Tips on how to stop smoking for good and how to do so

TIPS TO QUIT SMOKING

DON'T BE DETERMINED IF YOU FAIL several times before giving up smoking because most people do! You can Remember that most people fail multiple times before successfully stopping. Your prior failures do not prove that you can't stop smoking. Instead, consider them a natural part of your path to quitting smoking.

The information provided here will make things easier for you and ensure that you never have to go through the process of quitting again. You are capable of doing it.

You might want to print out this page.

Admitting you have an addiction is the first and most crucial step to take.

You may have responded, "I just like to smoke," when asked why you smoke. or "I smoke because I want to." The tobacco industry has emphasised that smoking is a personal decision. In my opinion, the selection isn't as wide as they have suggested to their client

Ask yourself, "Am I hooked to tobacco?" and be very honest with yourself. When I smoke, am I really exercising my right to free choice?

You can think about how your body need a nicotine fix and how, for most people, addiction is psychological in nature.

According to studies, nicotine addiction is just as difficult to overcome as addiction to heroin or cocaine because it is both physiological and psychological in nature.

The first step of the 12-Step programme of Nicotine Anonymous, which evolved from the ancient Alcoholics Anonymous programme, is acknowledging to oneself that "I'm helpless over this addiction." Although admitting to smoking may seem little to you, for many people it is a very important step on the road to quitting.

The tobacco business has contributed to keeping its clients in denial about the full severity of their addiction by implying that smoking is a personal choice. What's the rush to stop smoking if it's a choice?
This marketing strategy has been employed by the cigarette industries to keep millions of consumers purchasing their lethal goods.

Admitting that you smoke more out of addiction than out of choice can encourage you to move on to the following steps, which include taking charge of your life and quitting smoking.

You will benefit further from this admission by staying smoke-free later. Remind yourself, "I have an addiction and I'm powerless over tobacco," in the months and years after you stop smoking when urges to smoke periodically overcome you — and they will." Saying this to yourself will help you find the willpower to refuse "just one" cigarette when you are overcome with desire.

The urge to smoke should be manageable or go away if you can resist it for just five minutes. You'll be able to quit smoking permanently in this manner.

For me, resigning involved two very distinct yet equally crucial stages:

• Phase One: Getting assistance to quit
• Phase two : Remaining smoke-free and avoiding relapse
• phase three: Giving up with support

Genuine men ask for directions!

The most successful people frequently receive a lot of assistance. A successful businessperson or businessman hires a lawyer to draught contracts, an advertising agency to design advertisements, a marketing executive to handle marketing, an accountant to handle accounting, a doctor when they are ill, and other professionals to assist them succeed. Even the best novelists rely on editors for their insightful criticism. Genuine men ask for directions!

Sadly, 80% of smokers who decide to stop do so independently, and statistics show that 95% of these self-reliant quitters fail and resume smoking within a year. The recidivism rate is the same as with heroin. Therefore, you might want to think about seeking assistance this time!

It's reassuring to know that the majority of smokers actually experience multiple failures before finally succeeding in quitting. Your past failures have not taught you a lesson you can't learn from. Instead, they are a typical part of the process of quitting smoking.

I undoubtedly failed 11 times. Every time I failed, I grew less confident that I could actually give up. So every time I stopped, it became more difficult for me to get myself to set a date. I had started to think there was no hope.
I'm here to help you regain confidence in yourself. You CAN give up. Recognize that this is typical, despite the fact that you've failed previously multiple times. It's not just you.

Get your resolve back and give it another shot. YOU CAN DO IT.

Get a lot of aid. Enter a reputable programme, or even better, a mix of several.

Call the local American Lung or Heart Association or American Cancer Society office.

They all offer widely accepted, affordable programmes. The common, effective techniques for quitting smoking are included below, along with links to the top websites and online resources.

The best, doctor-recommended techniques include using over-the-counter nicotine replacement products like the nicotine patch or gum, which are sold at any pharmacy. Consult your doctor about any prescription drugs that might be beneficial.

The chances of quitting smoking improved by 50% to 70% with the use of nicotine replacement therapies such the patch, gum, or inhaler, according to a 1996 Cochrane Review research that was updated in November 2007. However, this is still a low success rate. Why?

Only 5% of people who stop smoking without a programme are still smoke-free after a year.

In the grand scheme of things, raising that rate from 50% to 70% still isn't much. This is the main reason Tobaccofree Earth emphasises Phase Two.

Visit our Quitlinks page as well to discover the outcomes of latest research on the most effective quitting aids.

Free live human interaction

If you reside in the US, call 1-800-QUIT NOW to receive totally free live support from a certified counsellor. Whether you are ready to leave or are just considering it, they will be happy to speak with you. This number offers live phone support and is supported by your State's cigarette cessation programme. When you call, a kind staff member will provide you with a selection of free services, including self-help books, a list of additional programmes in your area, and—best of all—telephone therapy.

Additionally, the National Cancer Institute offers free, proactive counselling by qualified staff through its smoking cessation hotline, 1-877-44U-Quit. Additionally, they have a website at www.Smokefree.gov, but before visiting it, please continue reading for more great resources, especially Phase Two near the bottom of this page.

Unfortunately, there is no miraculous cure.

None of these apps will make things simple, so don't count on them. None of them will accomplish that, but they WILL all significantly lessen your distress by 15% to 50%, depending on how psychologically dependent you are as opposed to physically, and this could very well be the deciding factor this time.

I'm not saying that it will be simple; it probably won't be for a few days or weeks. So strengthen your resolve and willpower because you're going to need them. Remember that you CAN succeed.

Never enquire "Does this programme work?" Instead, consider the question "Am I Willing to DO the Work?"

You're a skilled worker, aren't you? You do, I'm willing to wager.

Take advantage of Nicotine Anonymous's free meetings.

Try attending a Nicotine Anonymous meeting if you'd want to join a small group of other people who want to quit. There probably is one close to where you live. It is a 12-step programme based on AA; sessions are free and nonprofit. If there isn't one already, you can discover one nearby or learn how to create one by visiting the Nicotine Anonymous website. (Smokers' Anonymous was trademarked by a for-profit business. Instead, you choose the Nicotine Anonymous programme, which is FREE.

According to their website, "Nicotine Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who support one another in leading nicotine-free lifestyles. To help each other overcome this strong addiction, we share our knowledge, courage, and hope. No charges are made. Our main goal is to support those who are attempting to stop using nicotine.

Wealthy folks might struggle more than you do.

I hail from an affluent family, and I sometimes wondered whether rich people could find it more difficult to give up smoking, drinking, or dieting. Why? As a result of their habit of always receiving what they desire. The "muscles of self-denial" are significantly more developed in the less fortunate.

If you feel yourself to be wealthy, you might want to think about going to an inpatient rehab facility. Together with a group of other people who are also quitting, you would spend up to a week in a hospital.

Currently, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (where they also have a second location), and St. Helena Hospital in the Napa Valley of California, both offer excellent inpatient programmes. An inpatient programme lasting five to ten days is available at the St. Helena. They can be reached at 866.359.3296.

How are your self-restraint abilities? Very good, without a doubt! Can you comfortably postpone going to a restaurant that costs $60 per person or buying a brand-new car? Consider delaying your trip to Florida, Aspen, or Monte Carlo. Good! If you are able to achieve those things, there is a significant probability that you won't require an inpatient treatment and that you already possess the self-control necessary to stop smoking.However, you'll have to flex them. Yes, it may hurt a little.

A Remark on Tobacco Ads

If questioned, many teenagers would claim that tobacco advertisements have no impact on them. New research, however, indicates that advertising influences teen smoking more than peer pressure even.

And according to a recent survey, kids smoke Camels, Marlboros, and Newport cigarettes, the three brands that receive the most advertising. No accident occurred. Ads for cigarettes undoubtedly have an impact on our youth. Advertisements for tobacco may not affect your conscious mind, but they certainly affect your unconscious mind.

You're Subconscious

The unconscious mind: What is it? In a well-known experiment, the Russian scientist Pavlov trained his dog to salivate even in the absence of food by ringing a bell every time he fed it. The dog started drooling because it unconsciously connected the ringing with meals.

Ads for cigarettes influence our subconscious brains. These advertisements inadvertently link the addiction to cigarettes with powerful, uplifting images of attractive, healthy people, sports like tennis or mountain climbing, picturesque rural scenes, cowboys gathered around a campfire or on horseback, masculinity and manhood, femininity and womanhood, being a "real person," and so forth. The tobacco business was spending more than $5 billion every year as of 2000 to promote its lethal goods. That much bell ringing is excessive! And our children are aware of it.

The act of smoking is associated repeatedly with pleasurable feelings in the smoker's unconscious mind. This includes watching the smoke gently curl, placing a cigarette to one's lips, taking leisurely inhalations and exhalations, and absentmindedly handling cigarettes. Quitters frequently have the feeling of losing a best friend.

As the quitter smokes cigarettes, aversion therapy transmits unpleasant associations to their unconscious mind. This medically supported technique aids in eradicating the long-term, favourable daily connections with smoking. It aids in lessening cigarette cravings in the future. In this way, the aversion therapy technique at Schick-Shadel Treatment Centers greatly facilitates quitting.

Most smokers who are addicted to nicotine experience a physical and a half mental addiction. According to studies, the ratio changes depending on the person. Nicotine addiction has a physical component. A smoker's conscious mind declares, "I will stop smoking — no problem," with regards to the mental or psychological side. But because smoking produces pleasure, the unconscious mind has been trained to only think about that. Give me a smoke now, the subconscious urges. It exclusively acknowledges positive emotions. It disregards the goals of the conscious mind and wants a cigarette without regard for right or wrong. One strategy to combat this is aversion therapy.

When someone stops smoking, a new habit of not smoking develops. As the urges to smoke gradually disappear, the ex-smoker's unconscious mind adjusts to being a nonsmoker.

The Standard Points

Make every effort to abide by as many of these as you can. The majority of today's reliable quit-smoking products and programmes promote the following ideas. They are largely acknowledged as being a crucial and vital component of effectively quitting.

Your chances of successfully quitting this time will be hampered if you only use the patch or don't adhere to the following advice.

Perhaps the most potent and significant technique is deep breathing. Do the following each time you want a cigarette. Attempt it three times. Take the deepest breath you can manage before slowly exhaling.

Lips are pursed to force a gradual release of air. Close your eyes and let your chin to droop onto your chest as you exhale. Imagine all the stress in your body simply pouring out the other side, down the fingers and toes, and out the rest of your body. This is a very calming and centred variant of an old yoga method from India. If you put this into practise, you'll be able to apply it to every stressful circumstance you encounter in the future. And it will be your most effective tool against the intense cravings that are certain to hit you in the first few days. You will benefit much from doing this deep breathing technique. Reread this point once again while putting it to use for the first time.

three times, inhale and exhale. Check it out yourself!

Drink a lot of water and other liquids over the first several days to help your body rid itself of nicotine and other toxins.

Keep in mind that the impulse to smoke only lasts a short while before it goes away. As the days pass, the desires gradually spread further apart.

Try your hardest to avoid alcohol, sugar, and coffee during the first week or more as these things have a tendency to make you need cigarettes. Avoid fatty foods because, without nicotine, your metabolism will sluggish a bit and you risk gaining weight even if you eat the same amount as you did before you quit. Dietary discipline is therefore even more crucial today.

Nobody ever claimed that developing new habits would be simple.

Consume low-calorie snacks such as celery, apples, and carrots. Suck on cinnamon sticks or chew gum.

Spread out your meals; take little bites frequently, and eat slowly.

Instead of lighting up after dinner, reward yourself with a cup of mint tea or a peppermint treat.

In one study, nearly 25% of those who gave up found an oral alternative to be really helpful. Another 25% were completely opposed to the idea and desired a total cessation of cigarette use. The others weren't sure either. I personally thought a cigarette substitute was really helpful. One option is the nicotine inhaler, which is a shorter plastic cigarette with a changeable nicotine capsule inside. It is available only on prescription.

Simpler still are the bottled cinnamon sticks that may be found at any supermarket. Every time I tried to quit, I utilised these, and they were a huge help. I would treat them like cigarettes, chew on them, and breathe through them. They would eventually start to become very eaten up on one end, but I would giggle, flip them over, and chew the other end. Some people might choose breaking a new stick. Was that an exploding firecracker in your mouth, someone once asked me, excuse me? When I said I was giving up smoking, they grinned and showed their support. Fortunately, once I had quit smoking for the first three days, I never needed the cinnamon sticks.

Visit a gym, relax in the steam, and work out. Change up your daily routine and spend some time walking or maybe jogging around the neighbourhood or at a park.

Look up yoga in the phone book and enrol in a class; they're fantastic! Treat yourself by getting a one-hour massage or taking a long bath.

Obtain assistance from friends, family, and workplace. Request their patience. Inform them of your resignation and the possibility that you'll be tense or cranky for a few days. You won't receive assistance if you don't ask for it. You'll be astonished at how much it can assist if you do. Take a chance and give it a go.

Request that loved ones refrain from smoking in your company. Never hesitate to ask. It's more significant than you might think.

On the day you decide to stop smoking, hide all ashtrays and thoroughly dispose of all of your cigarettes, preferably with water.

Call the National Cancer Institute's free smoking quit line at 1-877-44U-Quit or 1-800-QUITNOW to speak to a live person about quitting. Sessions will be held both before and after quitting smoking, and proactive counselling services will be offered by qualified individuals.

Visit QuitNet.org and the chat room to see how people are quitting together, not alone. It can be a terrific resource for support, similar to an online meeting of Nicotine Anonymous.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Tobacco Control Program, which was funded by a state cigarette tax increase approved by the Massachusetts legislature in the early 1990s, provided the initial funding for Quitnet.

You can find support and community in NA meetings, which may be more soothing than staring at a computer screen. If this sounds appealing to you, visit the Nicotine Anonymous website to locate a meeting in your area. Meetings are held all across the US. Meetings are based on the tried-and-true 12-step programme, which was developed by Alcoholics Anonymous to help people overcome addiction. There is no admission fee, and this organisation is run entirely by volunteers.

You can learn how to host your own meeting at the website. You men might be surprised at how nice this feels, but support groups like Nicotine Anonymous provide a GREAT avenue for verbal venting. At first, they may seem unneeded. The best part is that it might prevent your loved ones from becoming overly irritable. Observing how other quitters are doing in their own attempts to stop and receiving encouragement from those going through similar problems to you is incredibly therapeutic.

List the top ten benefits of not smoking, followed by the top ten drawbacks of smoking. Do it. It is quite helpful.

Smoking was nice, so don't act like it wasn't. Quitting can feel like losing a close friend, and it's normal to feel sad about it. Instead of trying to escape your grief with food or another diversion, let the emotions consume you. You can recover and put the cause of your grief behind you by expressing your emotions. It takes time to heal; just feel. Stay with the challenging emotions, then. You can give up smoking!

Repeat the assertion, "I am a nonsmoker," to yourself softly several times every day. Many people who give up smoking think of themselves as smokers who are temporarily abstaining. They perceive themselves as smokers who still yearn for a cigarette. Even though it may sound absurd to you, changing your perception of yourself by saying the affirmation "I am a nonsmoker" out loud will be helpful. Use it!

Among these facts, this one is arguably the most important. The cravings to smoke will significantly lessen during Phase 2, which starts a few weeks after stopping. It's important to realise, though, that occasionally you will still find yourself overcome by the want for "just one cigarette." This will transpire inadvertently when under stress, whether it be favourable or negative (at a party, or on vacation). Giving in to that "one cigarette" will force you to start smoking again if you are unable to resist. Do your deep breathing and hold on for five minutes during these unexpected attacks during Phase 2 – they will occur, you can be sure of that — and the urge will pass.

Finally, obtain the knowledge and assistance required to ease the stopping process. AVOID attempting to go it alone. Get lots of assistance.

Immediately or gradually reduce your intake?

This is a matter of preference. Choose whichever you believe will serve you best. Smokenders is a programme for slow quitting. Although some people find that the best way to stop is by gradually cutting back, I was not one of them. I always quit abruptly.

I would always leave on a Monday, a typical workday when I would be preoccupied with work. My regular tasks helped me get through the first few challenging days, which were always the most challenging for me.

I once attempted to give up while on vacation. I discovered there wasn't much to do besides think about smoking all day. That moment, I stumbled. Even though I was on vacation, I felt more stressed about quitting than usual. The very important part that follows has more information on constructive stress.

The free website www.BecomeAnEx.org is one of the best-researched and most successful methods we've found for helping tobacco addicts stop. Here, smokers can keep smoking while making free, customised stop plans that keep note of the situations that make them want to light up, such as drinking beer, attending parties, or having a difficult boss. An online live support group will be available to them when they do decide to stop smoking and the cravings start to get bad. The American Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organisation founded with $2 billion of the $240 billion settlement from the lawsuits filed by the States against Big Tobacco, devised this incredible, smart programme employing the most recent science. Include the Become An Ex programme in your arsenal when fighting tobacco use.

However, Phase Two, which is the next section, contains by far the most crucial material.

Phase Two Maintaining your quit and avoiding relapse

Here is the most crucial piece of information on this page as well as the most valuable secret we can divulge to you.

It's crucial to understand that severe surprise attacks will occur after the cravings to smoke become less frequent. You might have been smoke-free for only a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years.

I discovered that these nearly out-of-control desires always came on suddenly, and that if I did my deep breathing (see above) and could simply HOLD ON for 5 minutes, the overwhelming want to smoke would fade and disappear.

That is by far the most crucial lesson I discovered the hard way about how to properly quit.

I failed 11 times as a result of my ignorance about this. On my 12th attempt, I managed to quit permanently, and it has been the key to my ability to maintain my tobacco-free status ever since.

Be prepared for overwhelming, almost insurmountable cravings to have "just one" to catch you off guard, like a sudden wind that appears out of nowhere. Throughout the upcoming months, this will occur once, possibly more than once. Even decades later, it may occur.

When this happens, perform your deep breathing (see above), resist the impulse for 5 minutes (you can do it), and it will eventually stop.

Even though "just one cigarette" seemed harmless at the time, after 11 failed efforts I recognised that several times in the past, those surprise attacks were the turning point that would inevitably cause me to relapse.

I fought with myself during the assault. Okay, self, I told myself. There will be relief in four minutes. I recalled using the deep breathing technique from the above-mentioned toolbox to manage my initial withdrawal; while I was around friends, I did the deep breathing covertly so that no one even noticed.

At first, I would be dying for a smoke even with the breathing; well, so I only had to hold out for THREE more minutes. Okay, take the deepest breath you can manage.

exhale now very gently and release the strain. and do so. Keep going like that, you!


Next TWO minutes...

And sure enough, the urge to smoke would vanish after five minutes. Not to mention, I managed to spare my smoking pal the pleasure of watching me light up like him. I would feel very pleased of myself for holding out.

This strategy may also be useful if you're having trouble losing weight, but I'm confident that it's the single most crucial tip for successfully stopping smoking for good.

A NOTE TO THE FAMILY'S NON-SMOKERS

Don't be a nag about someone's smoking habit if you live with them or are good friends with them. (You can yell at them for smoking in the house or next to you because secondhand smoke is harmful to you, but don't badger them into quitting. A HUGE difference exists!)

You only need to beg your loved one to stop smoking three times a year, and you should do it in a really caring and friendly manner. ( If you try to compliment them and make your request brief, they might be more receptive to hearing you out.

However, if you speak up more frequently than three times a YEAR, you are a yucky, annoying NAG. Ick! And your favourite smoker will be so furious with you that they will continue to smoke just for kicks. Your very goal will be defeated.

I kindly ask nonsmokers to respect and treat their smoking family members like adults.

Don't fall into the old trap of harming yourself by continuing to smoke as a result of your annoyance with your loved ones. Instead, express your feelings to them.

According to John Bradshaw, a renowned family therapist and motivational speaker,

"Americans are an addicted country. We frequently have many addictions, including those to food, alcohol, drugs, sex, television, music, and even employment. Each of these items is a type of medication since they all serve to momentarily distract you from your suffering.

Bradshaw has a point. He is referring to both the emotional pain we are currently experiencing — such as rage, loneliness, or grief — and the emotional pain we have been carrying since we were young because of unmet needs, such as a missing parent or an abusive mother.

Life is painful at times. That is how it is supposed to be. We all experience pain, loss, and hardship. We define and develop our character via our struggles.

I bring back the historical custom of initiation in my live talks and videos for young people. I warn teenagers that life might be painful occasionally when I introduce them to it.

I advise the students, "And when such moments arise, you need to pick the ADULT way and stay with the problem — and not go lighting a cigarette, raiding the refrigerator, using drugs, blasting music or turning on the TV — or, going to work for too many long hours. All of them are merely means of avoiding and dulling unpleasant emotions.You'll start to understand what's causing your suffering if you keep with it. And when you're prepared, you may act to address the issue.

Feeling causes healing.

For instance, the best approach to heal your sadness is to fully express it, as opposed to burying it or dragging it around inside of you for years. This is the cornerstone of psychotherapy, and it is effective.

The same is true of rage; let it out in small, manageable bursts as you go along, as and when situations arise. This is preferable to letting things fester and then erupting in wrath.

As you quit smoking, it's beneficial and healing to express your sentiments verbally. You should speak in loud, critical tones rather than ingesting extra, unnecessary calories.

You will receive the help and tolerance you request, so don't worry. Meetings for Nicotine Anonymous are a fantastic outlet for this. There, you'll find a lot of encouragement and, if you ask for them, hugs as well. Lean on others and avoid isolating yourself.

This shows STRENGTH, especially in men. It might be thought of as cowardly to skip a support group meeting out of fear. Be brave, then, and ask for help from others. In my opinion, it's a sign of a powerful man. Men in real life ask for directions!

It's true that smoking is generally highly pleasurable for you—even reassuring. Let's not make up anything. You might experience some grief after quitting because it will be like losing a terrific, close friend.

That's normal and acceptable.

But if you don't give up and "grieve" right away, this wonderful "friend" of yours will definitely turn against you and murder you in the future. According to statistics, smoking increases your risk of dying by 40%, which is the same as playing Russian Roulette with two rounds in the gun. Not to mention that you still have to smoke outside the majority of the time.

We'll consider smoking to be a thing of the 20th century in years to come. We are aware that only kids and teenagers historically start the habit.

Teenagers won't start smoking in such large numbers as our government enacts regulations that make it harder for kids to purchase cigarettes and as Uncle Sam restricts tobacco advertising more in the future. Finally, smoking will be prohibited one day. No more illnesses, no more fatalities, and no more heartbroken families around.

Thank you for visiting the lovely world of nonsmokers. You are capable of doing it.

The phrase "repeating the same action again and over and expecting different outcomes" is a well-known description of insanity.

summary

My own adventure began when I realised I could quit smoking for one to three months with the aid of one or more programmes.

However, I did so 11 times.

A few weeks after quitting cold turkey, Phase Two begins, during which the temptation to smoke would significantly lessen or even vanish. After resuming smoking 11 times, I came to understand that I would occasionally experience a surprise ATTACK, in which I would find myself suddenly overcome with the urge to smoke, anywhere between a week and a year after stopping.

Usually, when I was under stress—either positive stress, like going out with friends, after a nice meal, or on vacation—or bad stress, like being in the middle of an angry, sad, or lonely moment—these attacks would creep up on me. You may be familiar with those.

I used the justification that "I could have just one" during these unexpected attacks. What harm would it do if I had one now because I haven't had one in three months? I DESPERATELY want it! I would then take ONE and ZAP! I would "just have one more" the following day, then two the following day, and within two or three days I was back to smoking a pack a day, completely addicted.

THE TRICK IS EASY

Wait for five more minutes.

I successfully quit smoking in this way. I reassured myself that the surprise attacks would pass within five minutes when they occurred a few weeks or months after I had stopped smoking.

It's harsh, but only a baby is permitted to urinate whenever it pleases. Adults are adept at postponing gratification. It's time to acknowledge your grownup status. Be mature!

After that, a very warm welcome to the occasionally quite challenging world of adults!