I Will Quit Smoking - With determination anyone could do it! Quit Smoking today - It’s never too late!

It’s the first three days that people find the most difficult regardless of the smoking cessation method they’ve chosen. This is due to the fact that it is in those 72 hours when the nicotine leaving your body is felt the greatest. This can lead to feelings of irritabililty, fatigue, and a persistent headache - all perfectly normal symptoms of withdrawal.

The good news is that if you prepare mentally for your quit day, many of the symptoms will not make you feel like you have to lock yourself in a closet. Letting friends and family members know that today is your quit day (if you feel they would be a help and not a hindrance) would be a good idea and since it’s common knowledge about how people act when they stop smoking, you may just get the to house to yourself for the day.

Also keep in mind that you will be going through these trying times and have plans to work through them, should they arise. It can really nip withdrawal symptoms in the bud. It is helpful to have made a list of what you feel you may experience for symptoms of withdrawal. Some of the things that you may want to include on your list are:

Agitated or angry: Find something to do to take your mind off things. In solitude is probably best.

Feeling overly emotional or sensitive: Seek out somewhere you can be alone until the feelings subside.

Feeling tired: Rest and healing are needed to allow myself to heal from my addiction.

Feeling nauseated: I will go outside and get some fresh air.

After I eat I will: Find something to do so I don’t crave the ‘after-dinner’ cigarette.

Drinking lots and lots of fluids, especially water, is a great way to clear the nicotine from your system as the fluids will metabolize your body’s chemical stores. Side effects, at worse, are more frequent bathroom breaks and a water-logged stomach. The upside is that the faster the nicotine leaves your system, the sooner the physical symptoms will subside.

A few things can make the withdrawal symptoms stronger rather than weaker. Caffeine may be one of those. But not for all people. Every situation is unique. Best to judge for yourself. If you are finding that caffeinated drinks are causing you cravings, you should cut down drastically or quit altogether.

However, giving up multiple vices at once can also be very stressful. So be wary and maybe just cut back on the caffeine to start. But be sure to use plenty of water, juices and even milkshakes to kick start your system and get those withdrawal symptoms out of the way.

Another common side effect of quitting smoking is the inability to fall asleep or to stay soundly asleep. Regardless of how tired you might have been throughout the day, it seems like your mind won’t shut down for the evening and comfort is nowhere to be found.

Taking a nice hot shower or a soothing bath, just prior to going to bed can be very helpful and can help you become relaxed enough to fall asleep. Normally, this will only last one or two nights at the most, but if it becomes persistent, you may want to consider taking an over-the-counter sleep aid for a night or two. Your sleeplessness won’t last for long.

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Quitting smoking is not the first thing you should do; it is the last step of the journey, and it will happen on its own when you are ready for it. So, you need to concentrate on the preparation for quitting smoking rather than the act of quitting smoking.

Usually, the thought of quitting smoking comes up only when you confront a virtual threat like a health scare or the realization that it is taking a heavy toll on your body. The reason is not important; what is important is that you have taken the decision to quit smoking. This is a huge achievement; don’t spoil it by rushing to the end without walking all the way. You will get nowhere.

Preparation and education is the key to everything, including quitting smoking. You wouldn’t attempt to rebuild your car’s engine just because you bought a set of tools off the shelf, or sew a dress for your daughter’s wedding after picking up your first ever sewing machine, so please don’t think that you can buy an off the shelf smoking cessation aid and you are home free. You would have just as much luck getting your car’s engine back together properly as quitting smoking. Oh sure, eventually you might get it right, but why waste your efforts when the proper information is available to help you be successful the first time.

Scour the internet. Look at the available stop smoking programs and really compare them. Don’t just buy the first one you see. And make sure that the program you are buying is grounded in education and preparation about quitting first and supplements or cessation aids second. You should be encouraged to take your time to learn and prepare as opposed to placing your faith in a product that states that there is no effort required on your part.

Nothing is farther from the truth than such a statement. You cannot gain something for nothing. Your effort is most crucial. However, it is important to remember that quitting is the last step. It is the goal, not the path. But the truth is that the path is long and arduous and you need all your strength and determination to travel on it. Your success depends on how well you have prepared for the journey you are going to undertake. Quitting is the easy part - you just stop. So make sure you have all the information you need, before you try to quit smoking, and then there is no way you can fail to achieve your target of becoming a non-smoker.

To your lasting success,

Darren Warmuth

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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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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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If your roof needs repair, you gather all of the tools you need before you climb up the ladder. Why would you want to end up on your roof, ready to get started, and find that you did not bring all of the necessary tools along, and would have to start from the beginning again.

This example is just the same as the task of quitting smoking. Surely, when it comes to the decision to stop smoking, you are making a choice to repair your life and health on many levels. You decided to improve your appearance - have fresher breath and be confident when you speak to people. Without the proper tools in hand, the damage caused by smoking cannot be repaired.

Many experts have come to the conclusion, that the more tools the better. Some of the tools in your toolbox may be: Herbal Products. Nicotine Patches. Nicotine Gum. Smoking cessation program. These are just a few to mention. The more tools you have in your toolbox will greatly increase your progress and eventually lead to your success.

A journal will make your toolbox complete and the benefits keeping a journal are substantial. When you begin the process to stop smoking you should consider including a journal to your toolbox and making it part of your program. A toolbox is not complete until you add a journal to it.

First, The process of quitting cigarettes can be a very emotional experience. Anger, frustration, and anxiousness, can be experienced along with a wide range of emotions. Journaling gives you a way you can help relieve and let out some of these emotions that are related with quitting cigarettes.

2. Time spent on journaling can replace time spent on smoking. Enter your ideas and thoughts into your journal and spend the time doing something constructive and healthy instead of smoking.

3. Keeping a journal will show your successes and shortcomings. You can compare the two and concentrate on your weak moments. Journaling will track the whole process to stop smoking and help you stay away from lighting up

When you are done, there are so many other valuable and important benefits that coincide with keeping a journal. Chances are great that you will be very happy that you chose journaling as one of your tools when you committed to the smoking cessation process.

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All too often I hear statements like, “Once I have gotten rid of my stress, I am going to quit smoking” or “It’s going to be my New Year’s resolution” or “I could quit right away, if it weren’t for (fill in the blank)”. You know what I’m getting at.

First things first. Get out a notepad and spend some time writing down the exact reasons that are driving you to rid yourself of this habit. Then once you are done with that, turn the page over and jot down all the reasons (excuses) you might make to justify why you haven’t.

Just putting excuses down on paper so that they are something solid you can see is enough to make some people look at how silly they really are. For others, they may have to analyze their list of excuses and figure out why they believe these reasons to be true. Usually it is due to repetition. You’ve been telling yourselves for years that these are the reasons why you smoke, and if you tell yourself something enough times, eventually it will become an ingrained belief, whether it is the truth or not.

I’ve listed some of the more common excuses here, but ultimately it is your responsiblity to list EVERY reason you think keeps you smoking.

“I’m afraid that I’ll gain weight if I quit smoking.”

Really? Would you believe that it has been shown that we are better off healthwise to be 70+ pounds overweight than to continue smoking. Of course that doesn’t give us the excuse to binge. Yes it is true that some people do put on a few pounds when giving up smoking, however there is healthy alternatives to your diet which will help alleviate this. Just keep in mind to snack on healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, not chocolate bars and pretzels.

“Smoking makes me happy.”

If that were truly so, then chances are you wouldn’t be sitting there now gathering information on quitting, would you? Don’t worry. I’m not picking on you. I used to say the very same thing. Making statements such as this creates one major issue. And that is the fact that the more times you say it, the more you become to believe it. I’ve said it before. So time to come clean and be honest with yourself, is smoking really that enjoyable or is it just a fallacy you’ve convinced yourself to be true? What is it that you think smoking gives you? More money, better health and cleaner, fresher breath? Looking at it from that angle and writing down the answers will show you that you really don’t enjoy smoking that much at all.

Now don’t take those statements as viscious or cruel. In no way are they meant to be that way. What they are meant to be is a wake up call - and one that I needed as well. If, as smokers, we keep making excuses as to why we continue the habit, the outcome is that we will remain addicted to the nicotine. And the sooner we realize this reality, the easier quitting will be.

Trust in yourself and you’ll find that you already have what it takes to beat these lies.

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If you want to quit smoking - and truly quit, not just have it as some passing fancy - you must hold yourself accountable not only to yourself but others as well. The nicotine beast, other smokers and your subconscious can all be very persuasive threats on the road to quitting so this is why I so firmly advocate a solid support group of at least two or three other people. Five 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

Actually, its all about holding yourself accountable to others. If you have been off cigarettes for one week and then your mind comes up with some silly reason that you need a smoke. It will very cleverly convince all the dissenting voices trying to remind you of your resolve so that you become weak and break down before the urge and take a smoke.

However, if you had five loyal soldiers standing between the nicotine demon and you, it will be entirely different story.

The process

Set up a small support group for yourself whether it be via email, telephone, or a support forum. Tell these people your goal to quit smoking but also ask them not to pester you about it - just to be there when you need help and positive support. Use them for encouragement.

Now, with a support group in place, when you again encounter an overwhelming urge to smoke, you will have to get past not just your own guilty conscience, but you have to call these five people and 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 because you have to fight six sane voices 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.

To your success,

Darren Warmuth

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