Stop Smoking

As a smoker, you've heard it all before: you need to quit smoking. If you stop smoking, you'll feel better, you'll look better, and you'll be much, much healthier. But it's a lot easier to talk about the ways to quit smoking then it is to actually put down that cigarette and kick your habit once and for all. If you're serious about quitting, then learn what you can do to get rid of those cigarettes for good.

Stop Smoking Programs

When you've been a smoker for a long time, it can be difficult to stop smoking on your own. While smoking cessation aids are definitely useful, sometimes what you need is a little bit of quit smoking support. Turning to friends and family for support is often one of the best ways to find that support. Lending an encouraging word, a shoulder to lean on, and an ear for listening when you feel frustrated, those closest to you can help keep you going. Yet, if they haven't had to deal with nicotine addiction or nicotine withdrawal, it can sometimes be difficult for them to truly understand what you are going through.

Nicotine is a powerful drug. In fact, when you are trying to quit smoking, getting over your daily nicotine fix is one of the biggest hurdles you'll have to overcome. Being surrounded by other people who understand what you are going through is one of the best ways to triumph over your smoking habit. Attending a stop smoking support group will allow you to be surrounded by others also struggling to quit. Aside from receiving moral support from these people, you will also be able to draw strength from their stories and how they are working to quit smoking for good.

Depending on where you live, there may be support groups already in place for those trying to quit smoking. Alternatively, you may want to consider joining a stop smoking program. Here you will not only find support groups but also advice on how to stop smoking as well as information on aids, like the nicotine patch, and professional help to ensure you succeed. If this type of program does not exist where you live, then turn to the internet; there are numerous stop smoking programs online that can give you the support you need.

Ways to Quit Smoking

Once you have a support system in place, you can begin to explore the different ways to stop smoking. Many will recommend going "cold turkey." While this method has been successful for numerous people, many others find it extremely difficult. If you are thinking of just cutting out tobacco completely from your life, you may want to look into buying some stop smoking aids, like nicotine patches, nicotine gum, or a nicotine inhaler. These tools can help curb your nicotine cravings, thereby allowing you to keep those cigarettes out of your mouth.

Perhaps you've tried going cold turkey and it just didn't work for you, so now what? If you're still wondering how to quit smoking, then consider some of these techniques:

  • Decide to Live Longer : Think about what happens when you quit smoking. As soon as you butt out that last cigarette, your body starts to repair all the damage you have caused it. Your lungs start to become cleaner, your ability to taste and smell significantly improve and you'll likely find it easier to breath. And that's just the first three days! By three months of that last cigarette, your circulation has improved and you'll likely be coughing and wheezing less since your lung function is 10% better than when you smoked. Within a year, your risk for heart attack is cut in half compared to smokers. In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer is reduced to half that of a smoker and in 15 years your risk of heart attack will be the same as someone who never smoked.
  • Get Hypnotized: While some remain skeptical of this technique, numerous people have been helped quit through stop smoking hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy does not involve making you "go to sleep" so you can squawk like a chicken. Rather, it allows you to enter a state of deep relaxation where you can tune into your subconscious mind; the area of your brain that works without you thinking about it. Through hypnosis and hypnotherapy, you can gain more control over your life and, in particular, your smoking.
  • Look to the Lasers: A new method used to help you quit smoking is laser therapy. For this technique, a specialist trained in stop smoking laser treatment uses a laser to help regulate your endorphin levels. Why your endorphins? Because it has been found that smokers often have higher levels of endorphins than non-smokers. When you quit smoking, your endorphins fall, causing you to experience withdrawal symptoms and cravings. By regulating your endorphins, these pitfalls can be avoided.
  • Know Your Habits: For many smokers, lighting up is often done out of habit rather than desire. Finding other ways to bide your time and keep your hands busy will help you break free from your smoking routines. So, if you're use to smoking right after a meal, go do the dishes right away. Always have one as soon as you get up? Why not start exercising to get your day started instead? By distracting yourself from when you think you should be smoking, you'll soon find that you don't need that cigarette after all.

Quit Smoking Once and For All
There is no way that is best to quit smoking; what works for one may not work for another. Some people are able to successfully quit on their first try while others require multiple attempts before they finally find a technique that works for them. When you want to quit smoking, it is often best to try a variety of methods. This will help you identify what will work best for you, assuring you a successful outcome.

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