Archive for May, 2009
Success Rates in Quitting – All About Quitting Smoking Success Rates
Success rates in quitting, especially on first attempts, are generally really low. In fact, studies have shown that only 5-8% of those who attempt to quit without any help succeed and the rest totally fail. There are many reasons why success in quitting is at this low percentage. Sometimes, first time quitters cannot do it on their own and they lack information on how to get help. There are also cases that they do get help, like going through nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), but they end up choosing a method unfit for them and so they still fail.
A higher percentage of success registers for those who attempted to quit and used medicines or the correct method of NRT. About 25-33% of these smoking quitters have been successful and have remained quit for at least 6 months. This result also shows that combining medicine and therapy could work better than having medicine or therapy alone as a help tool. The support from family and friends and some behavioral therapies also contributed to the success in quitting.
There are certain groups that offer stop smoking programs and classes for those who are serious in their desire to quit smoking. These programs help a smoker deal with his nicotine addiction and the mental and physical aspects of withdrawal symptoms. These programs often have a number of sessions and do one-on-one or group counseling for quitters. Unfortunately, these stop smoking programs don’t get as much positive results, which means they still don’t get a high percentage on successful quitters.
Your success in quitting greatly depends on your commitment to really give up your smoking habit. No matter how much help you get and how much medicine you take, if you are not serious in achieving your goal, then you’re just an added point on the percentage of those who failed. No one will tell you that quitting is easy because it really is not and it requires a massive amount of self-discipline and self-control.
Success rates in quitting and the fact that it is quite low should not be made a reason for you to continue your smoking habit. Remember that most of those who have quit and stayed quit did not achieve their status with just a single attempt. They have gone through so many tries before they finally got to quit. Set an example for your family and friends and show them that you care about your own health and those of the people around you. So the next time you set your mind and body to quit smoking, stick with your decision until you reach your final destination.
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Smoking Cravings – Types of Cravings Associated With Smoking
The hardest thing for a smoker to deal with after he decides to quit are his smoking cravings. This almost uncontrollable desire to smoke again when you finally decided to stop tops the reasons why most smokers fail on their battle against smoking. It seems impossible to deal with your cravings, but if you know why they happen and how you can equip yourself against them, chances are you will be successful in your attempt to quit.
Cravings happen for many reasons. The most common cause for them is the withdrawal symptoms brought about by the lack of nicotine in the body. At this stage, your cravings are at the most difficult to control as withdrawal symptoms can affect a smoker physically and mentally. Symptoms at this time include severe headaches, trouble sleeping, irritability, lack of focus and attention, anxiety, and even sudden increase in appetite. These symptoms manifest in a come and go manner which usually lasts for up to a month or maybe longer. The important thing to remember is that they will eventually go away and so you do not need to satisfy your craving or else you will go back to step 1 or even fail in your mission.
Another type of craving is the kind associated with your habits. After how many years of smoking, lighting up a cigarette seem to come naturally for you. Your daily routine or any simple activity might become instances when you want to smoke. Examples of habits that remind you of smoking may include driving in your car, when you have just finished a meal, while taking alcoholic beverage, talking on the phone, or just because you are bored. These simple activities can be detrimental to your commitment to quit if you allow yourself to smoke again just because you’re used to doing it. Like the first type of craving, this type to will not last forever so just make sure to have enough self-control and discipline.
Finally, your smoking cravings are also triggered by the memories of the times you used to smoke. There will be times when you will be reminded of the pleasant feelings and relaxing moods you had when you were still able to light a cigarette. Of all the cravings, this type will usually last for the longest time, although it can be the easiest to deal with. The trick is to not get caught up in the pleasantries that smoking has given you. Remember that you chose to quit because you want to start living a healthy life and you want to preserve your family’s health as well. Have the courage and the strength to keep your promise of quitting to prevent smoking from killing you.
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What Media Contributes to Encourage People to Quit Smoking
The media’s role in banning smoking has been very important as it remains to be the most effective way of putting messages across which encourage people to stop smoking. From print, television, and radio, they all contributed to the idea of slowly making smoking an unaccepted habit especially in public places. Although it is quite an expensive mode of advertising, it allows the message to stop smoking be seen and heard by people around the world.
When we see advertisements on TV with anti-smoking themes, they also put up numbers that you can call if you are serious in quitting smoking. This can encourage more smokers to quit since they will be able to get help on their quitting process. Smokers used to reason out that they don’t know where to get help in quitting that is why they end up failing on their attempts. Now that different groups that cater to smokers who want to quit and even the government have taken steps to put up messages against smoking, they will have significant effects on the whole smoking population.
The message against second-hand smoke that was launched in all forms of media was a hard-hitting message all over the world. In England, the legal age to smoke was raised from 16 to 18 and smoking was considered to be an adult activity which children should not participate in. Through the ads, people were able to realize that smoking not only kills the person smoking but as well as the children and other non-smokers that get to inhale second-hand smoke. Immediate action prompted other governments as well to control smoking.
Since media has been giving smoking a negative impression, it has also increased the people’s awareness of the health risks that it brings. This is why smoking is now banned in most public places and more and more of the smoking population are now considering quitting to be able to enjoy social events like non-smokers do. Statistics of tobacco-related illnesses have somehow declined slowly and this shows that putting a ban on smoking is working.
The media’s role in banning smoking has been one of the most effective campaigns. The habit of smoking is slowly becoming unacceptable and at some places, even considered as impoliteness to the people around you. Some medical practitioners have also declined to treat smokers and life insurance providers have raised their premiums on their smoking clients. There are even cities in the world that do not allow people to smoke except when they are in their own homes. These results show that media is still the strongest means of spreading information on the dangers of smoking.
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How to Quit Smoking – Your Own Motivations to Stop Smoking
Smokers would often wonder how to quit smoking when they are hooked on their nicotine addiction. For them, how could they let go of something that they have grown to love and has been a part of their life for the longest time? Will they be able to stand living without cigarettes and let go of smoking? The answer does not rely on other people or on any help that they can get. It is still in their own hands if they are dead serious and determined to kiss smoking goodbye.
The most important step in quitting smoking is for the smoker to have the desire and determination to quit. They must want to stop so bad to have an effective motivating factor in their battle against nicotine addiction. They must be honest in their will to stop smoking so that they can continue with the process of eliminating it in their life completely. If they go through with it half-heartedly, then it’s almost guaranteed that they will fail.
Make a list of benefits (if there are any real benefits) that you can get from smoking. On the other hand, list down as many disadvantages too that you can get from the same activity. After doing so, compare both lists and see which outweighs the other (isn’t it obvious!). You may also want to list the reasons why you are quitting. It may include wanting to live longer or wanting to save money or even setting a good example for your children. Always keep your list handy as they may help in times when you badly want to smoke again.
The key to eliminate thoughts of smoking in your head is finding some other alternative activities that would keep you from thinking about smoking. Give more time to physical activity and change your routines if it is what it takes for you to stay away from cigarettes. For instance, if you’re used to smoking before you sleep, then do some exercise before sleeping instead so that you’ll eventually tire out and go to sleep without smoking. You can also replace your early morning smoke with a dose of heavy jogging or walking. They can definitely keep cigarettes out of your mind and reach.
There is no easy way on how to quit smoking. Smokers should try their very best to turn their love for nicotine into disgust! If you really feel the urge to smoke, buy the least quality of cigarette that you really hate so that it won’t satisfy you anymore. The way to success is not easy, but it is never impossible.
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Stop smoking in twelve weeks
Smoking! The worst thing I ever did was start smoking and the hardest thing I’ve ever did was stop. Nicotine is probably one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. I’ve spoken to former heroin addicts who said giving up heroin was easier than stopping smoking. Smoking related diseases are the biggest killer in the UK, and costs the tax payer a fortune. So why doesn’t why doesn’t the government ban smoking? 9.3 billion pounds in tax revenue is the answer, its a lot of money.
So what are the options if you want to stop smoking? Will power..will power alone is the hardest way to pack in smoking, any one who smokes will know what I am on about. Then theirs the gum and lozenge’s they do work but the down side that I found was that I became addicted to them, and had a battle giving them up, after all they are nicotine. Every one is different and different products suit different people and I can only speak from my own personal experience.
I stopped smoking using another method, basically a course of tablets that lasted about 12 weeks, they work by tricking the brain into thinking its had a dose of nicotine and the best part is they don’t contain nicotine, there are a few side effects though, I had a banging head ache and a dry mouth from time to time, but they are not as bad as the side effects of smoking. I have stopped smoking now for 9 months and so far so good. I feel a 100% healthier now,it took a bit of will power but the end result was worth it. ”Good luck on giving up”. Find out how
To find out how i gave up smoking visit http://impotence.gb.com Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/stop-smoking-in-twelve-weeks-934210.html
Electronic Cigarette Sales Are On the Mount
It might be said that the electronic cigarette is the best product that has ever came along for those who smoke. It has many undeniable advantages over traditional tobacco cigarettes and lot smokers are just now finding that out. Smoking cigarettes is one of the most difficult habits to give up and so many who smoke have tried time and time again unsuccessfully to stop. The electronic cigarettes is not being marketed as a tool to help you stop smoking, but rather as an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes; even though the electronic cigarette does deliver doses of nicotine like many stop smoking aids do. The decision and will power to quit smoking is as always in the hands of the smoker.
If you are tired of paying the outrageous prices for a pack of cigarettes today, the electronic versions are more affordable. They deliver the same smoking satisfaction without the tar associated with tobacco products that are burned. Electronic cigarettes have no carcinogens at all because nothing is burned. The nicotine solution is only heated by the atomizer that is activated by a rechargeable battery stick when you inhale. The smoke that is exhaled is really just water vapor. It is less harmful to others if it is harmful at all, than second hand smoke from regular cigarettes.
There have been numerous studies done on the Electronic Cigarette and so far most of the findings have been that they appear be less harmful because of one fact alone, and that is the lack of the thousands of harmful chemicals that are in tobacco cigarettes. This fact however, is still being debated and not all researchers agree that electronic cigarettes are any better for you physically than tobacco cigarettes. That aside, there are advantages over tobacco cigarettes that are plainly obvious.
There is no bad odor from electronic cigarettes, as well as no tar residue in your body or your surroundings. They can be much more convenient to use for a smoker because there is no lighting involved. An artificial glowing red tip is as close to a fire as you get with an electronic cigarette. They will not burn anything. You can lay them down wherever you like with no worry of starting a fire. It is the numbers of filters that have to be disposed of is significantly reduced because one nicotine filter is equivalent to a half a pack of cigarettes or more. There are even less filters to be disposed of when you choose to buy the nicotine solution to refill your filters, which is even more economical.
Whether or not you believe that electronic cigarettes are a better smoking choice for you, must be decided by you. Many smokers have already switched over to this new revolution because it is less offensive to others and more convenient and cheaper for them.
Author talks about the Electronic Cigarette experience, a revolutionary alternative way to real cigarette. Electronic cigarette sales are on the mount now days. More and more peoples are changing their smoking style with this electronic cigarette. So keep smoking with Electronic Cigarette. Buy online electronic cigarette at www.premiumecigarette.com. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/electronic-cigarette-sales-are-on-the-mount-932429.html
Methods of Quitting – Tools That Can Help in Quitting Smoking
If you have tried quitting smoking on your own and failed, it’s time for you to employ methods of quitting that can help you kick your habit. These are methods that can improve your chances of quitting compared to going through the process on your own.
1. Acupuncture – for smokers who want to quit smoking, acupuncture is usually done in parts near the ear. So far, studies have shown that this method is still weakly proven to work. It has been suggested though that acupuncture can lower the desire to smoke. It is best to see a local acupuncturist to be able to get the right procedure on how to go about it in your quest to cease smoking.
2. Supplements and Herbs – the use of herbal supplements and homeopathic aids have been recognized in the market as dietary supplements but not much as a tool for quitting smoking. These supplements and herbal remedies need not be FDA approved so be sure to look into the ingredients of each product to determine which would fit your need. As they are mostly herbal preparations with no nicotine content, others are doubtful on how they can help a person stop smoking. The user must then be very careful on his choice of product and ensure that claims made by the product are still realistic.
3. Hypnosis – there is difficulty in proving that hypnosis can be an effective tool in the process of quitting smoking. Each hypnotherapist has his own way of hypnosis and so it is hard to establish proof that it really works against smoking. Still, some people find it helpful and effective. See a good hypnotherapist then to maximize your chances of stopping through this method.
4. Low-level Laser Therapy – this method is like acupuncture but instead of using needles, cold lasers are used. It is said that when undergoing this treatment, a smoker will relax and release endorphins that mimic the effect of nicotine in the body. It gives a balance to the body’s energy to minimize the addiction to nicotine. There is still a need though for more studies to get hold of solid evidence on this method’s claim of success in helping people stop smoking.
These methods of quitting smoking still have a long way to go before they can be truly recognized as treatments for nicotine addiction. If you are really determined to stop and accept that you need help, you could try any of them if it makes your chances of succeeding improve.
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Your Quit Day – Choosing and Preparing For the Day You Quit Smoking
Choosing your quit day is a very important step in your decision to quit smoking. In choosing a specific date to quit, it doesn’t need to be too soon nor too far from the day you decided to stop smoking; usually a month after would be advisable. This is because you can still have enough time to prepare and plan out what steps you’ll take when the day comes. Most smokers would choose meaningful dates such as their birthdates or anniversaries yet there are some who just pick out a random date. So as not to forget the quit date you’ve chosen, encircling it on your calendar helps.
There really isn’t any perfect way to quit smoking. Most smokers prepare for their quit day by slowly cutting down on their cigarette consumption a week or two before their target quit date. They can reduce smoking while taking coffee, and they can also set specific times of the day where they allow themselves to smoke. By lessening their cigarette use, they slowly lessen the nicotine concentration in their body. This may sound easy but when withdrawal symptoms start to set in, then this could be a heavy toll to the smoker wanting to quit.
It takes a strong commitment over a long period of time for you to succeed in your battle against nicotine addiction. No matter how smokers would wish for a magic pill or an instant method to help them quit for good, the thought seems impossible for now. All they could do is choose among the various methods of fighting the symptoms of withdrawal and plan out what would work best against the physical and psychological obstacles when quitting smoking.
Fortunately, there are some useful steps to help you prepare for your quit day. After choosing your quit date, it helps to let your family and friends know that you are quitting on that day. Decide whether you’ll adopt a Nicotine Replacement Therapy, go to support groups that deal with nicotine addiction, or take prescribed medication to make withdrawal symptoms easier to deal with. Stock up on sugar-free gums, candy, carrot sticks, cinnamon sticks, or any oral substitutes that can take the place of cigarette. It can also be beneficial if you look back on your other attempts to quit and list down the factors that led to your failure.
Your quit date is not established for the sake of saying that you are quitting. It is the date where you have to have solid commitment and determination to kick your bad habit for good. It takes hard work and careful planning to succeed. Your will to stop smoking should be strong enough to fight off temptations and other distractions that can lead you to fail on your goal.
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What to Do When Your Quit Day Arrives – Things to Remember on Your Quit Day
Your quit day finally arrives and if you’re determined to put a stop on your smoking habit, you must remember some things to follow. These activities or steps help you to start your quit day right:
- First and most important of all, DO NOT SMOKE. Don’t ever try even a puff.
- Begin your choice of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
- Be active. Go walking, biking, or any other exercise or activity that will keep your body on the go!
- Don’t put yourself on situations where the urge to smoke is very strong.
- Drink plenty of water and juices.
- Avoid alcohol intake.
- Start attending group or individual sessions of quit smoking programs.
- If the need arises, change your daily routine. Try eating at some other place where you will not be able to think about smoking and don’t drink coffee if it reminds you of cigarette. Go for tea instead.
The hardest part comes in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms. While the physical part of it can be dealt with using NRT or with medication, the mental aspect is much harder to bear for smokers. When you have been smoking for the longest time and you’ve made smoking part of your daily routine- when you wake up in the morning, after having your meals, while having coffee, while watching TV or reading- it will really take time before you can completely get used to not having nicotine in your body. This is the reason why there is still a very strong urge to smoke.
A way to overcome these cravings for nicotine is through your thoughts and rationalizations. These thoughts and rationalizations can sometimes lead you to wrong ideas. Because the need for you to smoke is so strong, many thoughts that come into your mind might seem right for you at this time and serve as your justifications on why it is alright to smoke. Some examples of mistaken thoughts are:
· Today isn’t a good day to quit so I will start tomorrow.
· I’ve known people who lived ’til they were 90 with continuous smoking.
· We all have to die and there will always be a reason why we die. Smoking is one of them.
· It’s my only vice and I’m not hurting anyone with it.
When your quit day arrives, be sure to be true to your promise. Start it right and don’t be persuaded by any factor to go back to smoking. If there are distractions or wrong ideas that come into your mind, remember that what you are doing it for your own good and even for the good of the people around you.
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Stages of Change – Steps a Smoker Takes As He Decides to Change and Quit Smoking
The Stages of Change Model is a representation showing the steps that a smoker usually undergoes as he battles it out with his nicotine addiction. When a smoker decides to quit smoking, it’s much easier said than done. This is why most smokers need help in quitting especially in understanding the changes that takes place within him. There is no right or wrong way to quit, but there are important elements involved to succeed in quitting.
It all starts with the decision to quit. This is a very important decision since there can’t be true success if you don’t mean what you are about to do. You must be firm in your decision to quit. After making the decision, it’s time to set a specific date to start quitting. Be sure that when this date arrives, don’t ever turn your back on it. To deal with the withdrawal symptoms, equip yourself with the many tools that can help ease the symptoms of withdrawal that are sure to take place. It’s also good to be with family and friends who can offer their much needed support. Lastly, if you are able to succeed in your decision to stop smoking, stay quit for the rest your life.
The stages of change model consists of five important steps. When applied to quitting smoking, these five steps are:
a. Pre-Contemplation – this is the most unstable stage. The smoker is yet to seriously decide if he really wants to quit smoking.
b. Contemplation – at this stage, the smoker is taking into consideration a decision to stop smoking yet he isn’t ready to make an attempt seriously. He may find withdrawal symptoms to be the biggest stumbling block why he’s afraid to start quitting or that he’s too busy and stressed out at work to deal with other matters like quitting.
c. Preparation – this is the planning stage. Here, the person involved sets the date to quit and maps out a plan on how he’s going to go through the ordeal of quitting smoking.
d. Action – this is usually the first six months when the smoker is quitting.
e. Maintenance - this is where the ex-smoker stays quit for years and takes steps to ensure he stays at this stage.
The stages of change enables a person to understand what he’s about to go through when he decides to put an end to his habit of smoking. Going through the process of quitting is never easy and so no matter how small a detail may be, as long as it will help the smoker in his battle with nicotine addiction, it still plays a vital role in the whole process.
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