Quit Smoking

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Showing posts with label STOP SMOKING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label STOP SMOKING. Show all posts

Stop Smoking Tips

Millions of Americans are addicted to smoking. If you are among them but don't want to be, here are some tips to help you kick the habit.
  • Avoid doing things you associate with smoking, such as drinking, eating, walking, and being awake.
  • Get thrown in jail, where cigarettes can only be acquired in exchange for painful sexual favors.
  • Lobby your elected representatives to pass a $6,913 sales tax on packs of cigarettes.
  • Write a rap song about how smoking is not cool. Perform it at local elementary schools.
  • Move to California, where tobacco possession is illegal.
  • Avoid thinking about the rich, full flavor of Benson & Hedges.
  • Fill your home with motivational placards bearing such slogans as, "Smoking Is For Pussies" and "Only A Fucking Retard Would Even Think About Smoking."
  • Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray. If a loved one quits smoking, keep an ashtray around as a handy substitute.
  • Attractive people smoke because it makes them look cool. Acknowledge that you are neither attractive nor cool.
  • Cover yourself in egg whites. No one knows why this works.
  • Join a stop-smoking support group. Be sure it's one that meets on a different night than your other six support groups.
  • Hypnotism has helped many people quit, but you risk becoming the hypnotist's slave. It's your choice: quitting smoking or freedom.
  • Teach yourself a valuable lesson by slowly dying of lung cancer.
    • Source by: http://www.theonion.com/article/stop-smoking-tips-8080

    Tips To Help You Stop Smoking

    Stopping smoking is not easy. Below are some tips which may help you to quit smoking. At the end of the leaflet there are details of further resources that may help.
    Write a list of the reasons why you want to stop, and keep them with you. Refer to them when tempted to light up.
    Set a date for stopping and stop completely. (Some people prefer the idea of cutting down gradually. However, research has shown that if you smoke fewer cigarettes than usual, you are likely to smoke more of each cigarette and nicotine levels remain nearly the same. Therefore, it is usually best to stop once and for all from a set date.)
    Tell everyone that you are giving up smoking. Friends and family often give support and may help you. Smoking by others in the household makes giving up harder. If appropriate, try to get other household members who smoke, or friends who smoke, to stop smoking at the same time. A team effort may be easier than going it alone.
    Get rid of ashtrays, lighters, and all cigarettes.
    Be prepared for some withdrawal symptoms. When you stop smoking, you are likely to get symptoms which may include feeling sick (nausea), headaches, anxiety, irritability, craving, and just feeling awful. These symptoms are caused by the lack of nicotine that your body has been used to. They tend to peak after 12-24 hours and then gradually ease over 2-4 weeks.
    Anticipate a cough. It is normal for a smoker's cough to become worse when you stop smoking (as the airways 'come back to life'). Many people say that this makes them feel worse for a while after stopping smoking and makes them tempted to restart smoking. Resist this temptation! The cough usually gradually eases.
    Be aware of situations in which you are most likely to want to smoke. In particular, drinking alcohol is often associated with failing in an attempt to stop smoking. You should consider not drinking much alcohol in the first few weeks after stopping smoking. Try changing your routine for the first few weeks. For example, despite the UK ban on indoor smoking in pubs, outside the pub might still be a tempting place to drink alcohol and smoke. Also, if drinking tea and coffee are difficult times, try drinking mainly fruit juice and plenty of water instead.
    Take one day at a time. Mark off each successful day on a calendar. Look at it when you feel tempted to smoke, and tell yourself that you don't want to start all over again.
    Be positive. You can tell people that you don't smoke. You will smell better. After a few weeks you should feel better, taste your food more and cough less. You will have more money. Perhaps put away the money, which you would have spent on cigarettes, for treats.
    Food. Some people worry about gaining weight when they give up smoking, as the appetite may improve. Anticipate an increase in appetite and try not to increase fatty or sugary foods as snacks. Try fruit and sugar-free gum instead.
    Don't despair if you fail. Examine the reasons why you felt it was more difficult at that particular time. It will make you stronger next time. On average, people who eventually stop smoking have made three or four previous attempts.

    Stop Smoking Clinics are available on the NHS. They have good success in helping people to stop smoking. Your doctor may refer you to one if you are keen to stop smoking but are finding it difficult to do so.
    Various medicines can increase your chance of quitting. These include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which comes as gums, sprays, patches, tablets, lozenges and inhalers. You can buy NRT without a prescription. Also, medicines called bupropion and varenicline can help. These are available on prescription. See separate leaflets called Nicotine Replacement Therapy,Bupropion (Zyban®) and Varenicline (Champix®).
    There are also electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). They are designed to look and feel like normal cigarettes. They have a heating element inside that vaporises a solution - this looks like smoke. It may also contain nicotine. They are substituted for normal cigarettes or cigars. There is some uncertainty whether this is more effective than the other ways of stopping smoking. A recent research paper from The Lancet (see under 'References' at the end of this leaflet) showed that the e-cigarettes were as effective as nicotine patches. Further studies are needed to ensure they are safe to use over a length of time.

    WILL QUITTING SMOKING BE YOUR GREATEST QUIT?


    No one likes being called a “quitter,” but when it pertains to quitting smoking, it’s actually an impressive title to have. By giving up smoking, you’re not only improving your health and saving money, you’re starting a positive life transformation.
    As much as the benefits abound, quitting smoking can be tough. At first, it may even feel like losing an old, familiar friend.  But in life there are many instances when giving up one thing (a relationship, a job, a habit) can open the door to positive growth. Next time you think about “quitting” as a loss, remember these five examples that show how “quitting” can lead to positive results, and prepare to be the greatest quitter you can be.
    1. Quitting Foreign Rule
    Perhaps one of the most famous events of American history, the American Revolution, was one enormous “I quit!” After years of being ruled by the British, the colonists decided that they had enough with being taxed and ruled from across the sea. They fought against the odds, and formed their own country. Years later, we still celebrate this momentous occasion with fireworks and barbeques. Imagine what sort of celebration you will be able to enjoy when you are finally smokefree!
    2. Quitting the Band
    How many of your favorite bands have broken up, just to splinter off and create a new and interesting sound? Some of the most famous bands are made up of musicians who were previously in other groups. Calling it quits in one part of your life can lead to new opportunities in other areas.  So let that mic drop, along with the extra spending that comes with smoking. You can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars (over time), by quitting smoking. At $5.76 per pack, your yearly savings could add up to $1,450 per year.* With all the money you can save by not smoking, why not buy a new instrument and start jamming?
    3. Quitting a Toxic Relationship
    Some friendships aren’t meant to last a lifetime. If you’re not being supported or cherished in the way that you deserve, it might be time to end the relationship. Similarly, plan your breakup with cigarettes – they take up a lot of your time, time that could be spent with supportive friends and loved ones. If you’re a pack-a-day smoker, and assuming it takes about five minutes to smoke a cigarette, then quitting smoking can save you approximately 600 hours per year. Transform your new free time into you time!
    4. Quitting Before Injury
    If your body is talking to you, listen. Pro-athletes are usually good at listening to their bodies’ signals. While they may have been champions in their prime, many athletes make the decision to quit playing when their bodies tell them it’s time. Take a cue from these professional quitters and listen to your body. Is it telling you that it's had enough of the negative effects of smoking, such as smoker's cough, shortness of breath, and tired muscles? Now is the time to consult with your healthcare provider.
    5. Quitting Junk Food
    In the past few years, the public has become more aware of the harmful effects of saturated and trans fats found in many processed foods. Many consumers have stopped buying heavily-processed foods to make room for better tasting, natural products.  When quitting smoking, one physical benefit can help you eat more healthfully: within 48 hours of quitting smoking, your taste buds will start to repair themselves, allowing you better savor the flavors of healthy fruits and vegetables.
    “Quitting” doesn’t always mean failure. In some cases, it can actually be a gateway to success. Taking the first steps, such as finding supportive friends and coworkers, picking a quit date, and talking to a healthcare professional will help you understand a way to quit that is best for you. Know that when you’re ready to quit, you’re in good company.
    *The average price of a pack of cigarettes is $5.76 and the average smoker smokes 13.8 cigarettes per day, Based on 2014 figures.

    Best Way To Quit Smoking

    quit smoking way

    Quitting Smoking: What’s the One Best Way to Do It?



    Quitting smoking is probably one of the most difficult journeys you’ll face as a smoker. And the process is even more overwhelming when you realize that you have a multitude of smoking cessation techniques to choose from, from programs and treatments to nicotine replacement products. But is there really one method of quitting smoking that guarantees the highest success rate? Which smoking cessation technique will help you stop smoking for good?
    The short answer is no, there is no one true method for successfully quitting smoking. There is no one best way to quit smoking, because the most effective method is a combination of three core treatment components.
    Experts at the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine say that the most successful method of quitting smoking involves a combination of counseling, providing assistance to smokers at health clinics or hospitals, and medication. A treatment plan involving all three of these components has been shown to significantly increase successful quit rates.
    These are the findings of the United States public health services, which reviewed studies and literature on ways to quit smoking and extensively analyzed the methods involved in the process. More than 8,000 academic articles were reviewed to come up with meta-analytical results that pertained to the complete, current body of research on quitting smoking.
    According to the findings, counseling is an indispensable component for the quitting process. The good news is that smokers who want to kick the habit have access to a lot of resources to support and counseling, if they want it. There are numerous quit lines set up all across the US; anybody can call these and get in touch with counseling services that can help them deal with nicotine withdrawal and the other difficulties of quitting smoking. These quit lines are manned by counselors who can give you one-on-one, personalized coaching to help you through the process.
    The second core component that can boost successful quit rates for smokers is systematic assistance from health clinics and hospitals. Over the course of their quitting process, as many as 7 out 10 smokers will visit their primary care doctor for a health concern. This is the best chance to provide information and assistance for quitting smoking. It’s important that there is a system in place for identifying smokers who visit health clinics and hospitals, so primary care physicians can give these smokers support and encouragement for quitting smoking with every visit.
    The third core component that has been scientifically proven to boost the success rate of quitting smoking is medicine. Currently, seven smoking cessation medications have been tested and are endorsed by the FDA. Five of these medicines are nicotine-replacement products: nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges, the nicotine nasal spray, and the nicotine inhaler. The remaining two are typically prescribed by doctors; these are Bupropion, brand name Zyban, and Varenicline, brand name Chantix. Both Bupropion and Varenicline have been shown to be effective at helping people quit smoking once and for all, but either are best taken with advice from a licensed medical professional.
    Further findings on medicine for quitting smoking
    Research indicates that nicotine- replacement medicines can take anywhere from eight weeks up to six months to fully take effect. This is applicable for the gum, patches, lozenges, nasal spray, and inhaler. Nicotine gum and lozenges tend to be used for longer periods compared to the nicotine patches.
    Understandably, many smokers who want to quit smoking fear that using nicotine products is just as addictive as smoking cigarettes. On this matter, the head doctor at the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine says that this is not as big a cause of worry as it seems.
    Getting your nicotine fix through cigarettes is dangerous because cigarettes contain 4000 chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic. Getting nicotine through a nicotine patch or medications such as Chantix is definitely not as harmful to your health, as these products contain none of the carcinogenic chemicals that cigarettes have.
    Of course, developing a dependence on nicotine replacement products is not an ideal situation, but the health risks for that level of exposure to nicotine is incredibly minimal. It’s definitely preferable to the alternative of getting nicotine through cigarettes.
    The goal of a nicotine replacement product is to help get a smoker to the point where he or she no longer needs the nicotine and is no longer craving it, whether from cigarettes or from the nicotine replacement medications. Experts say there’s definitely no harm in using these replacement medications for longer periods of time if it’s taking you a little longer to be completely nicotine-free.
    The same conclusion is true for nicotine gum, which smokers tend to use for extended periods. There are some theories about the effects of nicotine on the cardiovascular system, but the health risks of long-term use of nicotine gum are thought to be minimal, especially compared to the major health effects of smoking tobacco.
    Quitting nicotine replacement medications
    Experts recommend a few strategies for smokers who want to completely stop taking nicotine into their bodies. If you regularly use nicotine gum, one thing you can do is to set up a schedule for using the gum. Gradually lengthen the breaks between periods of gum use until you can get by with no gum at all.
    Another technique is to consume half a piece of nicotine gum with a piece of chewing gum. You can also use a spicy-flavored gum, like cinnamon gum, and chew it between periods of chewing nicotine gum. The spiciness of the cinnamon gum should give you the same mouthfeel and sensation of nicotine gum, without the actual nicotine content. Increase your consumption of spicy gum as you gradually decrease your use of nicotine gum.
    A sample treatment plan for new quitters
    The best way for new quitters to successfully stop smoking is to get some coaching or counseling. A counselor can provide valuable help throughout the process, starting with your quit date. He or she will help you prepare yourself for having what truly will be the last cigarette of your life.
    A counselor will also review your past experience with quitting, if any. Many smokers have tried to quit at least once in their lives, and a counselor or therapist can help identify situations that you can handle differently this time around so you’ll actually succeed. You’ll learn about your triggers and how to avoid them, along with coping strategies for nicotine withdrawal. With plans in place for those cravings, you stand a greater chance of completely resisting them.
    Your counselor will most likely recommend that you stay dry for the first month or two of the quitting process. This is because alcohol consumption has strong links to smoking relapse. 50% of smokers who relapse into their smoking habits have some alcohol in their bloodstream when they light up again after supposedly quitting smoking. Staying sober for thirty days or so will make sure that you remain focused on your goals.
    In some cases, your therapist will also want to know if there are other smokers in your household. If so, he or she will then help you set up some ground rules for your home to make the quitting process easier for you and your loved ones.
    Once you and your therapist have extensively talked about all these, he or she can recommend one of the seven FDA-approved nicotine medications. The prescription depends on your history and your current situation. You may be referred to another physician for regular check-ups on the progress of your treatment with the medicine.
    With a concrete treatment plan like this in place, you’re well on your way to quitting smoking once and for all.

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    14 NATURAL WAYS TO STOP SMOKING

    It is estimated that between 44 and 46 million people smoke and this is known as one of the most difficult habits to kick. Almost all smokers admit to trying to quit at least once without success and many have attempted to quit two or more times. There are things like nicotine patches and gum that are helpful for some people, but nixing the nicotine completely is preferred by most people trying to kick the habit.
    Thankfully, there are many different natural ways to stop smoking that you can try. These do not involve pumping more nicotine into your bloodstream and as an added bonus, these can be combined so you can use as many as necessary to kick the habit for good.

    MAKE A FEW DIETARY CHANGES

    Some foods make cigarettes taste horribly and others make them taste better. According to research performed at Duke University, coffee, alcohol and read meat all make cigarettes taste better. However, juice, vegetables, fruit and milk can make them taste bad, so loading up on these foods can be helpful when you are trying to quit. As an added bonus, they also promote optimal health.

    INDULGE YOUR SWEET TOOTH

    sweet-treatIn about 30 percent of cases, when someone feels like they are craving a cigarette, what they are really craving is carbohydrates. Grabbing a small sweet treat can satiate this so you do not want a cigarette. Of course, you do not want to load up on sugar, but a small hard candy or a fun-size candy bar can do the trick with minimal calories.

    MOVE YOUR BODY

    Your potential to quit is doubled when you work out regularly, according to Brown University research. The type of exercise should be aerobic and performed at least five days a week. The exercise should be vigorous enough to hit at around 80 percent of your max heart rate.

    TRY TAI CHI

    tai-chiTai Chi is a type of ancient martial arts that promotes fitness and relaxation. A study performed at the University of Miami followed smokers for 12 weeks and had them do three one-hour sessions each week.
    At the end of the trial period, 60 percent had kicked the habit.

     

     

     

    DITCH THE DIET

    Research shows that quitting smoking should be a focused priority and trying to diet and get in shape at the same time can thwart your efforts. Those who gain weight after quitting smoking generally only gain five to 10 pounds and this amount of weight can easily be lost in one to two months with a healthy diet and regular exercise. It is best to place all of your efforts on kicking the habit because nicotine is an incredibly hard addiction to break.

     

    CONSIDER ST. JOHN’S WORT

    This natural herb is well-known to have effective antidepressant potential and there are prescription antidepressants, such as Paxil and Chantix, that are prescribed to those trying to quit smoking. This herb works similar to these drugs by inhibiting norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake.


    STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

    strength-in-numbersWhen it comes to quitting smoking and never going back, getting support from other smokers is proven to be helpful. All other addictive substances have support group therapy, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, and these work.
    There are support groups for those trying to quit smoking, but they are not as publicized. Many hospitals have this type of resource so it is something to consider.

    DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

    Your doctor can be of more help than you realize and studies show that patients who actively get help from their doctor are more likely to be successful in quitting smoking. Be honest about your struggles and let your doctor give you advice. Doctors understand how nicotine affects the brain and they can give you some tips on how to resist your cravings naturally.

    IMAGE INSPIRATION

    image-inspirationWhile it sounds cliché, seeing images of what smoking can do to you can help to keep you motivated. Post a photo of smoking-related skin aging or blackened lungs somewhere in your home that you see every morning.
    This can help to stop you from lighting up, according to research from the UMDNJ School of Public Health.

     

     

     

    TWITTER QUITTER

    The University of California, San Francisco, looked at the relationship between quitting smoking and Twitter and found that Twitter can be a helpful tool. Getting peer-to-peer support on the popular social networking site helps people to stick to their quit date and resist the urge to go back to smoking. Twitter may also make you more accountable if you discuss quitting with your social media followers.

    THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

    There are over 40 apps you can download and use to work toward quitting smoking. These apps give you some structure, record your achievements, track your progress and post your progress to social media. This is a great way to keep yourself accountable and stay motivated by seeing how far you have come.

    HYPNOTIZE YOUR HABIT

    hypnotizeHypnosis is commonly touted as an effective way to help people quit smoking and for many people it is effective. How many sessions it takes ultimately depends on the person, but many people notice improvement in controlling their cravings after a single session. Just make sure to choose a skilled practitioner for best results.

     

    ANCIENT ART OF ACUPUNCTURE

    Acupuncture may help you to reduce your cravings. Research shows that this natural treatment may help to increase serotonin production so you feel happy and satisfied without lighting up. On average, the quit rate is about 30 percent higher in those who have at least six acupuncture treatments.

    SELF-MASSAGE AWAY YOUR CRAVINGS

    Many people smoke to keep their hands busy so if you do this in another way that produces pleasure, you can squash your cravings in their tracks. The University of Miami looked at those who performed a two-minute hand or ear massage when they were craving a smoke. Those who performed this type of massage had a lower risk of giving into their cigarette cravings.

    MINDFUL MEDITATION

    mindful-meditationThe act of meditation is relaxing and it allows you to focus. The University of Wisconsin looked at longtime smokers and how group meditation sessions helped them to quit smoking.
    They found that after eight sessions, 56 percent of longtime smokers were able to quit. On average, you should listen to 45 minutes of meditative music and other audio each day.


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