Quitting Smoking

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Author:
Brandon C. Hall

Millions of people smoke, and to many, particularly those that have been smoking for some time, the prospect of quitting seems daunting. An addiction to nicotine is a serious one, and is multifaceted: there is a physical component, in that your body craves the nicotine the cigarettes contain, and a psychological one, in that many habits and situations become associated with cigarettes for the smoker. For these reasons it is important that you come up with a plan of attack in order to quit smoking: although the cold-turkey technique works for some people, the vast majority of smokers will have success only with a more comprehensive plan.

When you first consider the prospect of quitting smoking, it's probably going to seem far fetched, but keep in mind that thousands of people - people that are no different from you - quit smoking every year. If they can do it, there's no reason that you can't. Many smokers also feel that after a certain age it is "too-late" to quit smoking. Simply put, this isn't true, and should not be used as an excuse to avoid an attempt to quit smoking: the health benefits of quitting smoking begin the very day you stop.

Before you actually have your last cigarette, begin to build up your willpower. Your willpower is going to be your most important tool in quitting, and it's very unlikely that you will be successful without it. Spend some time thinking of the reasons you want to quit smoking. Learn about the health benefits of quitting, for both yourself and the people around you. Do some math and come up with some figures for the amount of money you'll save by not buying cigarettes, and think of something you'll use that money for.

Once you've built up your willpower, it's time to have your last cigarette. To keep your spirits up, understand that the human body is incredibly resilient, and your health will improve as soon as you stop smoking - literally. 8 hours after your last cigarette, carbon monoxide levels and oxygen levels in your blood stream will return to normal. At 24 hours after your last cigarette, you statistically reduce your chance of a heart attack. Only 48 hours after your last cigarette, your sense of taste and smell will improve as your nerve endings start growing.

As you continue to stay smoke free, think of the longer-term benefits to quitting in order to keep your willpower up: even after 2 weeks your lung power will begin to increase, and continue to do so over time. Other aspects of your health will continue to improve in various ways. The ultimate motivator should be the knowledge that 15 years after quitting, your risk of death is almost the same as someone who has never smoked - a remarkable fact that illustrates our the human body's surprising ability to restore itself.

By coming up with a concrete plan to quit smoking you will greatly increase your chances of success. Crucial is understanding the important role that your willpower will play in the process, and planning to build up this willpower weeks before you attempt to quit. Once you've stopped you have to keep the strength of this willpower up, and to do so, remind yourself of the health benefits you will be privy to immediately after butting out that last cigarette.

About the author:

Brandon C. Hall maintains Free Info Blog which contains many articles and resources to quit smoking as well as many other topics.

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Smoking... Ways To Quit Smoking It is not easy to quit smoking. It requires great effort on a smoker's part to overcome nicotine addiction. There are some who stub out a cigarette, and never pick up another one. But these are very few. The others need support, both emotional and medical. There are several aids that have been developed to help smokers give up the habit. The Nicotine Replacement Therapy, also known as NRT, is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking. Almost one in every two smokers succeeds to give up smoking using this therapy. The number of relapses too is on the lower side. Nicotine Replacement Therapy treats your psychological cravings by providing small quantities of nicotine to the body, once you quit smoking. The nicotine products are available in the form of gums, lozenges, patches and inhalers. You can take any one of them to meet your nicotine need. As your urge to smoke recedes you can reduce the dosage till you find no further urge to smoke. Another option is to go for pharmaceutical products like Zyban and Verenicline. Zyban creates a false sense of well being in the person which is similar to the feeling that you get when you are smoking. In this case also the dose is reduced over a period making withdrawal symptoms bearable. Zyban, however, should be used only under medical supervision. People suffering from fits, hypertension and those who have had strokes or heart attacks earlier should avoid taking this medicine. Scientists are now trying to develop a vaccine to cure nicotine addiction. The vaccine called NicVAX is currently under trial. It works by blocking the nicotine receptors in the brain. Combination therapy is another method that is gaining popularity. This therapy can be customized to suit your preferences. The counseling is especially useful to...