Quit Smoking Guide

Despite the decades of scientific and medical research proving beyond doubt the deadly effects of cigarette smoking, the number of existing smokers, and people taking up smoking, is still at incredulous levels.

The chilling statistics reveal:-

• 1 in 5 deaths in the US is attributed to smoking
• 440, 000 deaths, potentially 6 million years of potential life lost per year
• Smoking during pregnancy results in 1,000 infant deaths per year.

(Source http://www.med.upenn.edu/tturc/pdf/USA_Figures.pdf)

Most people when asked are at a loss to explain why anyone would continue to smoke, or take up smoking considering the high smoking related death rate; however it is important to understand that the reason is on more of a subconscious, rather than a conscious level.

The real reasons have to do with a mechanism that drives our behavior called the pleasure and pain mechanism. This mechanism is designed to drive us towards things that are pleasurable and safe, and drive us away from things that are painful and potentially harmful or dangerous. The mechanism for the most part is developed within the subconscious mind as the result of the input (either pleasure or pain) we receive from our experience of any behavior or activity. At times the pleasure/pain mechanism has more than one input however, in which case it is usually the input that is either the strongest or the most immediate that moulds our behavior with respect to the activity in question. The problem with this mechanism where smoking is concerned is twofold:-

1. A delay of years before the negative effects are experienced which renders this delayed feedback ineffective as it becomes a purely conscious input.
2. Smoking does have elements of pleasure in the short term (such as a relaxing effect of the deep breathing, and is still seen as a somewhat cool thing to do by some young people because of its rebellious connotations). Being a short term feedback, this pleasure feedback is what a smoker responds too.

Imagine for a moment if instead of the current situation with smoking, if everyone who took up smoking and smoked for only a week died as a result of the usual smoking related illnesses, how many people do you think would take up smoking given this scenario? I would suggest it would be as close to zero as you could get.

While there is currently a delay of years before the real pain resulting from smoking is felt, I believe the time is almost at hand where this will change although not in the way that you might think. The enormous cost to the healthcare system for self inflicted and preventable health problems such as those resulting from smoking, will mean a change to the responsibility for these healthcare costs within the next few years, such as:

• Smokers will be forced to pay excessive health insurance premiums compared to non-smokers.
• Countries with free or subsidized healthcare will withdraw this support for preventable health problems such as smoking, forcing smokers to pay high private insurance costs or be left without access to healthcare.
• Also, governments may impose even higher taxes on tobacco products making the price of cigarettes even more prohibitive.

These measures may provide enough short term pain to encourage some smokers to quit, however they are a little way off just yet.

So what’s the solution?
There is no magic bullet when it comes to any habit including smoking; however understanding the mechanism of the habit is a starting point. What smokers need to understand is that any habit such as smoking, is a program or list of instructions that have been placed in the subconscious mind through repetition that respond similar to a computer program. Like a computer program the instructions in your habit program are activated by certain actions or triggers. The triggers can be inputs such as stress, a time trigger such as every 30 minutes, or perhaps after a meal. You don’t have to “think” about lighting up because your subconscious mind is programmed to respond to the triggers.

Tips
The relaxing effect of smoking can be attributed to the deep breathing when drawing in the smoke, so when you feel like a cigarette in response to one of your triggers, use your imagination instead and visualize a cigarette in your mouth, then take slow deep breathes instead of reaching for a real cigarette. The more times you do this the more you will override your smoking program and replace it with the new deep breathing habit instead. If you want to install a subconscious pain response to help quit smoking then try this. Find a quiet place where you can be alone:

1. Imagine you’re in your 40’s or 50’s and the doctor is telling you that you only have a couple of months to live, imagine the fear that would run through your body at that moment.
2. Imagine you’re on your death bed saying goodbye to your loved ones, children or partner. How would that feel inside?
3. Imagine your cigarette packet has an LCD screen on it. Every time you open the pack the screen lights up with a live feed from the future of your children or partner at your funeral grieving for you and wanting to know why you had to die so young.

Are these scenarios completely fictitious? The future video feed may be but as for the dying younger than you should, sadly that is a mathematical certainty. While we’ve all heard of smokers who have lived to an old age, these people are rare exceptions of perhaps 1 person in 1000 or more. I’d hate to bet my life savings at those odds let alone my life, how about you?

If you’re serious about saving your life and kicking the smoking habit, then try the visualization techniques above every day to program it into your subconscious. You can also think of all the money you’ll save by quitting. Alternatively you can look for a good quit smoking program, but ensure that the one you choose addresses the problems of the underlying subconscious programming of the habit. The money you spend on a good program will be trivial compared to the money you’ll save on cigarettes and is a small price to pay for your life. With regards to smoking, only one person can save your life, and that person is YOU.

© 2006 Colin L Wolfenden

Colin L Wolfenden is webmaster for

http://www.my-resource.com and

http://www.impressiveebooks.com

Share This

If you are trying to quit smoking but are working on a restricted budget, there are a number of free quit smoking programs available to you. You can also consider trying a habit replacement method to help you quit smoking. If you are truly ready to kick the habit, you might discover that it is easier than you imagine it is going to be. It seems as though the paramount ways to quit smoking involve a lot of will power, if you are ready to quit smoking, you may have just enough to get yourself over the smoking hump. Free quit smoking programs can give you that extra push.

All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs. Anthony Robbins Free quit smoking Programs

There are numerous free quit smoking programs that are offered through non-profit organizations. For example, the American Cancer Society offers a variety of online programs for which you can sign up. They will send you a lot of hand-outs regarding the harmful nature of smoking, and you can peruse all of their quit smoking tips. The American Cancer Society has done plenty of research regarding the effects of smoking, so their literature can be extremely motivating, specially if you are already beginning to feel the negative effects of smoking. The American Cancer Society will also send you smoking free videos that supply support and quit smoking times when you are trying to quit, and they often sponsor quit smoking support groups and twenty-four hour quit smoking hotlines. These services can supply just what you need to finally end your stretch as a smoker.

Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S Patton

The American Heart and Lung Association also provides a diversity of free quit smoking programs. Much like the American Cancer Society, the sponsor support groups and offer free hotlines manned by accomplished counsellors who can help you if you are about to plunge of the wagon. They also offer quit smoking tips online, and they can suggest to you affordable quit smoking aids that will help you on your journey toward better health.

It is important to note that…

There are also a variety of free quit smoking methods that you can use to help cut down on your cigarette cravings. For instance, toothpicks area an excellent replacement for cigarettes. You can draw out a toothpick every time you want a cigarette, chewing on it will help to keep both your hands and your mouth busy. Even though this is no substitute for high-priced nicotine replacement quit smoking products, you will find that it is a helpful way to keep your mind off of smoking.

Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S Patton

Even with a limited budget, there are still many free quit smoking methods that can help you to quit smoking. One really great way to reduce your smoking it to read a variety of research studies that discuss the effects of smoking. The more you know about what is going into your body, the less likely you will be to carry on to relish the act of smoking.

Steve Hill discusses free quit smoking advice. Learn the facts before you decide which quit smoking products to buy. Read more no-bull stop smoking articles and information at: quit smoking and smoking cessation

Share This

Everybody knows how hard it is to quit smoking. Even people who have never smoked understand the tremendous amount of willpower and drive it takes to actually quit smoking for good.

One of the most overbearing symptoms of quitting smoking is the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can be in the form of anxiety, cravings, irritability, difficulty in concentrating and a sheer ‘want’ to have nicotine. And they can be sheer hell!

The good news is that there are many ways to quit smoking, you just need to find out which one will work best for you. You might have to end up trying them all, but if you eventually find one that works for you and you give up smoking for life, then the trials and tribulations will be worth while.

Let’s take a look at six different successful ways to quit smoking.

1) Stop Smoking Aids

Nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, nasal sprays, and inhalers are all aids to help alleviate the cravings of nicotine.

Let’s take nicotine patches for example. They are designed to deliver a small amount of nicotine to your bloodstream, satisfying your nicotine cravings - without the dangerous tars and poisonous gases found in cigarettes. This is a very convenient and easy way to help you reduce your cravings while trying to give up nicotine.

2) Hypnotherapy

A growing trend nowadays is to get hypnotherapy to help quit smoking. By all accounts, hypnotherapy is one of the most successful ways to quit smoking. The reason being is that by using hypnotherapy to stop smoking, you effectively eliminate the cause of the bad habit right at the source, the subconscious mind.

3) Alternative Therapies

As stated above, we are trying to find ways to help you control your cravings and relax you while trying to give up smoking. Many people endure the thought of alternative therapies to help counteract these symptoms. The most popular therapies being acupuncture, aromatherapy, and meditation.

4) Willpower

Willpower is a state of the mind and it always seems to be easier said than done. Just the decision to actually take the step to give up smoking is a tribulation of willpower in itself. But can you carry on along the whole road of smoking cessation with willpower alone? You definitely have to be permanently in the ‘right frame of mind’ to stop smoking with willpower and sheer determination alone. But it can be done!

5) Counselling

Sometimes your willpower needs a boost and counselling is great for behavioural support. You can either have one-to-one counselling sessions, or feel that you would get the best support from a group meeting with like-minded people. You can find private, government and charitable organisations that offer smoking cessation support.

6) Prescription Only Medicine

Prescription only medicine is available from your doctor to help you quit smoking. These medicines for smoking cessation are only available through your GP, so you should make an appointment and talk about your needs.

There you have it. These are the top ways to quit smoking and all are successful in themselves, depending on each individual. So why not give one a try and see if it can work for you. If not, try another one. The main thing is not to give up.

Good Luck!

Claire Bowes is a successful writer and owner of many websites including Quit Smoking Help where you can find further advice and information.

Share This