Pancreatic Cancer and Smoking

Pancreatic Cancer and Patrick Swayze

Most people these days are aware of the link between pancreatic cancer and smoking. Patrick Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer helped firmly to imprint in the mind of the public the association between this deadly disease and cigarette smoking. Patrick himself recognised that his habit may have contributed to his condition. Even so, Patrick continued to smoke and was often photographed smoking in public. He even lit up as he left the clinic where he was receiving treatment. Patrick was diagnosed with stage IV disease. At this stage of the diagnosis, the cancer has already spread from the original tumour site rendering a cure almost impossible. Often the cancer has already spread when symptoms of the disease become obvious. In fact just over 50% of pancreatic cancer sufferers have metastatic disease at diagnosis. Perhaps Patrick became fatalistic. I suppose there was little point in quitting after such a grim prognosis. He probably thought that he didn't need the added stress of undergoing nicotine withdrawal. And although I am fervently anti-smoking I can sympathise with his predicament.

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

This cancer carries a bad prognosis and only 5% of sufferers will survive beyond a year and median survival is only 5 months. This median time, in relation to cancer, means that 50% of patients are dead 5 months post diagnosis. Less than 2% of patients make it beyond 5 years. Patrick survived 20 months following his diagnosis. This may have been because of his lifelong regime of physical fitness, despite his smoking habit.

Smoking and Pancreatic Cancer

So what are the risk factors in contracting this deadly disease? Smoking, as discussed earlier, is considered a major cause of pancreatic cancer. Smoking has been linked to many cancers due to the fact that carcinogenic chemicals in cigarette smoke are rapidly distributed to every corner of the body by the bloodstream. Research shows that regular cigarette smokers increase their risk for pancreatic cancer by about 2 fold. The good news for ex-smokers is that risk reduces to similar levels experienced by non-smokers 15 years after smoking cessation.

Other Risk Factors

Let us be honest, it is not all about smoking. Other factors are also influential. Age, as in many cancers, has major role to play and 80% of pancreatic cancer occurs in the 60-80 age bracket. Men are more likely to develop the disease than women. This may come down to the fact that smoking incidence is higher in men. Other important risk factors include sugar diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, peptic ulcer surgery and diet. Meat rich diets increase risk, while diets high in fruit and vegetables reduce risk. Luckily, for me, neither alcohol nor coffee drinking are considered as risk factors.

When you start to smoke you never think of the consequences. This is because most smokers start young. If you start smoking at 16 you are not thinking about possible health problems that may occur 30, 40, or 50 years down the line. Bad habits in our teenage years may continue and smoking is more than a bad habit; it is an addiction. And by their very nature addictions are very hard to break. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How to Help Someone to Stop Smoking

If a family member or a friend asks you for help to quit smoking then he has made the most important step in ultimately stopping smoking.Smoking is like having your other leg in the grave; you are ultimately destroying your health and other people's health as well. There are no positive sides to smoking, only illness, bad breath and discolored teeth.

It could be very difficult to avoid smoking and if you are willing to help out then here are ways on how to help someone to stop smoking:

Quitting must be done as soon as possible before the person suffers from irreparable lung damage. Take the person to a doctor to determine his current state of health. His doctor will advice his benefits of quitting smoking and of course suggest the ideal smoking cessation treatment to be done.
There are several therapies used to replace cigarettes. Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved 5 kinds of nicotine replacement therapy: nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nasal sprays, inhalers and nicotine lozenges. Talk to a medical professional regarding the ideal cessation therapy to use.
Throw all smoking paraphernalia at home: lighters, matches, cigarettes, etc and place a large no smoking sign plus a poster of the various complications of smoking.
Accompany him as you two indulge in fitness activities like aerobic exercises, weight lifting, basketball, cycling, jogging, swimming and many more. He may experience shortness of breath and some difficulty on the initial days of treatment but it is a guarantee that he will notice a better state of health after several sessions.
Go out but avoid places where he can smoke like pubs places where he can buy cigarettes like convenience stores and areas where he may find friends who smoke like billiard halls, plazas, smoking areas in the office and many more. The more he can resist going to these places, the more he will likely recover and quit smoking for good.
Regularly assess his feelings and attitude about quitting and recovery. This will help assess any need for medical intervention such as withdrawal symptoms and the possibility of going back to smoking after a crisis. Help him deal with anxiety and panic which can also be factors to go back to smoking. Indulge him in relaxation techniques like meditation, reflexology, massages, breathing techniques and many other helpful
A technique on how to help someone to stop smoking is to accompany him as he joins forums, meetings and associations that are made to help quitters quit. You can find groups that can help atop smoking through your doctor. He can advice a support group with an experienced moderator for your friend. He may also advice one-on-one treatment for anxiety, panic attacks and stress that is usually accompanied by smoking.

As your friend or family member fully recovers from the withdrawal signs and symptoms of smoking; he will surely realize what an amazing help you have been. You have not only been his friend but you were a dear friend when he was truly in need.

For more information on how to stop smoking and best way of stop smoking, please click help. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

5 Ways How Acupuncture Helps Smoking

For some people, quitting smoking is as easy as one, two, and three. But for others, it takes lots of time and effort, and sometimes money. There are alternative therapies however, that are proven to help a person quit smoking at no or less risk, such as acupuncture.

Acupuncture and smoking sounds bizarre right? Well, you might want to give it a try first. Anyway, there's nothing wrong it. It's a healthy, risk-free therapy that will benefit you. How will acupuncture help you quit smoking?

1. It lowers down stress levels that trigger smoking. The calming effect of acupuncture makes it easier for people to quit smoking. Acupuncture stimulates the production of endorphins or the 'feel good' chemicals in the brain that are responsible for the feeling of happiness. Some people, who are in a state of severe stress, often find comfort in smoking. Just one session of acupuncture can make a significant reduction in your stress levels.

2. It alleviates withdrawal symptoms. Some smokers have the full determination to quit but find it hard to cope with the difficulties that come with the withdrawal symptoms. Acupuncture is scientifically proven to be effective in addressing chronic pain issues and other mental disorders including depression and anxiety. If you're currently in the smoking cessation process, you will benefit from undergoing acupuncture. It also
alleviates agitation, nervousness, and other signs of mental distress.

3. It helps lower down the smoking intervals. Smokers who have went through acupuncture treatments significantly reduced the number of times they smoke, a study reveal.

4. It's a great complimentary treatment for quitting smoking. There are smoking cessation drugs that don't do well with other medications. Being a natural treatment, you can use acupuncture in conjunction with your present smoking cessation treatment.

5. It's for all ages. Whether you're a teenager, a working professional, or an adult in late 50s, you will benefit from acupuncture. It's a safe therapy that will work for anyone.

Yes, acupuncture will not only assist you in quitting smoking, it can also help you recover from the negative effects of tobacco use. The liver for instance, greatly benefits from this alternative therapy. Our liver has a tendency to become heavily dependent on smoking that it chases the harmful chemicals from tobacco. And with these chemicals, the liver starts to malfunction. Acupuncture has a restorative effect in our body organs. It restores the flow of energy in your body, improves blood circulation, and makes you feel well.

Nicotine addiction is something you can't easily crack and get rid of. It takes more than any nicotine replacement products and a strong will power. Quitting is long and difficult process and not every smoker is capable enough to fight the urge and cravings of nicotine addiction. Prevention is still the best medicine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Antonio Howell, MD is just a guy trying to make a difference in the world by helping people quit smoking. And you? Visit Help to Quit Smoking at drantoniohowell.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Quitting Smoking, If You Continue It's Like Spinning A Roulette Wheel

If you keep smoking it's like playing roulette. You keep on playing and increasing your bets then eventually you will most likely win. Maybe today or next week or in ten years time. But it will happen.

So to with smoking, the scary diagnosis will come, the diagnosis which couldn't happen to you, the diagnosis which was so far off into the future that it didn't seem real. Then fear of the coming pain, the anger at yourself and the inevitable depression.

It's said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. That is exactly what you are doing when you smoke. If you think you will get a different result from other smokers you are insane.

The result is 14 years off your life and a painful death. Hopefully you are not insane and that the fact that you are reading this article means that you want to quit cigarettes. The decision you make today and the action you take to quit will put the odds back into your favour.

In general pain has a purpose to protect your body, but the pain of lung cancer or throat cancer etc will be nothing more than a constant reminder that you created this problem yourself.

And as the disease progresses your anger, fear and frustration will accelerate. Some people can come to terms with the consequence of their own actions, but most can't. This is made worse by the responses of loved ones and friends.

They will also experience fear frustration and anger. They will feel a confusing mix of sympathy for you, and anger at you for creating this problem.

You may know someone who is 80 years old who has smoked his entire life with no problem, but the hospital wards have plenty of thirty something year olds who are painfully wasting away because they continued to spin the roulette wheel and won, or in the case of smoking they lost.

The loss is always a huge loss, You don't get a mild dose of lung cancer or a little bit of emphysema. It's full on and it's dramatic in its outcomes.

It's time to leave the casino and seek out help; Rapid change hypnosis is the most successful way to quit smoking. You can do, you need to do it and no matter how you do it, it must be done.

And now for more free info on how to easily and quickly quit cigarettes Ian Newton invites you to go to 60minutestoquitsmoking.com. Wishing you the best of health - Ian Newton. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Stopping Smoking Is Easier With Hypnotherapy

Are you tired of the smoking habit?

More people than ever are now trying to stop smoking.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in Britain with about 114,000 deaths per year. It costs the NHS about 1.5 billion a year.

Have you tried to stop smoking in the past but found it too difficult to quit?

Many people who smoke are also trying to stop. They are often sick and tired of the smell, the cost and the negative health risks that being a smoker brings. They are fed up and bored of the burden of smoking. Non smokers sometimes can not really understand how frustrating being a smoker can be and how difficult quitting really is for some people, it can sometimes be incredibly hard. Smokers often feel very guilty for smoking especially if they have children who are aware of the risks.

Do you feel frustrated that you have not manage to give up yet?

Most smokers have tried many times to stop smoking. They have often been to NHS counselling sessions and have also tried nicotine replacement patches, gum and sprays. They have even tried medications such as Champix that may have unpleasant side effects. These treatments rely on addressing the addiction to nicotine but do not treat the habit of smoking.

Have you ever thought of trying hypnosis?

Perhaps the real reason you have failed to quit successfully in the past is you did not address the issues and the habit in your subconscious mind and that is how hypnosis can really help.

Hypnotherapy is a very safe, quick and effective method. There are no pills or patches and it is instant. Hypnosis helps by helping to change the patterns of behaviour and break the bad habit, removing the desire to smoke, and the psychological dependance. Hypnotherapists can reframe your thinking so that stopping smoking becomes a really positive thing to do and you don't feel as though you are missing out by stopping. It can help you to feel disgusted by smoking and really repulsed by the habit so that you are not ever tempted to smoke in the future. Helping you to be free of the habit of smoking forever. It is so quick and easy that most clients quit after just one session. Whether you are 18 years old or 80 years old as long as you have a genuine desire to stop smoking it is never too late to quit.

Lisa Smith is a Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist at Cheshire Hypnotherapy Est 10yrs in Altrincham. I am a member of the National Council for hypnotherapy. I often help clients with psychological issues such as stress and anxiety. I also help clients with Phobias, IBS, Insomnia, Bulimia and childbirth. Hypnotherapy is also great for stopping smoking and weight loss.

Please visit cheshirehypnotherapy.co.uk for more information about hypnotherapy and health issues. My blog is cheshirehypnotherapy.blogspot.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

What Everyone Should Know About Nicotine

There are approximately 4000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke, and of all those, nicotine is by far the most harmful. Nicotine weakens the eyesight, influences the nervous system, is harmful for the heart and blood circulation, and affects the liver, stomach, and sexual glands. Many smokers do not realise that nicotine is one of the most dangerous nerve gases. Its effects are as poisonous as the effects of cyanide. In farming, nicotine is used as an insecticide. Nicotine is carried in the blood and its effects can be seen rapidly after smoking just one cigarette. The temperature of the skin lowers by 5%C and the heart beats faster. The symptoms of acute nicotine poisoning are; headaches, vertigo, shaky hands, coughing up mucus, and general weakness. Chronic nicotine poisoning in heavy smokers causes poor appetite, digestive problems, stomach ulcers, menstrual problems, spontaneous abortion, impotence, damaged heart and veins and poor eyesight. Chronic smokers often cannot distinguish colours and have a form of night blindness.

Nicotine is highly addictive. In fact it is just as addictive as Heroin or Cocaine. The smoker's body becomes physically and psychologically dependent on its intake of this chemical. Nicotine is carried into the lungs where it is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, affecting many parts of the body, such as the heart, brain, blood vessels, the hormonal system, and metabolism. It is found in breast milk and can cross the placenta to the amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord, thus getting into the blood of newborn babies.

Nicotine is responsible for producing the pleasurable feelings associated with smoking. The addictive effects are why smokers crave another cigarette. As the nervous system adapts to the nicotine levels, so the smoker must increase the number of cigarettes to fuel the addiction. Quite rapidly the smoker will become tolerant to the levels of nicotine, so continues to smoke at that rate to maintain the level.
Such is the addiction that by even reducing the amount of cigarettes smoked in one day will cause withdrawal symptoms. The smoker may experience; depression, frustration, anger, sleeplessness, difficulty concentrating, tiredness, and an increased appetite. Symptoms come on within a few hours after smoking the last cigarette and peak in approximately 2 to 3 days.

Nicotine does not remain in the body for long. It has a half life of about 60 minutes. 6 hours after a cigarette, only 0.03 miligrams of the 1mg inhaled remains. The body has several means of expelling the nicotine from its system. The liver breaks down around 80% of the nicotine. The kidneys filter the nicotine from the blood to be excreted in the urine.

The tobacco companies want smokers to continue smoking and have developed ways to increase the nicotine content of cigarettes. They adjust tobacco blends by using high nicotine tobaccos to raise the nicotine concentration in lower tar cigarettes. Nicotine is added to fortify tobacco stems, scraps, and other waste materials that are then processed into reconstituted tobacco. This is used in great quantities in most major cigarette brands. The tobacco companies use genetic engineering of the tobacco plants to boost the nicotine content.

Wake up the fact that YOU are an addict to this drug and stop smoking NOW.

iStopSmokingHypnosis.com is the best resource online for information, guidance and tools for helping you to stop smoking. Try our very own Stop Smoking Hypnosis program, it comes with our 100% iron-clad money back guarantee, you with succeed in giving up smoking or you get a full refund! You can't beat an offer like that, so quit today! Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Top 7 Effects of Light Smoking (1 to 4 Cigarettes a Day)

It's a Saturday night - time for friends, beers and treats. Everyone else is smoking so you decide to light up just one (maybe more)...

Many people engage in "occasional" or "social" smoking because they believe it will not do them less harm than regular smoking brings. Some people choose to have just a stick or two a day to compensate their craving, believing it will have no long-term or serious effect on their health.

But this thinking VERY is wrong. Researchers from Norway assessed the health risks of light smoking which is considered smoking 1-4 sticks a day. The goal of the study was to determine whether light smoking has adverse health effects, and to what extent. Below are their findings:

1. Increased Risk of Heart Disease

The study, involving 43,000 people, found that light smokers are three times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers.

2. High Blood Pressure

The toxins found in tobacco cause a plaque build-up in the arteries. This increases the risk of blood clotting, and at the same time, disrupts the oxygen flow. One of the effects of plaque build-up in the arteries is high blood pressure - a major risk factor for stroke and heart failure.

3. Reduced Lifespan

Light smokers - those who consume one to four cigarettes a day are at higher risk of dying young as compared to those who never smoked. The risk increases as their consumption goes up and as the years go by.

4. Disrupted Blood Circulation

The circulatory system is responsible for making sure that the nutrients and oxygen taken by a person are well-distributed in his body. When the flow of blood is disrupted, some organs may weaken over time and become more vulnerable to disease and infection. Poor blood circulation is also a major factor in cardiovascular disease.

5. Lung Cancer

Both regular smokers and light smokers are at risk from dying of lung cancer. However, the study found that women are five times more likely to die from this disease while men are three times at risk.

6. Clogged Arteries

Smoking just 2 or three cigarettes a day could cause your heart arteries to stiffen. Aside from exposing the heart to illnesses, clogged arteries make it difficult for the body to cope with stress.

7. Increased Risk for other types of Cancer

Light smokers are also prone to breast cancer (especially younger women) and nasal cancer. Even though smoking is limited, the toxins are not completely eliminated from the body. Over time, they pile up and damage healthy cells.

Quitting Smoking Today

The best thing about being a light smoker is that a person has a higher chance of quitting as compared to regular smokers. If you are a light smoker, quitting is an easy challenge. The mere fact that you are not addicted to it yet is one great advantage of forever quitting on your first try. Anyway, help is always available.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Antonio Howell, MD. Help to Quit Smoking Today. Visit Help to Quit Smoking at drantoniohowell.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How Bad Friends Remind Me Of How Cigarettes Are

Is there a soul out there who has never had a bad friend? "Oxymoron!" you say. "How can a friend be a bad friend?" Well, from experience I can tell you something:

Once upon a time when quite young there was an older guy who was quite colorful. He was funny and always liked the excitement of a trick he'd play on someone. I wasn't an angel myself, and his expertise at doing mischievous things really impressed me like no one.

So all through childhood we became infrequent pals. My path was much straighter than his. He went to various schools for behavior; but whenever I'd see him, we would pal around.

But looking back, he had me on a failure track in that I did things too early... Rather than stick with my own age, I'd elect to be with him and his escapades.

It took me years--maybe sixty--before I clearly saw that our friendship in youth was not healthy as I grew up. I am sure several things I didn't do well came in part from being his friend.

I do not see him now. If I did, I would be cordial. I don't begrudge our youth. But I would be wary of his friendship right now.

The same is true of someone else. This second guy was more of an intellectual, and I thought of him as a cool mentor on topics that I knew little about. But knowing him deprived me of recognizing the truth about how I should live. However, I do respect him for what he's done in life, But I would not want to be involved with him for my sake.

Cigarette smoking is so much like these bad friends. On the surface they're something cool. They make us feel as if we've been transported to a better realm in our lifestyle. Life is more exciting. We feel a lot older (when we're quite young) and in the 'know' about aspects of life that others might not share.

Our cigarettes give us a new camaraderie with other folks who smoke, too. We're like a band of cool rebels-recognizing life's deal and escaping it some.

We really cannot perceive the truth of cigarette smokes. How could they be so bad?... There is always a 'drunk uncle' who lived to be ninety, And didn't he smoke, too? And that guy down the street: he has a cigarette-in-mouth every time we see him. He looks as fit as a fiddle.

There is an old saying: "For every prejudice there is a lie someone swears by"- and just like some bad friends cigarettes can make you lie to yourself about their worth.

The funny thing is, that once you swear off bad friends, you sense a new freedom in life. Suddenly, you are the true master of your realm.

I hasten to add candidly: cigarettes will get by just fine without your love... just as my bad friends don't miss me. There are always others to whom they can befriend... And the world goes around and 'round...

Humbler Acts, the creator of THE WIZARD'S OUTRAGEOUS SCHEME FOR STOPPING SMOKING, teaches you how you cn learn to stop smoking thoroughly by applying his plan of recording dreams and linking them to Seven Forces. Oxford educated, Humbler lives in St. Louis, MO-in retirement-with his wife of fity years. (stopsmokingwiz.com)

Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How To Be Your Own Best Friend And Lead A Life That Will Make You Happy

Subjects like this should be discussed more often, as people actually need this kind of information even though they are not aware that they do. For that reason, I will try to give you some practical information that you can use to be your own best friend and stop leading a destructive way of living. Nevertheless, it is a destructive way of living that we follow which makes our life an unhappy one, and sadly enough, we don't even know what is it that we do that makes us feel that way.

That is why following few tips will help you better understand yourself and hopefully help you overcome some of the destructive tendencies and misuse of power of will:

1. First of all, we must understand that we find ourselves in unpleasant situations simply because we attract such situations in our life, and we find ourselves in pleasant situations also because we attract such situations in our life. How? With our own thoughts. Our mind is constantly filled with various thoughts and we are barely aware about 5% of them. By learning to listen to your thoughts more carefully and directing them onto desired subjects, you will also learn how to attract desired situations to your life more easily.

2. Try to be aware about your actions. Are all your actions conscious and the way you want them to be or do you run on autopilot? Most commonly, we are also aware only about 5% of our actions, and the rest is happening without our full awareness. Try to think before you act, and do that all the time. This will slow down your tempo while at the same time allow you to filter through your intentions and see which intentions will bring you good things and which intentions will only hurt others and you.

3. Many times things in our life don't work the way we want them to and honestly, it is 100% our own fault. It was our choices and our way of thinking as well as actions that we didn't take that brought us such situations in our life. But what is done is done and can only be improved from there on.

If you feel that your life doesn't quite work the way you want it to, don't be alarmed but rather realize that you obviously don't think and act in accordance to your desires, which brings you all kinds of stuff that you like and stuff that you don't like. The only thing you can do is to accept the fact that it was you who created such life for yourself and that it is you who have all the power to recreate it the way you want it to.

You shouldn't be afraid of that creative power in you, because you use it all the time, only that you are not aware about it. By being aware about that power, you will be able to think and act in accordance to your deepest desires and create the life that you truly want to see.

Those were just three simple tips you should follow to be your own best friend and lead a life that your heart aces for. There is no use to live in abundance if you don't know how to listen to your heart and don't take proper actions to make your dreams come true.

We have everything we need and we should use that abundance in a positive way to create a beautiful life for ourselves. Remember to think before you act and be aware about your intentions. Only that way you can avoid situations that would bring you sorrow and intentionally go in the situations that will bring you joy. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How To Quit Smoking, Understand Exactly What Your Cravings Are

One of the major stumbling blocks to quitting smoking is dealing with the withdrawal cravings. I want to make a bold statement and declare that I don't believe in these cravings and I'll tell you why.

The typical cravings reported are feeling moody or angry, headaches, lack of concentration, shaky hands and a empty gnawing feeling in the chest and stomach.

I've seen tough sports people buckle before these feelings and leap at the closest cigarette. But, these feelings may not be nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

It is true that a small percentage of people experience strong nicotine withdrawal discomfort, but the vast majority of smokers, perhaps as high as 97% do not.

The symptoms they experience are something completely different, and when the cigarette companies realised this, decades ago the rubbed their hands together in glee, perhaps with an evil laugh attached.

Tobacco has long been preserved in a concentration of approximately 18% sugar. Every puff you take delivers a small sugar hit, and contributes to an artificially elevated blood sugar.

Have you ever seen a child you comes home from school, hungry after burning all the fuel they consumed at lunch? If you tell them to wait until diner, they go nuts, their behaviour is terrible.

But if you give them an after school snack, they settle down. Why? Because their blood sugar is regulated by the snack.

As a smoker you have been using cigarettes to balance your blood sugar, and you didn't even know you were doing it.

When you quit, you suffer low blood which is mistaken for nicotine withdrawal. Many people start eating sweet foods in an effort to feel better. The problem is that it works, so the response is to keep eating.

Once you understand this simple fact you can take control of your sugar cravings. Hypnosis will take care of all the emotional smoking connections and apples will solve the rest.

Apples help because they deliver the fruit sugar needed to balance blood sugar. The fibre in the apple peel binds with the fruit sugar and delivers a slow stream of energy into your blood stream.

The simple apple could be your blood sugar saviour plus they will stop you from gaining weight. The hypnosis will make it as easy as possible. This simple knowledge will offer you the easiest way to quit smoking forever, without the painful cravings most people suffer through. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Wake Up and Breathe: Stop Smoking, Part Three

What prompted me to quit smoking in 2001 was that I became a Wellness Consultant. Now, how could I effectively consult with others about wellness while I was a cigarette smoker? It was just too hypocritical! Caring about others and sharing information is integral to the woman I am. It's my hope that at least one smoker reading this will stamp out that butt once and for all! YOU have to want to do it. How have I remained a non-smoker? It's simple. I will not put a cigarette between my lips and this way I remain a non-smoker. It's a choice.

Besides the motivation to quit smoking provided by being a Wellness Consultant at the time, I chose a positive mindset to accomplish my goal.
• I viewed quitting smoking as something I was gaining versus something I was giving up. (What a difference perspective can make!)
• I no longer worried about those wicked little burn holes ruining a favorite shirt
• No more scrubbing clean the nasty amber grime of nicotine from my car's interior windows
• No sweat about an airplane delay keeping me minutes from my next smoke
• No missing part of a movie because I had to step outside the theater for a cigarette
• Don't need to reach for a pack before I answer a ringing phone
• No more aggravation over now familiar NO SMOKING signs in most public places

It's amazing how much time a non-smoker gains once they've given up the drama of a smoking life. There is no more of that familiar "I'm just going to have a cigarette before I.." vacuum the carpet, feed the dogs, take out the garbage, play with the cat, clean the dishes, mow the lawn, shampoo the baby, pull weeds, pull out your hair, etc.

There are lots of different methods to quitting. A lover of words and desktop publishing, I created a bunch of the signs made from circles with a cigarette in the center and a diagonal line through it, then blatantly stole Nike's slogan "Just Do It" which I printed beneath the graphic. I made a multitude of signs like this & placed them in my car's glove box, on the visor, in my medicine cabinet, in drawers at home and at work, on closet doors - you get the picture. I wanted, no I needed these reminders that my goal was a worthy one. It worked.

I had the pleasure of judging an eBook contest a couple of months ago and read an excellent book on the subject by Jennifer Clare: Stub Out the Habit. (No I'm not earning affiliate commission on it.) You may just find it helpful.

Recently, I picked up a pricey prescription for an oral inhaler and noticed a perplexed look on the pretty young pharmacist's face. I ruefully commented that because I wanted to be really cool when I was about 14 years old, I now get to pay over $58 for a prescription like this. Wow. Not. So. Cool.

Be smarter than I was: wake up and breathe.

In addition to health and wellness interests, Terry Lynne Hale runs a freelance writing and desktop publishing business, care2shareNOW. Her passion for the Internet fueled the writing of her first book, Ageless Internet - Internet Basics for Boomers and Seniors. Please visit agelessInternet.com for more information. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Which How To Quit Smoking Book Is The Best?

It is a difficult question to answer which how to quit smoking book is the best, because many people quit smoking using different methods. However, I think we can at least establish a basic criteria for the best, based on sales, success rate, testimonials, accessibility (how easy it is to understand), and practicality.

Books seem to be quite low down the pecking order in terms of favorite methods for quitting, yet in my experience they can offer something that other methods can't. Time. It takes time to read any book, and this can be a great advantage as it allows the methodology to really sink into the brain and take hold. Quitting smoking isn't something that can be done overnight, so it makes sense to take ones time in the buildup to quitting.

In terms of sales, and success rate, Allen Carr's EasyWay to quit smoking tops the list, and has done for years. It was first published in 1985 and has been revised three times to make it even more successful. There have been over Nine Million copies sold worldwide and it has been translated into countless languages, boasting a very high success rate - 90%.

What appealed to me about this book was the fact that the author was aware of other methods, knew that they didn't work in many cases, and took a completely different approach to quitting. Instead of saying why we should quit, he helps us understand why we continue in the first place, which makes quitting a lot easier. He also takes time to dispel many myths about smoking and nicotine addiction. Essentially, by the time you finish reading this book, you have already quit in your mind(although he suggests you keep smoking until you have finished the book).

Another popular book comes from Paul Mckenna and is titled "Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight," I didn't personally use this book but it comes highly rated and deals with the fact that many people fear they will gain weight when they quit. He takes the time to explain why this happens in some people, and how to avoid it, as well as helping you quit in the first place.

Another book that has to be mentioned is Anthony Robbins' " Awaken The Giant Within " - While it is a more generalized self-help book, it has a very good segment on smoking and if reading it can help you improve other aspects of your life too, then even better!

One thing that all three of these books have in common is that they take a psychological approach to quitting smoking and really get inside your head to help you change your ways. Allen Carr is the winner not only because of his sales, but because he actually used the method he recommends, and he focuses on quit smoking in his career, whereas the other two use psychology to improve all aspects of one's life.

For more about the psychological aspects of smoking and other quit smoking book recommendations and blogs, visit itseasytostop.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Revealing Signs That It Is Time to Withdraw From Smoking

Even smokers can be categorized. And perhaps you think you haven't crossed yet the threshold of danger of smoking to health or life. Here are questions you may contemplate on and consider to quit smoking.

Can life continue without smoking?

If this kind of retrospection ever occurred to you, then you have already or nearly necessitate the presence of smoking in your life. Contrary to those who smoke only during specific times (smoking after a meal or when drinking coffee), you probably are smoking anytime of the day without regard to how many sticks you would consume. That also means you keep extra supply of cigarettes so that you will not run out. Think also of budgeting. Most probably you are calculating how much you would allocate for cigars in a month.

Is smoking destroying personal relationships?

The problem can go as far as the workplace. Many smokers had lost their jobs because the nature of their jobs prohibits them to smoke in the workplace. Teachers, medical practitioners, guidance counselors and church leaders are among the casualties.

But losing your job may not hurt as much as losing personal relationships. You may lose your job and find another which does not require you to quit smoking. You cannot lose your family and replace it by another family. If you are quarrelling with your loved ones over this habit and the ashtray is replacing their love and caring in your heart, then you are on the brink of losing control even over your own life. Do not lose your priority.

Do you feel ashamed inwardly because of smoking?

That is your self-esteem on the line. To all people, self-esteem is of highest importance. High self-esteem is what everyone needs to be able to function properly in society. If smoking makes you feel ashamed of yourself in groups and crowds but are doing nothing to avert the problem, then you are already engulfed in a feeling of helplessness. And you cannot feel wrongly about yourself over a long period without breeding eventual self-destruction. It is time to face the problem squarely and it usually takes one quick decision to start the healing process.

Don't waste time when any of the conditions above take shape. They surely will take place in your life especially if you have been suffering from smoking habit for years.

You can end this trouble now. Just quit smoking, it's that simple.

For more information on how you can quit smoking forever, please visit quit-smoking-today-naturally-stop.blogspot.com and how-can-i-quit-smoking.blogspot.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Why Quit? A Powerful Method To Quit Smoking

The key to your success in becoming a non-smoker is to find the best method for your needs. It's great to have plenty of choices when it comes to finding a stop smoking method that will work for you. One method that has worked for many is finding a powerful WHY?

When you decided to quit smoking, what motivated you? What was the single thing that finally made you stop, re-focus, and decide once and for all to quit smoking? It may have had something to do with your children, seeing a loved one suffering from smoking related health issues, or finding yourself going to ridiculous and silly extremes just to get your hands on a cigarette.

Why is it so important to keep reminding yourself of your why is simple, really. Even the most powerful experience will start to fade over time, especially when you find yourself desperately craving a cigarette. At those times when you're most tempted to give in and have a cigarette, reminding yourself of YOUR powerful why can be a huge help in getting you past the immediate craving and keeping you on your non-smoking path to success.

The power of the WHY? is tremendous. It's sort of like getting an unexpected electric jolt that stops you in your tracks for a moment and creates a feeling like you've just hit the reset button on your brain. Developing a powerful why has a huge influence on how we choose to deal with smoking.

Your why is a powerful stop smoking tool and one that you can use to your benefit in many ways. How do you find a powerful why? One of the best ways is to sit down with a pen and paper and write down exactly why you want to quit smoking. Be as descriptive and detailed as possible, capturing the intensity of what you felt and the thoughts that came into your head. Once you have everything down on paper, make several copies and put them in places where you can easily access them when your willpower or motivation begins to fade.

Keep a copy in your wallet or purse, as well as in the glove compartment of your car and the drawer in your desk. Put a copy any place where you can grab it and read it the next time you get the urge to smoke. Some people find it helps to keep a copy in the places where they used to keep their cigarettes; that way they end up grabbing the paper instead of cigarettes when old habits kick in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Antonio Howell, MD. Help to Quit Smoking Today. Visit Help to Quit Smoking at drantoniohowell.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

I Want Quit Smoking Guides to Work

Here's what I want: quit smoking guides to recommend the same methods as me. This is because I have seen many quit smoking guides, and I feel that they are focusing on the wrong thing. You always see websites talking about the best ways to quit smoking, and then they recommend the same thing as everyone else, and often recommend many different ways.

Quitting smoking can be easy if you know the right method. Before I explain this, I'd like to go into what I feel are the wrong methods.

One of the biggest quit smoking methods out there, is known as Nicotine Replacement Therapy, the act of using gum, an inhaler, patches, even tablets, which gives you the nicotine you crave so much without having to smoke. Sure, there are great health benefits to using these methods, but in my own experience, and that of many others, they do not deal with the real smoking problem and even those who do manage to quit using these methods often end up smoking again. Nicotine withdrawal pangs are not as bad as people assume them to be, in fact they are very mild and half the time you don't even realize you are experiencing them. More on this later.

Cold Turkey is another wrong method, also known as The Willpower Method. Most people are afraid of this method as they feel they need to use something to replace cigarettes, hence the popularity of NRT. I personally barely lasted 3 days using this method even though I was telling myself constantly "I need to quit smoking," so I understand how difficult it is. The belief that smoking is hard to quit causes us to think that it is an almost impossible task, so therefore we are setting ourselves up to fail before we have even begun.

So what is the right method? Well, simply put, anything that deals with the psychological aspect of smoking. As I mentioned earlier, nicotine withdrawal pangs are very mild, and only last a few days, they aren't even strong enough to wake you up when you are sleeping. So why does it seem so hard to go without cigarettes? This is because our perception of smoking is that it is a great crutch and gives us pleasure, along with the aforementioned belief that it is very difficult to give up.

Stop kidding yourselves! Smoking does nothing for you except trick your brain into thinking it does. If you don't believe me, ask yourself why some cigarettes "taste" better (or less bad) than others, ask yourself why a cigarette can relax some people, while helping others focus, and ask yourself why it is so hard to cope without something that is just poisoning your body. Surely it is only water and food that your body can't cope without?

My recommendation to most people is to really research and understand what smoking is doing to you. Reassess your perception of smoking, and learn that it really is easy to stop. I think if more websites and quit smoking methods worked on psychology, people would be better informed to quit.

Additional information about quitting smoking and the psychological aspects of nicotine addiction can be found here: itseasytostop.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

A True Smoker's Story, "I Just Want to Live!"

I used to be a smoker before and my life then was considered a mess. I smoke a lot and I drink a lot and I never want to stop smoking. I never care for my health and what other people might think of me. The only thing I care about is how I can get myself some cigars every minute. I started smoking when I was 15 and at that young age I never knew that smoking could be so addictive and because of some friends that I knew back then they were the ones who taught me how to smoke.

At first it was just for fun and I just want to fit in with my friends. But later on it had become my hobby, my vitamins and my life. I thought I could never live without smoke so I always made sure that I have money to buy smoke. It was my last year in college when I noticed something different in my body, I started to feel weak and I always get dizzy and headaches. When I went for a check the doctor found out that I have a weak lungs and my liver is not functioning well.

I asked the doctor why and what causes my condition and he's answer struck me by surprise. It was all because of smoking. When I heard that news from the doctor I don't know what to say and I could not even look at the doctor in front of me. I was a bit shy and I feel so ashamed of myself. When I arrived at home I saw the cigarettes on my table and the ashes all over the floor. That was the time that I said to myself I should stop smoking. I need to change and I need to have my healthy body again if I want to live more.

I used to dream of having a happy family but how can I do it if I will die young and I will not stop smoking. That is the reason why I stop smoking after long years of smoking. It is not easy but I tried my best for the sake of my health and my future. I just want to live and I want to have a happy family in my future. I never want my kids to see me in this condition and I don't want them to be as I was before. This is how I opened my eyes and stop smoking for good.

Visit stopsmokingarticle.com to learn best and easy ways to stop smoking. Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever! Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How to Keep Your Teen From Being Attracted to Smoking

"My daughter has just touched 14 and she is beginning to get attracted to smoking," says Rachel with a cigarette on her lips and a cup of coffee in her hand.

The reply follows, "Oh these teenagers! I fail to understand them. It is the same story with my son. I told him to stop it, but where do they listen! Only their peer opinion matters to them."

No, this does not work; you need to know your teen better than that.

Parents' involvement is crucial

Teenagers are kids in adult stature. Don't give up on them. Your involvement is crucial in preventing them from being attracted to smoking.

Children in their teens do need their own space, but they need you too. They love you, value your opinion and strive to meet your expectations.

Allow them individuality, but remain closely involved: Not to pry on their privacy, but as a dear friend and a caring solicitor.

You are the parent

Use patience and understanding more than your overgrown kid can. Silently swallow their initial disapproval. By and by you will notice them treading the path laid by you.

At this juncture, please refrain from airing your own vanity as to how right you were and how immature they are. It will reverse the teens' attitude.

Be the role model

Even if you yourself are a smoker, there is a way out. Talk to your child openly. Accept that tobacco is addictive. In spite of being a victim of its ill effects, you are unable to quit smoking.

Smoking exhibits weakness of character, and you would want your child to follow only your strengths.

Spend time together

Conversations at the dining table open a window to your teen's world. Most certainly it is you, the parent, who needs to learn the ways of the new generation.

Don't pull children back into the old times. Explore their exciting new world. Be friends to their friends and socialize with them; not as a guardian but as a friend. You will be amazed at the welcome you receive. They will happily imbibe your wisdom under the cover of your comradeship.

Wow! You have influenced the peer opinion. Your teen sees you in new light now: respected and loved by the peer. You have won the confidence, admiration and respect of your young brat.

Tackle the root cause of teens being attracted to smoking

During teenage, children see themselves as adults but fail to meet the adults' expectations. Their emotional upheaval jeopardizes their social image and scholastic achievements. Anxiety and depression grip them and they succumb to various vices.

Parents' and teachers' thoughtful considerations can go a long way to help teenagers through the turmoil of teens:

Believe in your teenagers and let them know that you trust them.Appreciate each of their achievements, however small it may be.Offer only constructive guidance and not diktats.Sweeping criticisms: No. Absolutely Not!Always be there for your children: Give your time, mind and support.Make the home a happy place to come to: Parents relationship makes an impact on teens' psyche.Eat dinners at home together with your children: Open conversations at the dinning table help resolve children's day-to-day conflicts.Entrust your teenagers with responsibilities.Set goals for them and help them come out winners.Encourage them to participate in outdoor games.Strive with them to meet their scholastic aspirations.Allow them to indulge in reading for pure pleasure.Help them resolve their peer conflicts.Equip them such that they are able to evaluate media and peer's recommendations with knowledge.

"Smoking is cool and mod" is a myth created by the tobacco industry

Let children know that tobacco smoking is and has always been nothing but a vice. It is neither cool nor modern.

Once attracted to smoking, you are hooked to it for life. The harmful chemicals of tobacco keep corroding the body slowly but surely.

Hopefully, on knowing this teenagers will retreat from being attracted to smoking.

Life is beyond teenage

Educate children on harmful effects of tobacco. Support your views with scientific data and give them time to ponder.

Besides many diseases commonly associated with tobacco consumption, "smoking is also linked to impotence, decreased sperm count, sperm abnormalities and poor outcomes of pregnancy." [For more details on this please see the reference given below]

Teenagers couldn't be attracted to smoking in preference to love life!

Reference:

Canadian Institute on Child Health. Environmental hazards: protecting children. Canadian Institute of Child Health, Ottawa, 1997.

Hey, I am Ren Chats, an experienced paediatrician. Solving child health related perplexities is my passion. Teenage depression is often overlooked childhealth-explanation.com/teenage-depression.html. Understand teenagers - childhealth-explanation.com/teenagers.html. Subscribe for free monthly "Child Health Chat" from any of the above links. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Quit Now!

There are many products and medications to help you stop smoking. First are the nicotine replacement products in the form of gum or a patch. Some people are able to use these products with success. They do not, however, ease the burden of changing habits.

Drugs available include the antidepressant Wellbutrin or Zyban, and a newer product Chantix. Wellbutrin or Zyban helps some people quit, although the way it works is not well understood. Chantix is believed to hit the nicotine receptor sites in the brain and stimulating them and also blocking nicotine from getting to the site. All of these are prescription products and have potential side effects.

There are many habits that are tough to quit. Smoking is one of the toughest! Everyone refers to smoking as an addiction. It does have some addictive properties, but as a former smoker, I believe it is much more of a habit than an addiction. When you quit, you get through the addictive withdrawal in about 5 days, but the habit is another issue.

If you are a smoker, you really want to strive to be fit and healthy, and quitting is the first step.

There are many triggers to lighting a cigarette. Triggers are common. If you get in a car and put the key in the ignition, that is a trigger to fasten your seat belt. The triggers to lighting a cigarette are numerous. Triggers include getting in a car, answering the phone, finishing a meal, having a cup of coffee or glass of alcohol, or a friend coming over. All of these are triggers that make you want to light a cigarette.

Quitting smoking takes a lot of gumption. You must gear up for it, plan for it and expect to battle it for 4 to 6 months. I suggest starting by cutting your cigarette consumption by 1/2 each day. If you are smoking 2 packs or 40 cigarettes a day, on day one smoke only 1 pack or 20 cigarettes. On day 2 you can smoke 1/2 pack or 10 cigarettes and on day 3 you can have 5 cigarettes. Then on day 4, you quit. The first day when you reduce by 1/2 it is not too hard. But days 2 and 3 are harder.

Before you quit, you will want to examine your triggers. Write them down. Decide which ones you can change. For example, you could give up coffee for a couple of weeks and have a soda instead. You will still get your caffeine. You could give up alcohol for several weeks. You could not get together with your friends who are smokers. At the end of each meal, you must immediately get up and do something. You can't just sit there and talk. If you stay preoccupied, it helps. Also, take lots of showers. You will find that while you are in the shower, you will not desire a cigarette. You will probably want to go to bed early.

You must fight a daily battle for between 4 and 6 months before you finally forget about them! But the battle is worth it. You will find your lungs feel better in the first few days. You will smell better in a few days. You will be able to taste food again in a couple of weeks. And 1 to 2 years later, your lungs will recover greatly. Good luck. It is worth it and you can do it.

Phil Kennedy, MD family physician and new author. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Two Easy Ways to Quit Smoking

I know how is it like when you are on that border when you either make one step more and stop smoking or your procrastinate a bit longer. I used to smoke and know that I prayed to God to offer me some easy ways to quit smoking, and I can tell you that there actually are easy ways, but easy does not necessarily mean that you will not need to do something after all. You will indeed need to do more than you think, but it will be much easier to quit smoking as a result of your efforts.

#1 First of all, you need to make up your mind that you will quit smoking, and that's it. You must make that decision, because as long as you procrastinate and try to find all kind of excuses and try to lower the amount of cigarette smoke that you consume each day, you will not get anywhere. Quit smoking means to QUIT the habit. It means that you are no longer IN the habit. And if you are no longer in the habit, there is no excuse as to why you would light a cigarette again.

#2 When you finally make that decision, start looking for the next steps. You first need to throw away your cigarette boxes if there are still any left and then you are ready to overcome the habit. Now, what happens when you don't smoke anymore is the same thing that happens when we detract any kind of addendum from our mind.

Our mind needs every little thing it is conditioned to do in order to feel satisfied. And the moment that something starts missing, we start to feel dissatisfied. The easy way to quit smoking is to give our mind something else to do whenever it needs a cigarette.

Your best option is to direct all your concentration and energy to create something that will benefit you. You might want to start your own online business and put all your free time into it. You might use your time to write amazing articles and publish them on your very own blog for the whole world to see. You can have your own blog set up for free or for a very low cost.

Use your own imagination and creativity to create something great. You will be very thankful to make that step as you will actually be able to direct your life in the direction that you have always wanted it to go. And trust me, when you quit smoking, you will see that you have hold yourself back a big time and that you can actually achieve great things if you keep your mind strong. Averting from smoking and purposefully using that time for other things will make you quite strong to move your life ahead.

This was just an example of few things that you can do to quit smoking. Do you want to learn some of the best ways to stop smoking? Then you should read the full article about easy ways to quit smoking and wake up in a new day as a non-smoker. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Best Way to Quit Smoking

If you really are looking for the best way, quit smoking websites can force you to spend hours going in circles. Many of them are promoting several different things, and while many people have probably quit successfully with each of those methods, I used to find it very confusing, which advice was I supposed to follow?

Basically, I ended up trying a different method each time. I think I even adopted the philosophy "Well, I'll try method A first, then move on to method B." - Talk about setting yourself up to fail!

I tried Nicotine Replacement Therapy first, things such as nicotine inhalers, gum, patches, all of that. This was basically because I believed I was fully addicted to nicotine and nothing else. I started off with the gum, thinking that it would be less embarrassing and I could even chew it indoors, but I got 0 satisfaction from it whatsoever and smoked again after 3 days, it didn't even seem to alleviate my withdrawal pangs. I then moved on to the inhaler, thinking that it was the "smoking action" that I missed, but although it seemed better than the gum, it failed me within a few days as well, all it seemed to do really was remind me of cigarettes and make me constantly think about them. It turned out that Nicotine Replacement Therapy doesn't work, so I needed to move on and try something else.

Next I tried cutting down, I figured if I could get down to 10 a day, and then down to 5 a day, I could eventually stop. Even if it took me a long time, I would be smoking less, so that was good right? Well, no, again, all it did was remind me of smoking, and it even made me wish my life away, willing the clock to go faster so I could have my next cigarette.

Moving on, I tried cold-turkey, lasted a few hours, didn't know what to do, gave up. By this point, I had quit 5 times ( I used the inhaler on several different occasions) and had decided that I was too weak willed to quit, or that I just needed to have a health scare or something equally ridiculous to make me quit.

Not being able to quit is one of the most depressing things in the world. You hate yourself for smoking, but you can't give it up. It's terrible. I was basically resigned to "dreaming" about giving up smoking instead of actually trying it, until a friend recommended Allen Carr's book to me.

I read it once, and never smoked again. I was so surprised that just reading a book over the course of a few weeks (I wanted to take my time to absorb it, but it's not particularly heavy reading) could make me stop, after failing with so many other things. Not only that, it was EASY. It didn't use scare tactics or health risks to make me quit, it just told me how easy it should be to quit smoking, told me why (I won't go into it here), and I read along and followed the advice and hey, smoke free for over a year.

It is simple psychology, but what is great about it is that it explains to you why you smoke, not why you should stop, and it focuses on the psychological, mental addiction, almost ignoring the nicotine addiction (which he made me realize was nominal)

Allen Carr's Easy Way to stop smoking is the number one selling book in the stop smoking industry, with over 9 million copies sold at the time of writing. If you are looking for the best way, quit smoking with Allen Carr and millions of other people! This book enjoys are 90% success rate, and I'm glad to say that I am one of them. You could be too.

Dominic Wells. Further reading: itseasytostop.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Quitting Smoking, How Hypnosis Works and Why Other Methods Often Fail

Often the people who come to me in my Toronto (Ontario, Canada) Hypnosis Smoking Cessation clinic have tried just about everything to quit. How does hypnosis help a smoker quit for good when numerous other methods failed? Here's what I've learned over the years.

The three key elements responsible for smoking behaviour in increasing order of significance are: Nicotine, Habit and "Secondary Gain". Unfortunately the least important "the nicotine" is the one that gets all the attention when it is really the last two that are the biggest obstacles to a successful quit.

I've had the opportunity to interview many people who have used stop smoking medications. A common theme among them is unpleasant side effects and that many users face a long hard struggle to remain smoke free after they come off the drugs. This is why the long-term quit rate (1 year) isn't that much better than cold turkey. Smoking cessation drugs don't properly address the secondary gain and habit issues that are such an important part of smoking behaviour. All the drugs do is make smoking highly unpleasant and unsatisfying. Unfortunately in rare cases they make all of life seem unsatisfying which is a possible explanation for why some users have committed suicide while on these drugs. Life just doesn't feel worth living.

We have 2 minds, a conscious mind and an unconscious mind. Our conscious mind is the logical, rational mind that we use to think with, plan with, and that we would love to believe is in control. However, it is the unconscious mind that really controls our behaviour because it stores our memories, it stores our emotions, it stores our habits. So even when we think we are making a conscious decision, we are really making an unconscious decision because we must go into the data in the unconscious mind to make that decision. Is this right? Is this wrong? Should I, or shouldn't I?

If you are a smoker who is at the point that you are ready to quit, then these two minds are in conflict. Your conscious mind knows that smoking is bad, but when you think about it, it doesn't really feel bad. Cigarettes may feel comforting, or like a companion or a crutch that you need to get through the day. These feelings of "perceived benefits" or "secondary gain" are the strongest drivers of your smoking behaviour. That's why nicotine patches, gums and inhalers fare so poorly in the war against smoking. They don't provide the secondary gain. They just aren't satisfying. Unless the secondary gain issues (which are most often erroneous unconscious beliefs) are dealt with, you may initially succeed at quitting, but substitute another undesirable behaviour like eating or simply just start smoking again after a short period of time.

It should be noted that until you reach the point of internal conflict, hypnosis is likely to be unsuccessful because you have no motivation to change. People who don't want to quit are looking for all the ways that hypnosis won't work rather than cooperating with the process to get results. Motivation is important because hypnosis doesn't remove free will. You could still smoke after hypnosis, but if you have a desire to be a non-smoker, and nothing driving you to smoke, why would you? The answer is--you wouldn't.

Hypnosis is the only modality that can address all three of the elements responsible for keeping a smoker smoking. A skilled hypnotist can help you to identify, isolate and transform these feelings so that your conscious and the unconscious minds are aligned on being a non-smoker. Once this occurs your drive to smoke is greatly reduced. Many people could quit at this point, but a good hypnotist will then layer in techniques to prevent nicotine withdrawal and give you the feeling that you have already quit. This makes smoking feel more like something you used to do, but don't do anymore. This helps to break down the habit and make you feel like "I can do this".

Hypnosis is not magic, but for many who have struggled for years attempting to quit, it often feels like it.

Barry Moore, MNLP, CH is a smoking cessation specialist who provides help to quit smoking for people in the Greater Toronto Area. Barry has helped many people successfully quit when nicotine replacement therapy, laser, quit smoking drugs and cold turkey have failed. Hypnosis is the easy way to quit smoking without drugs or cravings. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

What Does The Reader Who Smokes Want To Accomplish?

Do you ever ask when you start reading a blog, "What do I want to accomplish?" And when you start on a stop smoking blog do you ask, "What do I really want to get out of this short blog?" I know I hardly do when I start on something to read. But we really should try to define our purpose.

And what can I hope to achieve even writing a blog that talks about stopping smoking or not ever starting? I mean, it really comes down to some hard questions.

Let's try to talk about them now:

I would think you either are a smoker or have a loved one; and in either case you want to stop yourself or want that one to stop. Am I right here? I doubt that a reader who is not so interested in the subject would care to read it long.

So let's say you're the one who wants to stop smoking. And let's say you've tried many things. And you would love someone to touch you so strongly that you really have got to stop. And here I am trying to accomplish your goal.

What could I say that you have not heard from countless others? That you will go to Hell?? That your life will be ruined quite soon? That the ones you love will start getting used to the idea that you won't live long? That the guy or gal you are dating is never going to get serious with you because you don't take yourself seriously with regard to your future health? You haven't bought that stuff! And I know you'd love to.

But something says, "No!" inside you. And if you're someone who makes decisions in life and then fulfills those decisions, you must be real baffled about why this one thing just won't let you get off the dime.

So maybe what I now tell you will help move you: You think you are just one person-you've got one brain and one heart and a couple lungs-and your thoughts are just what you think... But I've got some hard news for you: Are you ready?

Here is the deal: and believe it: You are not one person. You're made up of seven. Growl as you wish; but it's the truth. And here's what happened when you or your loved one puffed a cigarette on that first day. All your Seven Forces (except the Sexual ) rebelled and groaned. But the next day and then the next week and the following months, they gradually all got real hooked. And now how are you fit to coax all of them off of cigarettes after so long?

You simply are not fit. But you need to get fit. You need to find a method that helps you start transforming Your Seven Forces from being hooked to agreeing to get educated so that something better will take the place of your cigarettes.

Now once you understand this, maybe you can change this on your own or find some plan that will in some way help you cope with this problem. Try anything that fits your life. And if none of them work, then maybe mine will help.

If you elect to try my plan, be prepared to spend a few minutes every day dealing with things you'll discover.

... Now, have you gotten some new feeling you didn't have when you first began this blog?

Humbler Acts, the creator of THE WIZARD'S OUTRAGEOUS SCHEME FOR STOPPING SMOKING, teaches you how you can learn to stop smoking thoroughly by applying his plan of recording dreams and linking them to Seven Forces. Oxford educated, Humbler lives in St. Louis, MO-in retirement-with his wife of fifty years. (stopsmokingwiz.com). Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How To Get Someone To Quit Smoking

Is smoking a personal choice that only affects the smoker?

NO!

Smoking is a health hazard so great that... and the scariest thing is an estimated... people in the world take part in it.

SO HOW DO YOU GET SOMEONE TO KICK THIS HABIT FOR GOOD?

1. Ask the person if he smokes. Even if you've known that person your whole life, ask the person. You'll get that person to acknowledge his smoking habit out loud not only to you but also to himself.

2. Ask the person how long he's been smoking in years.

3. Ask the person how many cigarettes that person has smoked a day. The purpose of these two questions is to make the person understand how serious his smoking habit is.

4. Ask the person if he is willing to quit.

5. If the person is willing to quit then ask the person what is stopping him from quitting, i.e. what are his barriers? Gaining weight? Depression? Fear of failure? Listen to the person's concerns respectfully and do not mock the person. Then try to work through the person's barriers by involving a primary care physician. Research has proven that the most effective quitters are the ones who regularly contact their physician who can provide them with endless smoking related counseling as well as nicotine products.

If the person is not willing to quit, then ask the patient what he benefits from smoking. When the patient responds, then tell the patient about the big risks of smoking including infertility, many different types of cancers (not only lung, but also bladder, esophageal, pancreatic and oral cancers), bad breath, dry mouth,heart attacks, ulcers, and the list goes on and on. Remember to play on that person's fears - if the person is concerned with his weight and image, then tell the person smoking ages smokers and causes premature wrinkles.

Once the person has realized the risks of smoking, educate him on the benefits of quitting (again, play on the person's feelings). If the person is a father, mention the numerous health benefits not only for himself but also for his children. If the person is a lover, mention that he'll smell better once he quits, and so on.

6. Remove all smoking related paraphernalia. This includes cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and cigars from the home, office, and car.

7. Make the person keep a record of what stimulates smoking. He can just carry a piece of paper with him and write down when he feels like smoking - is it when he's in the car? in bed? when watching tv?

8. Set up a date when that person will begin the quitting. This should be marked specifically on a calendar to mentally prepare the person for quitting, and after that day the person should not smoke even once.

9. Reward the person for not smoking when he feels like it. Remember that piece of paper that has all the stimuli for smoking (step 7)? Well, when the person overcomes the urge and doesn't smoke, give him a small reward or just acknowledge and encourage his effort.

10. Encourage regular physician follow ups. As I said before, the most successful quitters are the ones who involve physicians. So the person should be encouraged to visit his doctor at least once a week for the first month of quitting, then once every 2 weeks, and so on.

Remember that above all else, the person needs support from family and friends. So don't be judgmental or impatient.

Be sure to check out my other useful articles! Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Stop Smoking in Stoptober

The NHS has designated October as 'Stop Smoking in October' month. For some people this may well be all the motivation they need to commit to becoming a non-smoker. They may decide to use the support being provided and make the most of the opportunity. For others there may be a weary resignation to once again being treated as a leper in polite company, a 'here we go again' sense of being lectured at and treated with disdain.

Let's look at some quiet, supportive ways to help someone stop smoking in Stoptober:

- Identify the differences between your cigarettes. Some cigarettes will be more important than others. Many will be smoked out of habit, almost on auto pilot; after a phone call has ended, after food, with a coffee, driving the car. Look at ways to cut out the ones that are done automatically, without any real thought or desire.

- Introduce distraction techniques to intercept your automatic smoking times. The desire curve for a cigarette is very short, approximately two minutes, so find ways to take your mind off smoking. A human being can only think of one thing at a time so count up to 100 slowly, go for a drink of water, talk to someone, focus on reading something absorbing. By then the urge for a cigarette will have subsided.

- Change your routine so that there is no association with cigarettes and smoking. Do things in a different order in the morning, use a different colour mug, sit in another chair, take another route to work, maybe rearrange your room so that there is no association with the old habit pattern of smoking.

- Consider what cigarettes mean to you. Are they a treat, a secret pleasure, a reward, a way to contain stress, frustration or anger? Discover what cigarettes mean to you and look at other ways of achieving that same result. Find treats that are more constructive: a relaxing bath, a walk with a friend, going for a run, 30 minutes with a good book, listening to music. Any of these might be more effective ways to introduce some quality 'me' time into your life.

- If you were going for a cigarette and at that exact moment received an important phone call you would forget the cigarette and take the call. Appreciate that a true drug addict would not be so easily distracted from having a fix. Focus on breaking the habit pattern and change the behaviour that supports the habit.

- Money is rarely a reason to stop smoking; smokers usually justify the money without too much concern. Even so, use the money you save from not buying cigarettes to do something for yourself. Buy a bunch of flowers, take your friend or partner out for an evening, treat yourself, so that you have another reason to give thanks for becoming and remaining a non-smoker.

- Hypnotherapy is used by some people to support their determination to become non-smokers. Many people start smoking at an early age because of peer pressure or they lack confidence and use cigarettes to hide behind. As you get older often these reasons are no longer relevant. Hypnotherapy can help you focus on where you are today and free you from the burden of an old, unwanted, destructive weakness/habit/pattern.

Identify the benefits to your life and health of being free from your smoking habit. By introducing exercise, better diet, hypnotherapy and more positive ways of coping with stress you'll find that being a non-smoker becomes a comfortable part of your commitment to your life and wellbeing.

Susan Leigh is a long established counsellor and hypnotherapist who works with clients to help with relationship conflict, stress, assertiveness and confidence issues. She works with individual, clients, couples and in corporate situations.

Her book 'Dealing with Death - Coping with the pain' is a self help book dealing with loss, grief and endings in many different life situations. The loss of a loved person, animal, relationship, career is a devastating blow that this book helps the reader work through.

To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles visit lifestyletherapy.net. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Wake Up and Breathe: Stop Smoking Part 1

"You are a fifty-one year old woman with the lungs of a seventy-five year old... " the doctor began. My ordinarily youthful, upbeat attitude took a dive when he clarified "you smoked for thirty-two years, about two packs a day?" "Sounds about right." I replied, beaten. After all, it's not like I asked him "Why me?" or "How could this happen?" I knew perfectly well how I arrived at this moment and I'll tell you that for a person with few regrets in her lifetime, this one suddenly loomed large. Still, a hint of a bedside manner would have been appreciated even though I am a bottom line kind of woman. I got the message.

When the news is dramatic and frightening, of the no-turning-back variety-- you take heed. This is real. This is the direct result of choices I made; there is no one else to blame. Sickening, completely helpless emotions tried to drown my fortitude and I admit, for a few days I lounged on the pity pot. But only for a few days because I am blessed with a resilient spirit.

Thankfully, I'd awakened to the realization that I was slowly killing myself and after countless attempts at quitting smoking, I finally did it March 25, 2001. Fast forward to April 2006 and I'm reflecting on my last major asthma attack in the seventies, wishing my (then) record of quitting for 9 months, 22 days and 8 hours had stuck. But no, it was the time of white Chic jeans with rainbow stripes down the sides and I owned a few pair: size five, size seven, size nine but when I had to purchase size 11, I picked up a pack of cigarettes on my way back home from the local shopping center. Smoking since I was a pre-teen with anesthetized taste buds, a pretty poor appetite and until then, a metabolism that others envied, I wasn't prepared for the results of eating six Heath Ice Cream Bars in one setting. I hadn't a clue what might occur when I devoured quart upon quart of Italian Ices or any of the similar indulgences I abused during those nine months. Size eleven on my 5'4" frame was more than my ego could bear so lighting up nipped that problem in the bud. Yessiree.

My journey toward becoming a non-smoker took another couple of decades. Time spent trying different methods of quitting, making promises to myself - swiftly broken promises. As I reflected on the recent news delivered by a no-nonsense Doc, I wished for the umpteenth time that I'd never started smoking.

In addition to health and wellness interests, Terry Lynne Hale runs a freelance writing and desktop publishing business, care2shareNOW. Her passion for the Internet fueled the writing of her first book, Ageless Internet - Internet Basics for Boomers and Seniors. Please visit agelessInternet.com for more information. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

How To Quit Smoking When You Are A Student

Younger people continue to take up smoking at a high rate. Many of these are students and they use cigarettes as a way to relax and to help them to think.

Assuming that most students are fairly intelligent individuals it calls into question just why they started in the first place given the vast amount of negativity associated with cigarettes.

In order to know how to quit it is important to get a few facts straight.

1. Smoking does not help students or anyone else to relax for that matter. Nicotine gives a brief feeling of calm followed by an adrenal burst which floods your body with adrenalin. This is no way to relax.

2. Cigarettes do not help anyone to think. The action of taking time out is what helps; cigarettes just send 4000 toxic chemicals racing around your blood stream and into your brain.

3. Students should be spending their spare cash partying with friends not on cigarettes.

Most students are young and this is the perfect time to quit. To be accurate any time is the perfect time to quit as long as it is sooner rather than later. Quitting for someone who has smoked just a few years is no different than for someone who has smoked for twenty years.

There is often a belief amongst young smokers that it is easy to quit and that they will be able to quit when they are ready to, yet deep down they know that it it's not that simple.

To quit, you need to be clear that there is nothing of value in smoking for you anymore. You must understand that smoking is harming you and that it will eventually kill you, and if you think that you will be an exception to the rule that belief would be exhibiting signs of insanity.

Once you are clear about the problems and committed to quit then hypnosis will be your fastest and most successful solution. The reason is that hypnosis can access your subconscious mind and gently sweep away all your connections with smoking.

New positive suggestions will be made to help you stay away from smoking for life. This process will make it easier for you remain a non smoker for life, without the normal stress associated with quitting.

Just knowing there is a way for you to quit without the usual difficulties will help you to make the decision and free yourself from smoking.

And now for more free info on how to easily and quickly quit cigarettes Ian Newton invites you to go to 60minutestoquitsmoking.com. Wishing you the best of health - Ian Newton. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Top 10 Things You Need to Do to Quit Smoking

Is giving up smoking as easy as throwing your cigarette in the trash? Or is smoking cessation necessarily involve a long, agonizing and stressful process which a smoker needs to endure to fully free himself from nicotine addiction? Or, does quitting require a series of physical, psychological, and emotional preparations to ensure a successful transition from nicotine dependence to nicotine free living? Regardless of what you believe, quitting smoking is a lot easier with a little preparation.

Anybody, even you can benefit from a little bit of preparation. Below are the 10 things you need to do before finally deciding to kick smoking out of your life. It should be noted that these things done all together as a whole do enhance your chances of successfully quitting.

1. Don't just cut it down.
Quitting cold turkey isn't the best remedy for your smoking addiction problems. Sometimes, it even forces you to want more. There are two reasons for this. One is the unwanted symptoms cause by withdrawal, and the second one refers to the psychological factors. It would be great if you can start eliminating the psychological factors that bring you into the habit. As this happens, you'll go a long way.

2. Determine why exactly you want to quit.
People who don't smoke would tell a thousand reasons why you should quit. You might have heard them plenty of times already until they no longer mean anything to you. The internet, TV commercials, radio campaigns and posters all say the same thing. But in identifying the reason to quit, you need to focus on something that really means to you. Write such reason/reasons and stick to them.

3. Do it for yourself, not for anyone else.
While you can get inspiration and deep sense of motivation to quit smoking today from your family and friends, you need to quit not because you want to please them or you're tired of hearing them saying 'quit now'. Do it for yourself. When you do this, you'll have the willpower you need to successfully stop lighting up.

4. Calculate how much you spend on smoking.
Did you ever try to compute how much you spend for your cigarette? If you're like most smokers, you won't. Or else, it'll just disappoint you. But try this and you'll have another driving force to stop smoking now. Studies reveal that an average smoker spends around 2,000 dollars!

5. Imagine the things you would have spent that money on.
What could you have purchased with your 2,000 dollars? Maybe you could have bought new sets of furniture at home or you could have traveled and spend quality time with your family. What if you've been smoking for 5 or 10 years now? You could have bought a new car or have settled a huge down payment for your home loan. Well, it isn't too late. You can start saving money if you quit smoking now.

6. Think of how many days you spent on smoking
It's like counting money you could have saved but this is a more significant thing because it talks about your health. Perhaps, the most compelling reason why you should stop smoking today is to live longer. Did you know that you lose five minutes of your life every time you light up one cigarette?

7. Think of the positive things smoking do for you.
If you find it hard to acknowledge the positive effects of quitting smoking, maybe you can do it the other way around. Think of what smoking does for you. Does it make you happy? Research says it doesn't. In fact, it makes you depressed sooner or later. At the end of the day, you'll realize that you'll get nothing out of it.

8. Imagine yourself as a non-smoker.
It's the same as imagining yourself to be a healthy, happy, and good-looking person, someone who is adored by many people, and someone who would live longer.

9. Set a quit date.
When do you wish to stop smoking? The sooner, the better it is. But don't push yourself too much. Be realistic. Seek professional help if you think you need to.

10. BELIEVE you can DO IT.
You need no miracles to quit smoking today. As long as you believe in yourself, you can absolutely get through it and beat the odds.

Cheers to a smoke-free life!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Antonio Howell, MD is just a guy trying to make a difference in the world by helping people quit smoking. And you? Visit Help to Quit Smoking at drantoniohowell.com. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

Quitting Smoking Does Not Have to Be a Difficult Task

Smoking has become one of the deadliest addictions and is responsible for causing the death of thousands of people every year. Smoking essentially makes you addicted to a harmful chemical known as nicotine that is present in cigarettes. This unhealthy addiction can cause serious medical complications such as cancer, cervical cancer in women, heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, impotence and high blood pressure. Whether you are a new smoker or a heavy smoker, quitting the habit can be tough. However, the right approach and a suitable treatment can help to get rid of your smoking habits and manage your cravings.

Why quitting smoking can seem tough?

Smoking is both a psychological and a physical addiction that can quite easily become a daily habit. The nicotine present in cigarettes gives you a temporary euphoria when it binds to nicotine receptors in the brain. This is the reason you mostly experience side effects after quitting smoking. These side effects include physical withdrawal symptoms and other psychological effects. The physical effects usually range from headaches, irritation, agitation, diarrhea and insomnia. Although these effects do not last more than a week, they can make quitting very challenging for even the most determined person.

Giving up smoking is also difficult because of emotional and psychological dependency on nicotine for everyday situations. The unhappy feelings associated with stress, loneliness, depression and anxiety are some of the most common factors, which drive a person to smoking. In such unpleasant situations, lighting up a cigarette seems to provide some kind of relief. The temporary feeling of euphoria experienced after smoking can make you feel good about situations. However, for leading a healthier life you need to keep a check on your emotional cravings.

You can take the help of exercises, meditation and simple breathing exercises to overcome the withdrawal symptoms. Nowadays, you can also make use of smoking cost calculator, which helps you to calculate how it is draining you financially. A wide variety of smoking cessation treatments is available which can help you to quit your smoking habit. Champix is a 12-week treatment, which helps you to quit smoking easily without experiencing any withdrawal symptoms. It can be purchased in the dosage strength of 0.5 mg and 1 mg. You would be to take one 0.5 mg pill for the first three days, followed by two 0.5 mg pills for the next four days. Finally, you start taking 1 mg pill for the next 11 weeks.

Majority of smokers do not feel the urge to smoke after the 12-week treatment, but if you still do not see any difference then consult doctor and extend the course of treatment. It works by inhibiting the receptors in your brain, which usually binds to nicotine. Champix prevents you from feeling the withdrawal symptoms and does not allow you to derive any pleasure during smoking. The common side effects of this medication include nausea, headaches, diarrhoea, flatulence, mood swings and upset stomach.

This article has been written by Ian Caspar and delivers information about the difficulties that addiction to smoking can cause and how you can overcome them. You can visit smokefreetn for more information on quit smoking. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.

The Effects of Smoking While You Are Pregnant

Gravity of the effects of smoking

Imagine the plight of the tiny fetus locked in the womb: the only source of fresh air is through the mother's blood supply; and that too loaded with tobacco smoke! This amounts to directly infusing poison into baby's blood - nicotine and more.

It is now proved beyond doubt that smoking at home and in cars, even with open doors and windows, accumulates high levels of potentially hazardous chemicals in the ambient air.

The harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy may even strike after decades

35 years ago Pamela was having a baby. She was all excited, but just 8 weeks before the expected due date, bleeding and pain started. Promptly diagnosis of "placenta previa" was made, which it was not.

It was a panic diagnosis for a dear colleague. Yes, this is a real life story of a doctor couple, where the husband was a heavy smoker.

What got overlooked by medical professionals three decades ago is being ignored by lot of parents even today. Millions of children each year are exposed to cigarette smoke in mother's womb.

Did Pamela's child grow up to be a healthy adult? Nope, certainly not!

25 years later diverse hormonal and psychosocial issues engulfed the well accomplished youth.

Could the youth's health problems be due to secondhand smoke experienced in the fetal life? Could be; or maybe not! That is it: The harmful effects of smoking strike so long after, that the parents find it difficult to correlate.

Pregnancy loss

Today it is confirmed that secondhand smoking is as injurious to health as direct smoking. Pregnant women who continue to smoke, directly or passively, are more likely to experience premature births, spontaneous abortions and even stillbirths.

Hampers growth and development of fetus

Their babies have noticeably low birth weight. Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke hampers optimal growth and development of the fetus. Their lung development is compromised too. Moreover, these babies are predisposed to pass meconium within the womb which endangers their life.

Birth defects

Pregnancy exposed to tobacco smoke results in increased risk of birth defects in the offspring: Heart defects, neural tube defects, hydrocephalus, small head with corresponding small brain within, short limbs and club foot.

Impairs learning and behavioural development of childhood

The harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy continue to surface throughout life. Children of the parents who continue to smoke through the pregnancy are more inclined to start smoking during the tender years of middle childhood and continue to smoke lifelong.

Prenatal secondhand smoking is associated with antisocial behaviour and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. It has also been proved to impair learning and behavioural development of childhood.

Effects on breastfeeding

Smoking during pregnancy disturbs hormones, often leading to poor initiation of breast milk secretion. Consequently, the infant is weaned off to top feeds prematurely. Both the mother and the infant thus suffer a wide variety of consequences associated with failure of breastfeeding.

A mother who smokes through pregnancy continues to do so even later. As a result baby the gets the supply of nicotine through breast milk as well, which causes colic, sleep disturbances, excessive crying and feeding problems in the infant.

The harmful effects of smoking on the fetus are far too many to ignore. The consequences surface from the early weeks of pregnancy right into adulthood. Parents' awareness on the subject will surely induce them to refrain from smoking much before conception. Indeed, parents do not want to knowingly pay such a high price for a vice.

Hey, I am Ren Chats, an experienced pediatrician. Solving child health related perplexities is my passion. Tobacco Smoking: When Mother Smokes, Baby Also Smokes childhealth-explanation.com/tobacco-smoking.html Growth Stages of Fetus Determine Newborn Baby's Viability childhealth-explanation.com/fetus.html Subscribe for free monthly "Child Health Chat" from any of the above links. Providing quality quit smoking writings, articles and reviews online.