I Will Quit Smoking – With determination anyone could do it!

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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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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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