to help you through the process, you may find that it’s easier to make it happen. Read on to learn how the support of friends can really help, and how to make your group as helpful as possible.

Seek the Naggers
Partners, coworkers, family and friends will often nag about smoking until the smoker is ready to scream. The problem with nagging, however, is that can backfire. The pressure causes the smoker to become more angry, nervous and anxious to be able to escape with another smoke. Quitting smoking is hard enough without incorporating the stress of arguments over the subject. Explain your concerns to all of the “naggers” in your group. Tell them that if they truly want to help, they should offer support and not sniping.

Be Responsible to Someone
Smoking cessation is more difficult when you try to sneak in a cigarette now and then without anyone knowing about it. By making yourself responsible to another person, you are going to have to actively lie about your smoking. It’s one thing to sneak in a smoke, but quite another to tell an outright lie when someone you care about asks if you’ve had a cigarette. Make yourself responsible to one person, and make sure it’s someone who will check up on you every day.

Hypnosis Support
The stop-smoking product or method that you chose to use isn’t important. What matters is that you are becoming smoke-free. For this reason, it’s important that the people in your group also support your methods. If you chose to use hypnosis, you may encounter people who question its effectiveness. Those who doubt that hypnosis treatments (or whatever method you choose) really work should be asked to keep their opinions to themselves. If you lose faith in the hypnosis process because you hear negative comments, it’s only going to serve to make the process less effective.

Take Advice With Caution
As soon as you announce that you’re quitting, you’ll be bombarded with advice from other smokers and non-smokers on how to kick the habit.
Remember that not every system is effective for every smoker, and what works for some may not be best for you. Listen to the advice and show your friends that you appreciate their input, but don’t discard your own common sense. You are the best judge of what you can or cannot accomplish.

Your friends and family will be thrilled that you’ve made the decision to stop smoking. Remind them that your value their patience and support, and will need to rely on their help and encouragement along the way. They’ll be happy to lend a hand.

Jennifer Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/support-to-stop-smoking-88123.html

i know you can.
i did.

there’s too many reasons to list, but here are just a few of my own anyway…

- for my body and mind
- for everyone who loves and cares about me
- for my future children and all children
- for my godfather and everyone who has suffered from smoking related illness
- to stop supporting cigarette companies and their practices
- to keep the air as clean as possible
- so i never litter ever
- to reduce the risk of fires
- to smell delicious all the time
- to taste and enjoy flavour to the fullest
- to stay forever young

tell me yours.
share your smoking/quitting experiences.
this is for positive support.

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Quitting smoking is important to many smokers and there are various ways that are advertised to help stop smoking. Hypnosis is one of these options and there are different methods on offer including, hypnotherapy sessions, hypnosis cds and even the attendance of a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking. The different methods available are useful in various ways. One on one sessions are generally recognized to be the best solution to the problem while cds are a more convenient way to aid the cessation of a smoking habit. An hypnosis seminar to stop smoking is usually used by people that want company in their efforts to stop smoking and can even be arranged by a business in order to help a large number of their employees stop taking smoke breaks.

Many people do not believe that attending a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking will do any use and it does not work for a lot of people. However, the social aspect of having a large group of people with the same problem and need come together in order to make a change can be particularly motivating and encouraging to a number of people. Smoking can be a social activity so perhaps the act of quitting smoking being a social activity can help replace the need. A hypnosis seminar to stop smoking does not deal with individual problems however.

Benefits and Drawbacks to Attending a Hypnosis Seminar to Stop Smoking

The benefits to attending a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking can be that you are not alone in your effort to quit this habit. Many people feel pressure to stop smoking and it can be hard but a group effort can be the trick needed to go the final distance. A hypnosis seminar to stop smoking can work out cheaper per person than by seeing a therapist individually which can be costly which means that people with less money can also benefit. As many businesses are losing out on production because of the number of smoke breaks taken by their employees, it can be beneficial for them to try and sort out the problem in bulk.

The drawbacks to attending a hypnosis seminar to stop smoking can be multiple. There are many non-licensed therapists who have learned a skill by attending a quick course and sell what they have learned to the unsuspecting suspect. This can be a rip off in terms of the service provided and the lack of qualifications to provide this service. Seeing a qualified therapist is a preferable option as they are guaranteed to have studied for a long time on the effects of hypnotherapy on different personalities. A seminar does not focus on individual problems or issues and can be a broad generalization that will not benefit every person that attends the seminar.

Dane Bergen
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/why-would-a-hypnosis-seminar-to-stop-smoking-be-needed-114145.html

Is there an easy way to stop smoking? Unfortunately no. The biggest thing in your favor if you want to stop smoking is a sincere desire to stop, right now, quit smoking, kick the habit once and for all. Like with alcohol addiction, your sincere and real desire to quit smoking is going to be the biggest single factor in your favor, and the best asset in your court to kick the habit.

Perhaps you have already tried to quit smoking and were unsuccessful. By far, the most difficult way to quit is to go cold turkey. Some people can do it this way, but the unfortunate fact is that the ones who are most successful with this approach did so because their doctor told them they were going to die if they did not stop, and putting that fear in them was the catalyst to ensure their success.

But you want to stop smoking before you get to that point, LONG before you get to that point. Let’s assume that you already know the widely publicized dangers of smoking, why it is not good for you, and the innumerable reasons why you should quit. The difficult part of putting all of that knowledge into positive actions.

Everybody is different, and just because a particular method worked for Joe or Sally does not mean anything as far as how well it will work for you. Some people have reported a lot of success with using acupuncture combined with more traditional approaches to stop smoking. This can be particularly effective if you want to quit but simply lack the willpower to make it happen. This approach seems to work best for people who are heavily addicted to the high that nicotine provides, combined with (again) that sincere desire to quit.

Other people have found great success in nicotine gum or the patch. This provides the nicotine high that your body is craving but allows you to reduce the amount of nicotine slowly so that your body can become accustomed to lower amounts of nicotine without getting into the dreaded withdrawal symptoms. The problem with nicotine is that smokers become both physically as well as psychologically addicted to it, and using nicotine gum and the patch can help wean you off nicotine slowly and comfortably.

Others have found that hypnosis can help them kick the habit. The methods of hypnosis to stop smoking are quite varied, but the bottom line is that the suggestion is put into your mind that smoking is bad, disgusting and unattractive, and when you come out of the hypnosis session, your body thinks that your negative view towards tobacco products is entirely self-generated.

There is not a single fool-proof method that is guaranteed to work for all people, simply because everybody is different. But the bottom line is that you already know that you should and need to stop smoking, and the actions required to achieve that goal are entirely in your hands. Take the gift of life seriously and kick the habit today! There are a ton of methods available, but your own desire to quite for good is going to be your best asset to getting there.

Jon Arnold
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/stop-smoking-now-without-side-effects-134793.html