Your How To Quit Smoking Help SiteIt can be tough learning how to quit smoking without some help.

Image via WikipediaSome people are of the mistaken belief that using smokeless tobacco will help them to stay healthier than if they were to smoke cigarettes.

While certain problems relating to breathing difficulties that are associated with smoking cigarettes such as emphysema might not be prevalent with people who chew tobacco there are enough other health problems caused by chewing tobacco to warn anyone off this habit.

Surely the increased incidence of mouth cancer, receding gums, bad breath and teeth discoloration will discourage anyone from starting this habit.

If that is not enough then they might like to consider what it would be like to have cancer of the lips, throat and tongue. These are all health problems that are associated with chewing tobacco.

Smokeless tobacco is as addictive as smoking as it is made from the same tobacco plants and contains the very same toxins that create the addiction to cigarettes.

People who stop chewing tobacco get the same withdrawal symptoms as those who quit smoking.

People who chew tobacco do so for the same reasons that others smoke cigarettes. It can be comforting, make them feel good or relaxed. It can even taste good with the sugar and flavors that the manufacturers add.

Some people even think that smokeless tobacco helps them to perform better both physically and mentally. This hasn’t been proven in scientific studies and is a misconception that some people have.

What is of more concern to anyone who is considering smokeless tobacco or is trying to break the habit is the fact that over half of the people that use smokeless tobacco will eventually suffer from Leukoplakia.

Leukoplakia is the condition that is a precursor to mouth cancer and appears as a white sore or plaque in the mouth. This is often mistaken for a callus and is common for people who use smokeless tobacco so while they might not get lung cancer there is always the problem of cancer no matter what form of tobacco use.

The least of the problems you can expect is gum disease and all the associated problems that brings with it.

Image via WikipediaThere are several different types of nicotine patches on the market and they all give very similar results.

They work by releasing a specific amount of nicotine that is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream.

The brain receives the message that it is getting the nicotine that the body is craving.

The various brands have patches that come in a variety of strengths and the patch that you will start wearing will be determined by the number of cigarettes you would smoke during the course of a normal day.

As the nicotine is released at all times that the patch is worn some people might need to remove the patch at night as they won’t be used to receiving a supply of nicotine to the body during the hours that they would be sleeping.

Usually there are very few side effects although some people can experience headaches and nausea when they first start wearing the patches. Others might also get stomach upsets and possibly even dizziness although this is usually due to either a dose that is too high or the fact that the reduction of nicotine can cause some withdrawal symptoms.

The biggest problem that most people will have is skin irritations from where the patch is worn particularly if they have sensitive skin.

Patches can be bought over the counter now whereas in the past they were only available on prescription.

They can be quite expensive but this needs to be compared with the cost of cigarettes and also the ongoing expense of continuing to smoke both in the purchase of the cigarettes and the health expenditure than generally follows those who smoke.

People get very good results with nicotine patches and they are responsible for helping many people to break the habit.

Even with the help of the patches you still need to be ready to quit as that will determine your ultimate success or failure.

One word of caution is to never smoke when wearing a nicotine patch as the combination of the two sources of nicotine could cause the levels to reach a danger point in the body.

Image by tigerplish via FlickrThe tobacco companies are masters of marketing.  They will target groups that they want to introduce to smoking by associating smoking with the things that those people will consider to be cool.

They sponsor major music events because they know that there will be impressionable teens at these events and they will associate that brand of cigarettes with the musician and all the glamour that goes with the musical lifestyle.

They create characters that represent the type of person that other people would like to be. An example of this is the Marlboro Man. Even cartoon characters like Joe Camel are targeting people who associate that brand of cigarettes with all that is cool including money, excitement, fun and success.

Tobacco companies paint a picture with their advertising and offer people the dream of being part of that fantasy simply by smoking their cigarettes.

They are obliged by law to display warnings of the health hazards that are caused by smoking but counter them with massive advertising campaigns to overshadow those hazards with illusions of a better life.

Even sports events are sponsored by tobacco companies and when tobacco advertising is banned from specific sports they find loopholes to allow them to continue getting their message across or move on to other areas where they can still influence the same target market.

There is so much tobacco advertising all around us that sometimes we are unaware of how much we are exposed to it.

Even through the use of the motion picture industry, the tobacco companies get the benefit of promoting their products to massive markets when the action hero or other main movie characters are seen to be smoking.

Often the advertising is very subtle but it is always highly effective. Big money is spent on branding so even when the company names aren’t allowed to be advertised due to regulations the branded colors and graphics that are familiar to many people are still to be seen where required to maintain their presence in the marketplace.

Image via WikipediaSlipups are commonplace for most people who try to quit smoking. Statistics show that most people will try to quit smoking four to five times before they are successful.

This doesn’t mean that you should accept you will fail the first few times if you haven’t already tried. This information is worthwhile for you to know if you have made other attempts and failed as you can be assured that even with the prior slipups you can succeed as many other people have already done.

Any time that you relapse and start smoking again you will have learnt something. You will know what happened to cause you to start smoking again and this will strengthen your position to finally succeed the next time you try.

If you have a slip up and have a cigarette when you are trying to quit the first thing you need to do is immediately remove any forms of temptation so it won’t happen again. A slip up doesn’t mean that you will begin smoking again if you get back onto your program and don’t have any more cigarettes. Avoid the situation that caused the problem and if necessary avoid the person or people that encouraged you to have that smoke.

Maybe there are some other issues in your life that need attention such as reducing some emotional problems or stress that is a precursor for you to have a cigarette.

Maybe the process of quitting has made you feel somewhat depressed and you thought a cigarette would help you to cope with the situation when other alternatives would have given you the lift you needed.

Now might be a good time to add something else to your life that will help you to act and think more positively and reduce your dependence on cigarettes. Consider a fitness program to help release the endorphins that will make you feel as good as the cigarettes have been doing.

Maybe this will be a sign that other aspects of your life are where the real problem lies and lifestyle choices such as socializing and alcohol consumption might need to be curbed a little to get more of a balance in your life where you no longer feel the need for cigarettes.

These slipups can be turned around and used as steps to bigger things including quitting smoking and being able to have more control over more aspects of your life.

Image via WikipediaThe first step is to accept that you have a habit and then look at the reasons why you have that habit.

If you know the reasons you can then think of better ways to deal with those reasons.

The reason why you started smoking might not be the reason why you continue to smoke so you will need to look at your current situation and look at the things that make you want to smoke.

Large portions of the people who take up smoking do so to be accepted by others. After smoking for some time on a regular basis and with the added evil of the addictive nature of nicotine the original reason might have little bearing on the reason why you continue to smoke.

It might be that you now find some comfort in having a smoke or it makes you feel great when you have a smoke.

The next time you pick up a cigarette to smoke think about the things that made you want to light up.

Was it something that happened (and this can even be a particular time of the day such as breakfast)

Was it something that someone else said or did? Did you get upset or angry and feel the need for a cigarette?

You need to be honest and answer the questions before you can break the habit. Smoking is a habit and you can’t hope to quit if you don’t know what the habit is. It is no use simply saying that smoking is the habit as there are almost always triggers that stimulate the need for the next cigarette.

One of the best ways to break the habit is to refrain from smoking when you are faced with the situations or emotions that would normally cause you to smoke. Even if you delay the reaction to these events initially and wait a few minutes before having the smoke you will be going some way to breaking the habit. You will begin to gain back some of the control in your life that you lose each time you feel the need to smoke.

By separating the action of smoking from the event that usually causes the desire to smoke will break the smoking habit.

Image by stallio via FlickrOne of the problems that many people encounter after they quit smoking is the fact that they believe they will never smoke again and this feeling gives them the security to feel comfortable to have the occasional puff.

It comes as quite a surprise to find that even after a very long time there are receptors in the brain that are only too willing to react to the nicotine like it was yesterday and for many people this can result in a relapse to their previous habit all too soon.

It is simply not worth the risk to let this happen again after all you went through to get off the habit in the first place.

You will be risking all the repair work to your health and within minutes of taking that puff you could be headed back to the addiction of the previous habit.

Smoking habits all start with one puff and that’s how it all started for you in the first place.
It will happen more easily the second time because the receptors are there and they are always ready to invite back the nicotine.

There is no reason to prove to yourself or anyone else that you can have a smoke and not fall back into your old ways. You should remember the addictive power of nicotine and the fact that no one is safe to ‘test’ it without setting themselves up for disaster.

Consider yourself lucky to have managed to quit when so many are trying everyday to do the same. Your health will have been improving from the minute you quit and will continue to do so. For many people their long term health outlook will be as good as they would have expected had they never smoked at all.

Rather than having another test to prove something you will be better working at goals to improve your overall health on a daily basis with good lifestyle choices, good nutrition and sufficient exercise to maintain that good health into old age.

Image via WikipediaQuitting smoking is just like anything else that you would like to succeed at in life. You need a plan to follow and you need to do some planning beforehand to ensure than you can manage and succeed with the plan.

This involves making the process of not having a smoke easier to follow.

Obviously one of the first steps that you will need to take is to remove all possibilities of having access to cigarettes from the day you start your program.
You need to get rid of all the cigarettes you have in your possession.
Many people like to retain one pack of cigarettes as something to fall back on ‘just in case they need one’ but this is setting yourself up for failure before you start.
There needs to be no thoughts in your mind that you will even need another cigarette.

You should have also worked out what causes you to want to have a cigarette and be ready to avoid such circumstances or the possibility of such emotions when you start your process to stop smoking.

Avoid anything that will make you feel like having a cigarette and make arrangements to do things that will keep you occupied and help you to keep your mind off the cravings that are bound to happen.

Do things that will change your regular routines as this will help to break the habits that cause you to smoke.

Arrange to be with people who can offer you support and try to avoid those who are smokers as this can lead to unnecessary temptation. In the initial stages of your program you won’t want these temptations and socializing with certain people will need to be postponed until you are in a position where you can handle having them around without feeling the need to have a cigarette of your own.

Anything that you can do to make your life easier during this period will help you to get the results that you are after and ensure that you will be able to finally quit for good.

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), more people than those who quit heroin combined than those that quit smoking.

Megastar Ozzy Osbourne, who has been addicted to just about every drug in the world, stated once that of all his addictions, smoking was the most difficult to quit. Nicotine is an incredibly difficult drug to stop using, and ASAM cites it as having a very high relapse rate. Does this mean that you shouldn’t even try to stop smoking? Absolutely not! Many people have successfully stopped smoking and have never relapsed. With knowledge, willpower, and some good quit smoking tips, you can soon call yourself an ex-smoker.

Because of nicotine’s intense level of addiction, it’s hard to “go it alone.” See your physician for medical help to stop smoking. By reading and trying quit smoking tips, your chances for success will be very good. You won’t know if any quit smoking tips work unless you try them. The road will seem endless until you start walking.

quit smoking Tips That Work

First, change your routine. Smokers generally have a subconscious routine that is built around smoking. For example, when you drive to work and smoke two cigarettes on the way, take another route to work. If you enjoy an after dinner smoke, try getting up from the table immediately and wash the dishes. These quit smoking tips are a form of behavior modification. Smoking was a learned behavior for you; what is learned can be un-learned and replaced by other behavior.

Second, if you have a “slip” and smoke, don’t believe that you just can’t do it. An important quit smoking tip is to let yourself be less than perfect. All is not lost. It’s not important how many times you fall down; what is important is how many times you get up. Keep getting up, no matter what.

Third, smoking is linked to times of stress and anger. An import quit smoking tip is to take a stress or anger management class. You can find mental health centers that excel in these classes at little or no cost. Learning how to cope with stress and anger without smoking is an essential skill.

Finally, if you like to smoke at social occasions, an excellent quit smoking tip is to explain to your friends that you no longer smoke, and ask them not to offer you cigarettes no matter how much you tell them about why you need to smoke right now. Your real friends will stay true to your request for help.

For more quit smoking tips, there are many on-line sources of help. Yes, you can stop!

Smoking is a habit that is often hard to quit particularly for long term smokers. People may suggest 10 ways to quit smoking, but these will only work if you have made up your mind to do so. Conversely, if you are determined to quit you do not need to try 10 ways to quit smoking! However, everyone who wants to give up cigarettes has to work out a strategy which will guide him or her from the outset of the decision to stop smoking, till the stage of complete success.

The most successful of the 10 ways to quit smoking are those which help you to fight the temptation to smoke. Once you can get over the urge by any of the ways which work for you, it is half the battle won. You should consider all the options of the 10 ways to quit smoking and choose those that you feel will work best for you. It may take a bit of trial and error to choose the right ones from the 10 ways to quit smoking, but you will succeed even if you have tried to quit before and failed. What works for others may not work for you but something definitely will!

While you prepare yourself for quitting, avoid negative thoughts. Make a list of all the reasons why you want to stop smoking, and repeat one of them every night to yourself ten times. Start a gentle exercise program and increase your fluid intake. Make sure you take enough rest and are not overly tired. Physical and mental fitness are essential for any of the 10 ways to quit smoking to be successful. Be realistic in your expectations – it is not likely to be easy to quit smoking but thousands do so every day! Remember withdrawal symptoms last for only a week or two, so keep the effort going.

The Specifics of 10 Ways to Quit Smoking

1. Find a buddy. An important factor in your quit smoking program is to enlist the support of a friend or family member. Turn to them whenever you feel low and want to give up. Their encouragement will keep you going.
2. Find a partner. A spouse or sibling who smokes can often be a deterrent. Get him or her to quit with you. You can help each other beat the habit together.
3. Switch your brand in advance. Change to a low tar and low nicotine brand, or to one you find distasteful. This will make quitting easier.
4. Cut it down. Smoke only half a cigarette and throw it away.
5. Postpone the first one of the day. Put off smoking the first cigarette by at least another hour every day.
6. Drink water. Every time you want to light a cigarette, drink a glass of water, orange juice or milk instead.
7. Throw away all your cigarettes and matches and hide the ashtrays.
8. Take each day at a time. Once you have not smoked for a day, tackle the next one.
9. Keep yourself busy with exercise, entertainment or anything else to distract yourself. Spend time in places that do not permit smoking.
10. Most people smoke after a meal. Brush your teeth immediately and you will lose the urge to smoke.