Quit Smoking Help » Quit Smoking

Quit Smoking with the Power of Mind

Quit Smoking Author — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:52:12 +0000

Hypnosis is a widely used approach to dealing with many stress-related conditions and compulsive habits. It is a state of focused relaxation. In contrast to being asleep or just resting, this state allows one to loosen up, while concentrating on the problem to be solved. When under hypnosis, you lower the guard of your consciousness and unleash the subconscious mind. This releases you from the restraint that the conscious mind creates, and you stop judging and rethinking your thoughts. Once set free, the subconscious creates a world in your head, which is a mixture of fantasy and reality.
The trick is to give yourself in to the illusion that you are not smoking. The subconscious mind takes this as the reality and remembers it after you are out of the hypnosis. Technically, this is like resetting your system in order to alter your behavior. Statistics are in favor of this approach, measuring a 66% success. Even if it does not work hundred percent, hypnosis certainly reduces stress, which has a direct correlation with the urge to light up a cigarette.

You can use either self-hypnosis or a professional hypnotherapy. The former is harder to see the results of, since it requires practice. The idea is to relax and invoke images of your smoking-free future. A hypnotherapist can do that in a single or multiple-session programs. Recently, many people have chosen a combination, that is, a recorded program by a hypnotherapist, which you could listen to at home or while asleep. The biggest upside of this choice is that you can listen to it in the most convenient time, when you feel your mind relaxed.

Another helpful phenomenon is auto-suggestion. It refers to the process one applies to all ideas and perceptions in their subconscious mind. Simply put, you suggest to yourself what to think and how to think about it, thus controlling what goes through the conscious mind. If you train yourself to auto-suggest incentives for quitting, the practice will translate into results more quickly.

Quit Smoking, Save Your Lungs

Quit Smoking Author — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:15:45 +0000

Human lungs are paired organs inside the chest cavity which perform respiration. Their job is vital because they supply oxygen to the body. It has been estimated that each day, we take around 23,000 breaths and with each of them, our lungs supply fresh oxygen to our bloodstream which is carried to the cells.

Of all human organs, lungs are most directly affected by the bad habit: cigarette smoke is inhaled into them with each puff. More importantly, only ten percent of the toxic substances, contained within the cigarette smoke are exhaled, while the other ninety percent are deposited inside the lungs.

Would you believe if you hear that smoking has an artistic side: with every cigarette they lit, smokers add deadly brownish tones to the white canvas of their lungs. No?! Well, let’s see the bigger picture – imagine that each cigarette is a palette of carcinogens and other harmful substances, including tar. Seventy percent of the tar is deposited inside the smoker’s lungs, covering them with huge brown and black areas. These tars damage the cells in the airways of the smoker’s lungs. Eventually, the damages may lead to lung cancer or cancer of the larynx. To prevent this, the organism sends defense sells to tackle carcinogens, but these defenders are easily destroyed by the army of harmful substances in cigarette smoke. The dead defense cells then release substances which damage the lungs’ structure and cause a condition known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD.

Even worse, not only do smokers damage their own lungs by practicing the habit, but they also harm the lungs of the people around them. This phenomenon is known as passive smoking. Passive smokers also inhale the smoke from the burning tips of cigarettes, which contains even more of the harmful cocktail of chemicals than the smoke that has passed through the cigarette filter. People with asthma or other respiratory problems are most troubled by the passive smoking. Due to passive smoking, children whose parents smoke are more likely to develop lung problems.

If people quit smoking, this will save not only their lungs, but also the lungs of his or her loved ones and, last but not least, they will help the environment. It is clear that smokers, as a whole, have their share in the global air pollution.

Folk Methods to Quit Smoking

Quit Smoking Author — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:30:40 +0000

Folk, or natural, methods to stop smoking have been growing in popularity in recent years, acting as a real alternative to more common practices such as the use of nicotine patches and tablets or the utilization of electronic cigarettes.
Here you could find out about some of the best folk remedies to give up smoking:

St John’s Wort

This herb is one of the most often employed natural cures to quit smoking. Initially used as an antidepressant, it has been proved to help smokers fight off their withdrawal symptoms. Studies have estimated that one in every three persons, subjected to a 3-month treatment with the herb, has permanently quit smoking. Not only it has a relatively good success rate, but St. John’s wort is also a much safer remedy to stop smoking than those which utilize pure nicotine (i.e. the ones mentioned in the intro).
Nonetheless, it is advisable that you consult a specialist before beginning a treatment with the herb, as it may interfere with other over-the-counter drugs you are taking. Also, pregnant or nursing women or people with bipolar disorder should refrain from using it.

Lobelia

This herb, also known as Indian tobacco, has been used as a nicotine substitute for years. Its main substance, lobeline, is known to reduce nicotine cravings and calm down the bouts of irritation in the smoker.
However, high doses of the lobelia herb may cause vomiting, rapid heartbeat, convulsions or other adverse reactions. Therefore, you ought to consult a qualified health practitioner before you start a program with it.

Alkaline Foods

Eating foods with high level of alkalinity may help you give up smoking by changing the preference of your taste buds. Boiled oats, for example, have been used in India for centuries to treat various addictions. Apart from cooked wild oats, you may also want to try a diet with other alkaline foods such as spinach, raisins, figs, almonds, and beet greens.

Salt

As some ex-smokers testify, licking a bit of salt every time you feel like lighting a cigarette can help you break your habit within a month.

What Kind of Surroundings Help to Quit Smoking?

Quit Smoking Author — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:23:31 +0000

Although most people acquire the compulsive habit of smoking, because of addiction to nicotine, the majority start off because of their social surroundings. The common way is to light up out of curiosity and to continue doing it in order to be “cool.” In another situation, you could just get hooked up, because of you friends’ desire to be cool and your wish to be a rightful member of the group.

Of course, the habit becomes, soon enough, part of your own lifestyle and a way to overcome stress and challenging situations. In order to quit, you need to devote yourself to changing this lifestyle and reducing your stress unleashing factors. It is here that the circle closes – to do that you need to change your social surroundings.

It is true that quitting is your quest and the success depends on the strength of your will, but some help from friends and family might do most of the hard work. First of all, they must know you are quitting – both to refrain from tempting you and to check up on you. It is even better if you share your feelings and seek their advice, just to know that you are not alone in this effort. Also, if you go through the process with another “quitter”, you could support each other and achieve better results. However, it is important not to let yourself become too sure of the success. If your friends and family congratulate you too soon for a few smoke-free days, it might create an illusion of infallibility which easily leads to lighting up “just one cigarette.”

Another important environmental factor is your workplace. Although smoking is forbidden at most office spaces, the urge to smoke might be even worse there. Being used to loosen up and get rid of the stress with a cigarette, smokers find it hard to find another way of easing the pressure. Also, the short 10-minute breaks are often “sacred” to smokers and giving them up might seem like giving up the better part of the workday.

A Quit Smoking without Gaining Weight

Quit Smoking Author — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:03:20 +0000

The healthiest decision a smoker can make is to quit smoking. However many smokers, women in particular, due to the fear of gaining weight, continue to indulge in the harmful habit.

Weight gain, after quitting smoking, is quite common but luckily, it is avoidable. On average, most people gain about 2 pounds during the initial weeks after quitting, and around 8 pounds in total. There is a second group of people who don’t gain weight at all and still others who even slim down.
Weight gain that comes with quitting is related to increased appetite. Furthermore, the stomach begins to more fully absorb the food. Nicotine has the property of suppressing the appetite and once the body is devoid of its regular dose, people may feel excessive hunger. Moreover, smoking activates the metabolism. A pack of cigarettes per day equals to 250 calories. When a person quits, his or her metabolism inevitably slows down.
The right approach to avoid packing on pounds is to stick to a healthy diet and regular physical exercises. Once a person kicks the habit, he or she may often experience an urge to lit a cigarette, especially in the first few days. A glass of water and a selection of healthy snacks, such as apples, dried fruits, sugarless gum, or air-popped popcorn, is a great way to deal with the cigarette cravings.
In order to avoid unwanted pounds, it is essential to opt for a greater variety of fruits and vegetables and to increase the number of meals (4-5 small portions per day). Moreover, non-smokers-to-be should include larger amounts of protein – milk, eggs, fish, and chicken, along with carbohydrates such as whole grains, pasta, and rye bread.
Studies reveal that quitting smoking is easier when a person is engaged in some form of physical activity. Walking, jogging, and yoga are some excellent options. In addition, there is a breathing exercise which helps to reduce the appetite and the need to smoke: rapid breathing. Once you feel hungry or you have the urge to lit a cigarette, start to breathe more quickly as if after a long run. Do it for a couple of seconds, and you will feel relief.
All of the above come as handy tools in the fight against weight gain related to smoke cessation. And if you gain an extra pound, stick to your new lifestyle. The trade-off is worth it.

Electronic Cigarette

Quit Smoking Author — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:21:00 +0000

It is a well-established fact that the nicotine contained in the tobacco products is addictive for the person using them. Moreover, researchers have found out that nicotine is more addictive than heroine, crack, or cocaine, although this substance is far less dangerous.
In a bid to curb nicotine addiction on a global level, Beijing-based SBT (later SBT RUYAN) developed the first electronic cigarette in 2003. The battery-powered cigarette reached Europe in 2006 and had its promotion in Vienna. The new smoking cessation technology caught the attention of the world media in 2007, when a Reuters’ team visited the headquarters of SBT in Beijing.
Basically, the electronic cigarette is a more harmless alternative to tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes, because it provides users with inhaled nicotine doses by way of a vaporized solution. In addition, this vapor provides a flavor and sensations quite similar to that of the real tobacco smoke. Electronic cigarettes are usually designed to resemble real tobacco products and fall in two main types – manual and automatic. The manual models have a button to be pressesd in order to activate the heating element that produces vapor. The automatic models are equipped with a sensor which detects the user’s airflow when taking a puff and activates the heating element.
The nicotine solution is the “active ingredient” of each electronic cigarette. It consists of nicotine which is diluted in glycerin or propylene glycol. Nicotine solutions are purchased separately in the form of refillable cartridges (the mouthpiece of an e-cigarette). They are available in a varying flavors and diverse nicotine concentrations, the latter ranging from high doses of nicotine, through midrange, to solutions containing very low doses of nicotine.
Not only is the electronic cigarette much less harmless and environment-friendly, but it is also a highly effective smoking cessation tool: the results of a recently completed study, monitored by the government of South Africa, demonstrate that 45% percent of the 349 participants permanently gave up smoking at the end of the second month. Moreover, over fifty percent of the smokers who participated in the study reported increased energy levels and a considerable improvement in their appearance.
Researchers have also found out that ten or fifteen puffs on an electronic cigarette deliver the same amount of nicotine contained in an ordinary cigarette. Furthermore, each puff contains one third to one half the nicotine of an ordinary tobacco cigarette’s puff. Finally, the nicotine solution inside the cigarette’s cartridge is absolutely tobacco-free.
For the abovementioned reasons, researchers from different countries agree that electronic cigarettes are the best smoking cessation solution currently available on the market.

How Sport Might Help to Quit Smoking

Quit Smoking Author — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:27:42 +0000

Sports are very beneficial for one’s health and have been used as panacea in various cases. Their positive effect on people trying to quit smoking has been widely acknowledged. Practicing any kind of sport immediately breaks up your daily routine and creates the necessary drive for changing you habits. This does not mean that you need to become a national champion to quit. It is best to start slowly, with short walks, and gradually start regular gym sessions, basketball, dancing, soccer, or other practices.
For one, doing sports itself leaves you no time for smoking. This is the most evident way that sports prevail over smoking. You simply substitute a healthy habit for a detrimental one. It is not only weird to take out a box of cigarettes during your volleyball practice, for example, but it would compromise your physical aptitude. Moreover, sports alter your social life. It is less probable that you chit-chat over coffee and a cigarette with your gym buddies, since they would be striving for a healthy lifestyle, and you could help and support each other.
Besides being time consuming, physical activity tires the body, which makes you crave for rest in your free time, rather than a cigarette, which would additionally decrease your vitality. What one’s body needs after arduous strain, is plenty of oxygen and water. Since each cigarette shortens breath and affects the balance of chemicals in the brain, it is hardly an attractive option before your body recovers.
Another effect of doing sports is pure enthusiasm. The increased levels of adrenaline while exercising are accountable for that. Therefore, feeling refreshed and happy because of your healthy, active sports day might produce a certain sense of guilt if you light a cigarette afterwards. Also, it makes you feel that you sweat for nothing. This is the pronounced effect of sports on your lifestyle. If you are persistent, a pattern commences which revolves around putting sports before smoking each and every time. Once you have conformed your diet and daily routine to your sports activities, smoking is good to go.

Quit Smoking and Reduce Alcohol! Part-2

Quit Smoking Author — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:06:38 +0000

According to another study, the addicted to alcohol have more often problem with erection than those, who drink only from time to time. In small amounts the alcohol has emollient action and as a whole it is considered, that it has positive effect on the libido. In fact, it is a suppressant, which influence negative the libido. Besides, the alcohol decreased the ability of the men to support qualitative erection.

Some studies among teenagers were put into practice in connection with smoking. They lead to dreadful conclusions. They reveal that the cigarettes have catastrophically impact on the quality of their sperm. The addicted to tobacco teenagers are with with decreased reproductive abilities. They are put at risk of the inability to have children.

The men have full freedom to make their own decisions, which have to do with their sexual health. The right of choice is an important principle, which leads hard and serious consequences after itself. Even the youth energy can’t compencate the damages, which alcohol and cigarettes do to their sexual health. In the name of the sexual health and the satisfying sex, the men are in debt to make some self-sacrifice. The delicate question, which every man should ask to himself in this connection is if alcohol and cigarettes shouldn’t be part of those things, which have to be sacrificed in the name not only of the sexual, but also of the common health condition.

Quit Smoking and Reduce Alcohol! Part-1

Quit Smoking Author — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:56:21 +0000

Almost 40% of the men are having problems with their sexual health. Because the bigger part of them refuse to face the truth, the experts believe, that this percentage is far too high.

The dreadful risks for your health, like having high cholesterol level in your blood, high blood pressure or diabetes, are often reason for the impotence by the men. As part of the daily round, alcohol and cigarettes are the main factor, leading to problems with the sexual health. And exactly they stay most often imperceptibly. In fact, alcohol and cigarettes have negative impact on the normal circulation of the blood and affect direct the sexuality of the men.

The different studies in this field prove the direct dependance between the qualitative sexual life and the broken circulation of the blood. Although you have the suitable diet, the physical loading and the nutritional supplements increase the sexuality of the men by supporting and strenghtening their libido, production of sperm and sexual activity. But they don’t guarantee for positive results by men, who smoke daily and consume alcohol in big amounts. Besides, many men do drugs like cocaine, heroin and exstasy, which in addition break their circulation of the blood and physical stamina.

It is proven by scientific method that smoking reduce the number of the spontaneous erections by having a dream. These erections are one of the most important indicators for the quality of the circulation of the blood and the sexual health by the man. The experiments present that the abstention from smoking in the cours of only 24 hours leads to dramatic improvement of the quality of the spontaneous erections. It is unduly to say that the cigarettes have lots of other side effects. They increase the blood pressure and the risk for cancer of the lungs.

Тo be continued …