If you want to really quit smoking, you must first be clear that you are serious about it, and it is not just a passing fancy. In order to test your resolve to quit smoking you should form a small support group that will be there for you when you start to feel weak and find it difficult to stick to your decision. After all, it is not easy to break a habit. You need to be answerable to yourself and others to be able to battle with the so-called nicotine beast, other smokers and your subconscious. They can all be very persuasive threats on the road to quitting. That is why it is absolutely essential to have a solid support group of at least two or three other people. If you can have five, it is even better.

Here the numbers are important because it is that much more difficult to get past five persons to succumb to an overwhelming urge strikes than it is to convince just one person ” yourself.

Being accountable to others in the group

It kind of works backwards to just being accountable to yourself. For example, let’s say you’ve been off cigarettes for a week and for whatever silly reason your mind has come up with, you figure you need a smoke. Well, before you can do that, you have to battle your inner demons and then live with the guilt that you have failed. But the nicotine beast, as I said, is very strong and you are only one person. Many people fall down at this point.

On the other hand, if you had five loyal soldiers standing between the overwhelming urge and you, then it would be an entirely different story.

The process

So, it is very essential that you set up a small support group for yourself either through email, telephone, or a support forum. Let your support group know of your goal to quit smoking and also what you expect from them. You dont want them to pester you every now and then; make that clear. All you want is that they be there for you when you need help and positive support. You will have weak moments, and it is at that time that you will need their encouragement.

Now, lets see what would be the scene when the overwhelming urge strikes you to have a smoke. Now, you will have to fight not only your own guilty conscience, but also get past five people. You will have to tell them that you have decided to start smoking again.

If you can do this much, you need not do anything else. They will do the talking and you just have to sit back and listen without getting angry or upset. Chances are that they will talk you out of your momentary weakness and encourage you to stick to your resolve. And it may not even take all five voices to convince you. However, if you can make it through all five members of your support team and you still think that you can do with just ‘one’ cigarette, then you must know that it is not just one ” it is always the first one that will get you.

The support system works so well only because of numbers; it is six times more difficult to convince six people (your support team plus you) against the ‘one’.

As I say, the more you know about quitting, the more successful you will be. So get all the information you need before you try to quit. It’s much easier, believe me.

Happy quitting,

Darren Warmuth

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The whole idea behind nicotine replacement therapy is that it gives your body a small amount of nicotine to help curb the cravings. This small amount helps to keep the withdrawals to a minimum. Keep in mind though that nicotine replacement therapy will cause you to go through withdrawals twice. First when you quit smoking then when you stop the therapy. You do not need to see a doctor to get this form of therapy.

Many people can find this very difficult, especially the second time around as that old familiar edgy feeling comes back and you basically have to go through a milder form of withdrawals for the next three days. People aren’t really prepared for that second wave of withdrawal and often have a hard time letting go of the nicotine replacement therapy. Those that can, have made a very important step to becoming smoke free and changing their lifestyle.

Nicotine replacement therapy comes in many varieties; the patch is the most common. Usually you will start with a higher dose and steadily decrease the dose over a 6 to 12 week period. Please note that the amount of nicotine delivered over th 24 hours often exceeds what the body can handle and can produce side affects.

The feeling of nausea and breaking out in a cold sweat is one of the side effects associated with using the patch. Often, this is an indication that the dose of the patch you are wearing is too high for your system and you can either try a lower dose patch the next day or it might be wise if you to look into a different form of nicotine replacement therapy. Although many people have used this with great success, everybody’s body chemistry is different and yours may not be adapted to this form of nicotine replacement therapy.

Now there are several forms of nicotine replacement therapy, and things have come a long way from simply just being a patch. There’s nicotine gum, that I must say has improved in flavor immensely, long gone is that pepper taste it is left lingering in your mouth. Today comes in several fruit flavors that you can actually chew without feeling like you’re going to throw up. You set your own dosing schedule, which is based on your own withdrawal symptoms.

Another therapy option is the nicotine lozenge, which you can find in a number of flavors. It delivers a low dose of nicotine to your system as it slowly dissolves in your mouth. You are in control of the dosage which you can adjust according to your withdrawals. Normally you can allow 2 to 4 hours in between tablets. You will experience some type of secondary withdrawal symptoms when you wean yourself off of them, but it’s worth it when you know that in the end you can be smoke free.

Another method of nicotine replacement therapy is the nicotine inhaler. It is a good method for anyone who needs to have something in their hand, a common problem among smokers. The inhaler sends a low dose of nicotine to your system which helps deter the cravings. I do not have first hand experience with the inhaler, but I have heard from several people who have been successful with it.

The majority of nicotine replacement therapy options is available without prescription nowadays and can easily be picked up at your corner drugstore or supermarket. The advantage would be, not having to have the added expense of going to the doctor, but you still have to expect to pay quite a bit even over the counter. And many of the products have an online support system available along with several forums, in which you can receive support from other people who are also using the product and trying to quit.

The side effects of nicotine replacement therapy can vary from insomnia to headache to nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. Some of these side effects can be temporary, but if they are too much for you, you should consider lowering your dosage or changing to another form of nicotine replacement therapy. You might also want to try a non-nicotine based medication.

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A very misunderstood relaxation and self-help subject is hypnotherapy. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for this misconception is the prevalence of stage hypnosis and the relative obscurity of self-help hypnosis. During all stage sessions, participants are pre-qualified, and only the most suggestible subjects are actually brought onto stage for the performance.

Another popular misconception is that some believe a hypnotist can make them do uncharacteristic things that would embarrass them. The fact is that a hypnotherapist can’t make you do anything that you don’t want to do, or are incapable of doing. The subjects performing outrageous acts on stage are uninhibited and outgoing by nature, and that’s why they’re on stage in the first place.

Hypnosis is little more than guided relaxation, nothing more. That’s it. It’s not a paranormal therapy, but it can be very effective for certain participants when used for self help purposes. The objective with hypnotherapy is to alter your state of consciousness so that you’re brain is more open to suggestion. The hypnotherapist can then speak some pre-approved affirmations that will be more readily accepted by your brain.

Another way to look at hypnotherapy is that it’s positive self-talk or positive affirmations made when the mind is relaxed. So there should be nothing mysterious about hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply an approach to lead your body and mind into a relaxed state and clear your mind of distractions so that it can focus on the affirmations being said.

Some people are more suggestible than others and some people are naturally averse to hypnosis altogether. About one out of five people will likely be resistant to hypnosis, but others will be able to implant positive messages into their subconscious, relax, and put themselves to sleep.

Smoking in particular is a good candidate for hypnotherapy because much of the addiction is psychological, and that is an area the self-hypnosis can help you address. After all, smoking, aside from the nicotine, really has little to offer the body, so an open mind should be able to quickly push aside cravings when the curtains are pulled back.

At the very least, hypnosis will help you balance yourself, relax, and lower stress levels. If you are a smoker, a hypnosis smoking cessation program might be exactly what you need, and you can safely participate in one without worrying about clucking at odd hours of the day!

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It looks like a cigarette, feels like a cigarette and even smokes like a
cigarette.  The difference is that it doesn’t contain any tobacco.

The e cigarette, also known by it’s other names such as the electronic
cigarette and electric cigarette is one such device designed to give
users the nicotine hit of a cigarette but without all the usual toxins
absorbed when inhaling smoke.

It is the latest invention in a line of quit smoking products which are
designed to facilitate a user’s Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).  NRT
works by helping the user quit smoking by introducing nicotine into the
bloodstream without the use of cigarettes.  Products in the past have
consisted of nicotine being injested orally through gum or absorbed
through the skin through patches.  The main problem was two-fold, first
the nicotine hit took minutes to arrive, and in a smoker who is trying
to quit, a few minutes can often seem like a few hours.  Secondly,
smokers often get addicted not just to the nicotine, but also the habit
of holding a cylindrical tube and putting it in their mouth.  The e
cigarette is designed to solve these problems by both looking and
feeling like a real cigarette, while also giving the user a nicotine hit.

It achieves this by using a small battery powered atomizer contained in
the e cigarette to turn a small amount of liquid nicotine into vapour.
The user receives the nicotine effect within seconds rather than minutes
as it is with gum or patches.  To complete the illusion of being a
cigarette, the device contains a small LED light at the tip which glows
red when the user inhales.

The vapour dissapates within seconds and does not have the same harmful
effects as smoke does to both the smoker and others around him.

Smokers have also been using the e cigarette to get past smoking bans
present in their countries.  The UK for example, has in recent years
introduced a smoking ban preventing people from smoking indoors in
public places such as pubs and clubs.  Since the e cigarette does not
contain any tobacco or flame, it is not subject to these restrictions
and can legally be used anywhere.

Unsurprisingly, like any new, popular product, it has been victim to
cheap imitations which pose a health risk to the user.  These imitations
have not been subject to the same stringent health and safety tests as
the official brands which has caused concern to health officials.
People planning on purchasing an e cigarette are advised to do their
research and find out more before making an informed decision on which
brand to buy.

About the author: David Benson is the webmaster of an
e-cigarette information site.

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Although interrelated in many ways, NLP and hypnosis are two very different concepts. Hypnosis is more of an art while NLP is more of a science. NLP or otherwise known as Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a method used by many psychotherapists to change people behavioral patterns. This approach has been widely adopted within the field of psychology.

The techniques of NLP find great usage in fields such as business and industries. It is also greatly used by advocates in various training activities, workshops ad also knowledge dissemination program. These workshops are essentially used in order to influence the other person’s views and perception. The underlying principle here is that with the acquisition of new knowledge and ideas there are also suitable change and modifications in a persons attitude and behavior.

Hypnosis is also a means that is used to influence the mind and the behavior of a person, but this process is highly unconventional, but none the less popular. Hypnosis generally targets the person’s subconscious. In this a person is commanded to perform actions, in a state of half sleep. In such a state of mind, the mind is more conducive to the obeying and accepting external demands from a third party. Unless recently, it was often regarded that hypnosis was like dealing with psychic. But of late this perception has entirely changed. Now hypnosis is treated with utmost scientific approach, according to the new study, we face hypnotic trance almost daily in our lives. You yourself must have experienced hypnosis while watching scenes in a movie or television.

Now the question that arises is, can we combine the two alike process NL and hypnosis? And if yes, what will be the significance? The answer is that the mixture of these two principles will lead to a better facilitation of knowledge and skill dissemination. In fact, there are many training sessions that involve the techniques of both the processes. By combing the two processes we can actually control the conscious and the sub-conscious state of mind. The end result of the combination is almost always positive.

While NLP, deals with the conscious mind, hypnosis achieve behavioral patterns changes by working on the subconscious mind of people.

If one is planning to conduct a workshop based on using both these techniques, it is imperative that you enlist the aid of those who are professional in these areas. Hypnosis is a very sensitive and delicate subject matter and as such it is crucial that those who are targeting people’s subconscious mind knows what they are doing and dealing with. Although, this may call for more investment and research to find the suitable professional, it is necessary that you do so because of the ethical issues involved.

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There are various ways to quit smoking or stop smoking tips that are available for a smoker to consider and choose from. But remember that there are many different approaches and the best method for one person may not be the best method for another. It is entirely up to an individual smoker to look at the various options and decide on which one suits him or her best.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

NRT is the use of various forms of nicotine delivery methods intended to replace nicotine obtained from smoking or other tobacco usage. It allows one to withdraw from nicotine by gradually reducing the amount of it in each dose. It provide a measured dose of nicotine to help ease the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

NRT are available as nicotine gums, patches, inhalers, tablets, lozenges, and sprays. It is necessary with all types of medication to follow the doctor’s orders and use the products only as prescribed and/or according to labeling. If a person feels that gradually stopping NRT is very hard, he or she should speak with a doctor.

Stop Smoking Programs

To have the best chance of success in quitting, you need to know what you are up against, what your options are, and where to go for help. The stop smoking programs are strong as the ultimate aim of these programs is to reduce and cut the addictive nature of the smokers. There is a strong link between how often and how long counseling lasts and the success rate.

Quitting smoking is challenging, and having the right people around you can make all the difference. Stop smoking programs are designed to help smokers recognize and cope with problems that come up during quitting. Studies have shown that the best programs will include either one-on-one or group counseling.

Stop Smoking Herbs

Stop smoking herbs have become very popular among the smokers as a method to quit smoking. Compare to other quit smoking methods, stop smoking herb is more healthy natural way. Moreover, you can these stop smoking herbs through the over-the-counter easily.

Combination of the right herbs can be very effective in helping you to stop smoking. For instance, you can purchase calming herbs that help you deal with the stress of quitting, or you can purchase herbs that help with your irritability, depression or moodiness. These herbals are even more powerful if you combine them with other natural ways to quit like acupuncture or hypnotherapy.

Finding the right ways to help you quit smoking is as individual as you are. Most people try to quit smoking several times before they kick the habit for good, so do not beat yourself up if you start smoking again. You need only the right determination to come out of various addictions.

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If you have reached the point that you are desperately looking for help to quit smoking, the simplest advice would be to just quit. However, things are not as simple as that. It is easier said than done. And, this advice can come only from non-smokers or who have never successfully quit themselves.

So here is my advice - from a smoker of twenty years and a non-smoker of ten.

It doesn’t matter if you want to quit because you have smoker’s cough; a serious health scare; desire a better environment for your children; or just want to quit for yourself because you know it is the right thing to do - the absolute first thing you must realize is that the desire to quit alone is not strong enough for most people - 97% in fact. I know you are desperate. I know you want to quit right now and at this moment, and I feel your pain. But I beg of you, don’t do it!

The first step you need to take is to try and remove all emotion from the process. You should treat this clinically. Just as a doctor would look at the problem objectively, diagnose it and treat it accordingly without bringing in any emotion, you need to create a distance between your self and your habit. Your anger or desperation will not see you through the quitting process.

You may want to quit because you have smoker’s cough; a serious health scare; desire a better environment for your children; or just want to quit for yourself because you know it is the right thing to do. Look at your reasons and write down all the emotions and reasons you want to quit. These reasons will help you on your journey to becoming a non-smoker.

Use your reasons instead to help you on your journey to becoming a non-smoker; your emotions will only keep you wound up.

Note your reasons for quitting and then strengthen them with information. Search the internet for as much useful information as you can find. The more you know about the task at hand, the less hold the nicotine monster will have over you. Information will prepare you for all the hurdles on the way so that you are strong enough to face them and overcome them.

And, for heaven’s sake, don’t stop here. Once you have got the program, please use it!

Buying a program and then leaving it in the package will do nothing other than keep you smoking because you have a stop smoking kit available that you will ‘get to someday’. Someday is too late. Get the information you need - order a program - and use it. You’ll be glad you did.

You’ll be glad you did because it is the first step that is the most difficult. Once, you have taken the first step you will sail through the rest of the process.

Happy journey,

Darren Warmuth

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Apart from being used to change behavioral patterns for the treatment of certain problems of patients, hypnosis has also been used for entertainment. When used in this form, it is called a hypnosis show. The effects of the trance in a hypnosis show only lasts as long as the performance is. There are no permanent effects.

While performing hypnosis in front of a large number of people it is important that the hypnotist chooses his topic wisely. He has to be extremely careful about picking up people from the audience to put in a trance. Once the person is in a trace, the hypnotist can plant any idea or suggestions in the mind o the said person.

Just like when hypnosis is used for therapy, for the hypnosis show, the hypnotist also requires the total cooperation of his volunteer for him to be able to put the volunteer under a trance. To help the hypnotist pick out suitable candidates for his show, he has to choose those who will listen to his command. By using a process call induction, he can tell from the audience who are more susceptible to his command. For example, he will ask the audiences to close their eyes and listen to his command. From this action, it is easy to see the willing participants from those who are not cooperative.

Members of the audiences who are not susceptible to the Hypnotist commands will be alert within the audiences. From this, the hypnotist will not select those who are resistant to his commands as volunteers.

The actual stage performance of the hypnotist starts when he starts to call upon the volunteers on stage. There are certain techniques that the hypnotist uses to call upon the willing volunteers. One such trick is to arrange lesser number of chairs than the number of people actually required. This will help in creating a competition amongst the audience to participate in the show.

When the hypnotist puts all the volunteers under a trance, he will be able to make them anything by commanding them. While under a trance, the volunteers are totality susceptible to the commands of the hypnotist. If the hypnotist wishes the volunteers to act out that they are drunk, then the volunteers will follow as commanded. Or if the hypnotist wishes the volunteers to pretend that they are aliens conversing in a strange tongue, the volunteers will do so as well. Once the show is over, the volunteers will come out of the trance with no effect at all.

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Chantix has been found to be one medication that has finally helped people to quit smoking when others have failed. Working like a nicotine blocker in the brain, it attaches itself to the nicotine receptors and blocks its absorption. And because there are fewer feel good receptors that the nicotine can freely attach itself to, it lessens the desire you have for a cigarette.

Using this method has helped many people quit without difficulty. Not only that, it has helped a lot of them quit without severe withdrawal symptoms. Even long term, multiple pack a day smokers have found themselves to be successful. One thing you need to do however, is first check to see if your insurance company will cover the cost as many nowadays are reluctant to pay for smoking cessation products.

Over a period of two weeks you are prescribed starter pack that will build up the medication levels in your system. Since Chantix is not nicotine based, it is not necessary for you to quit before taking it.

With this in mind, it is important that you pick a day to quit somewhere towards the end of the two weeks, however there have been some who actually extend this up to three weeks, which allows the medication in their system to build up even further.

Several side effects to Chantix have been recorded. Naturally they vary from person to person, but are normally short-lived. These effects can be anything from headaches, excessive gas, nausea or in some notable cases, extremely vivid dreams.

The support with Chantix is also quite good with a free online system that begins even before you start to take your medication. This includes daily e-mails updates and stop smoking projects designed to help keep your efforts going in the right direction.

Chantix is not for everybody and although it is a very promising medication, some people have more of the psychological addiction to nicotine, than a physical one. In the latter case Chantix could work very well and does offer some behavioral support. However if you have more of the psychological addiction to nicotine Chantax may not be the right medication for you and your doctor may recommend a different medication better suited to your needs.

Whatever you do, do not think that Chantix, or any other stop smoking aid for that matter, is the magic pill that is going to make you quit. Only medications used with a strond desire to quit have a chance of being successful. The medications, Chantix included, are only there to give us an edge in quitting, not do it for us.

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First of all, just talking about relapses can be dangerous because once the thought of slips enters the mind it is difficult to get rid of it, and you unconsciously will it to happen. Have you heard the story of a boy trying to learn cycling? He was so scared of hitting against the stone on the road that on a wide road he saw only the stone and banged right into it.

If you are thinking about quitting smoking, do not make plans for, nor allow for any ’slips’, ‘just ones’ or any ‘accidents’ for that matter. The old saying goes - ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ but I would also like to add to that the advice of ‘If you plan for slips or accidents, you are more likely to have one as opposed to if you adamantly tell yourself that there will be no allowance for moments of weakness.’

Having said that, it does happen, so here is what I recommend you do. Chastise yourself until you feel completely guilty. Realistically I don’t have to tell you this part because you will automatically do it to yourself anyway. Then once you have raked yourself over the coals, contact your support group (you do have a support group, don’t you?) and let them know what has happened. Use their strength to rebuild your resolve.

If by chance you have had more than one ’slip’ or have repeated ’slips’, it is time to be honest with yourself. I know that a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but please don’t send me any letters because I have probably spoken to more smokers and non-smokers about this subject than most people. My advice is this. Stop trying to fool yourself into thinking that these occasional slips are fine and are just part of the normal quitting process - they aren’t!

You have to be continuously vigilant for these slips otherwise you will eventually start smoking as much as you used to smoke, if not more. Whether you like to believe it or not, this happens every time.

Don’t try to sweep the slips under the carpet. Look them straight in the eye. If you allow them to happen time and again, you will end up smoking more than you used to smoke This is the sad truth, like it or not.

Be strong, stay strong and be Free!

Darren Warmuth

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