Quit Smoking For Good

Watch this video first - it will make you want to quit smoking immediately

If you have ever tried to quit smoking, you quickly find how hard it can be.  Mark Twain, the famous American author, once stated, "To quit smoking is one of the easiest things in the world, I must have done it over a dozen times."

Although quitting smoking will require lots of hard work and effort you can quit smoking.  Or you can consider the alternative to quitting smoking which is this: roughly half of the people who don't quit smoking will die of health  problems that are smoking related.

Researchers have shown that most folks who smoke want to stop smoking.  In fact, Borders the book retailer, has reported that sales of books written to help people quit smoking has soared by 260%.

Of course we know that quitting smoking is difficult but you needn't be discouraged.  Keep in mind that millions of Americans have quit smoking for good.  In fact, more than 46 million Americans have quit smoking permanently. 

Within a short time frame after you begin to quit smoking, you can be free from smoking forever.  Just keep in mind that it is never too late quit smoking.

Where do I Begin Quitting Smoking?

You must first ask this question of yourself: do I really want to stop smoking?  If your answer to this question is yes and you really mean it, you have begun your journey towards becoming a non-smoker.

You will find there are various ways to quit smoking and many programs that will help you to quit.  Understand that there is no one perfect way to quit smoking.

How you deal with stress when you stop smoking will have a profound effect on your level of comfort and on your ability to remain a non-smoker.

To increase your chances of success in your quit smoking endeavor, generally you may want to consider including medication, such as perhaps nicotine replacement therapy, as a component of your quit smoking program.  However, not all of us who decide to stop smoking will need or want to use these certain medications.

However, although many smokers are able to quit smoking without using nicotine replacement therapy, it is found that most folks who attempt to quit without NRT may not be successful on their first attempt.

You will find that there are many stop smoking aids that can assist you with quitting smoking such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, prescription medications such as Zyban and Chantix, herbal stop smoking products, stop smoking hypnosis, and acupuncture.

Most folks who decide to quit smoking may decide to use a combination of these methods and we will discuss some of them further on.

Harmful Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

You've heard it all before I know, smoking cigarettes is bad for you.  If you didn't already know this you wouldn't be here, right?

But just how bad is cigarette smoking?

Most folks gave health concerns as one of the top reasons for wanting to quit smoking.  Kicking the habit is one of the most important things you can do for yourself to improve your health as well as the health of people you live with, especially children.

We all know that smoking can cause a myriad of health problems including lung cancer, but few folks fail to realize that smoking is also a major risk factor for many other kinds of cancers including cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder, cervix, pancreas, stomach, and even some leukemias.

It is estimated that one out of every ten moderate smokers and close to one out of every five heavy smokers (exceeding 15 cigarettes a day) will die of lung cancer.

Unfortunately for men smokers, we are 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared with women smokers who are 12 times more likely to develop lung cancer than are non-smokers.

Of those smokers who do develop lung cancer, men who smoke are 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than those folks who do not smoke.  Also lung cancer is a bigger killer of women that is breast Cancer. 

And even if you survive the lung cancer for now, the surgery to remove diseased lung and the ongoing chemo treatment will not be pleasant.

And let's hope you don't live in Canada - the wait for treatment might just kill if you are needing rapid treatment.

However lung cancer is not the biggest killer of a smoker - its circulatory disease.

Smoking plays a large part in increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and various other lung diseases.  Smoking has also been found to increase your risk of periodontal disease which results in swollen gums and teeth that fall out.

Smoking has also been found to increase one's risk of age related loss of vision.  Smokers have a much greater likelihood of developing the eye disease called macular degeneration.

The surgeon general has for decades been reporting on the health risks that are associated with smoking.  The surgeon general concluded in 1990 that quitting smoking has major and immediate help benefits for both men and women of all ages.

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself to dramatically improve your life and health.

Stop Smoking Aids

The use of nicotine replacement therapy such as found in nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, or nasal sprays, can be quite helpful in your attempt to quit smoking.  The inhalers and sprays are only available by prescription but the nicotine patch and gum are available without a prescription and over-the-counter at pharmacies or online.

Nicotine patches and nicotine gum help to lessen the severity and discomfort of nicotine withdrawal symptoms by controlling the release of nicotine into your body. This can help you deal with the physical component of nicotine addiction and can drastically reduce your withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine gum and nicotine patches may also enable you to control your weight as well while you are involved in your smoking cessation program as nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant. This may keep you from having to rely on a restrictive diet, appetite suppressant drugs or diet pill to help you not gain weight.

The nicotine patch is applied like a Band-Aid to your skin and slowly releases a controlled amount of nicotine into your system throughout the day. The patch can be used by folks who may have problems with gum due to dental work or may find the gum inconvenient due to school or work place restrictions.

The nicotine gum is chewed slowly to release nicotine and then placed between your cheek and gum until another nicotine urge arises. Nicotine gum can also replace some oral gratification that cigarettes may have given.

Other Quit smoking aids include Zyban (same active ingredient as Wellbutrin) which is a prescription antidepressant, bupropion hydrochloride, and is thought to work on the reward/withdraw receptors in your brain.

Another prescription stop smoking drug that has been designed exclusively as a stop smoking aid is Chantix. Chantix is not an antidepressant so is not subject to the same types of side effects.

Also some natural herbal products like the herbal patch, which works like the nicotine patch but uses herbs instead of nicotine and herbal drops which are added to water or your favorite fruit juice, have shown promise in helping to alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms, reduce your irritability, curb your hunger, and eliminate toxins from your body.

Stop Smoking Hypnosis

Some folks find that hypnosis or hypnotherapy can be helpful to help them stop smoking.  Hypnosis is a suggestion to your subconscious mind while your body and mind are in a deep state of relaxation. 

Research seems to suggest that stop smoking hypnosis can be successful in helping folks to quit smoking and if visiting a hypnotherapist seems a bit inconvenient, self hypnosis tapes and audio CDs are available online.

The Medical Hypnosis and Counseling Center believes that while not a cure all, hypnosis can play a long-term role in keeping folks away from cigarettes.

Support for Folks Who Would Like to Quit Smoking

Here's a great tip - many people who have quit smoking suggest that having a support network of friends and family can be important.  Recent research seems to indicate that ongoing support and encouragement from healthcare providers, family, and friends can be extremely helpful.

Research also seems to suggest that folks are more likely to be successful in their quit smoking efforts if they combine several supports.  For example joining a support group in addition to also perhaps using nicotine gum or patches can be very effective.  To find support groups or a quit smoking help line, try starting with the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

With the right combination of stop smoking aids, support, and of course determination on your part you will be able to quit smoking tobacco for good without detox.

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