"How to Quit Smoking"

On this page, I give you instructions on how to formulate a plan to quit smoking, while feeling great and remaining tobacco free in the future.

Smoking cigarettes is considered an addictive disease.

An addictive disease is any persistent habit that is harmful to the individual. A common characteristic for an addictive disease is a loss of control.

The cause of this particular addiction is nicotine. Smoking a cigarette speeds the delivery of nicotine to the brain faster than any other method.

Many have said that it is more addictive than crack cocaine. From what I've personally seen, I have no doubt that statement is true.

Nicotine affects the brain the same way as cocaine, amphetamines and opiates do. Once in the brain, it stimulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which cause them to release the feel-good chemical, dopamine.

Furthermore, as you continue to smoke, nicotine causes an increase in the number of its own receptors.

Your brain becomes used to having a constant supply of nicotine, causing withdrawal symptoms if you try to quit.

There may also be a genetic factor as well.

The dopamine receptor gene (D2) may explain why some individuals are more likely to develop an addiction than others.

When you look at individuals from all types of addictions, not just smoking, they all have one thing in common: low levels of D2 receptors.

In addition, it puts you at greater risk for developing other lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis. With COPD, your condition will worsen over time, with the possibility it can become fatal.

If you smoke, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack as someone who doesn't smoke.

I think that these are some good reasons why you should quit smoking.

After 12 hours of having your last cigarette, your body will begin to heal.

Your levels of carbon dioxide in your body will decline rapidly, and your heart will begin to repair the damage caused by smoking cigarettes.

After a few days, you will begin to see some substantial changes in how you feel.

You will notice improvements in your senses of smell and taste, and breathing will become easier. If you have a smoker's cough, that will begin to disappear also.

• Dry mouth -Try sipping some ice cold water or fruit juice, this may help.
• Headaches - Take a warm bath, or try some relaxation techniques, including meditation.
• Trouble sleeping - Avoid drinking any drinks that contain caffeine after 6 PM.
• Irregularity - Add some fiber to your diet, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, try to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.
• Hunger - If you become hungry, drink a glass of water or eat a low-fat, low-calorie snack.
• Tenseness, irritability - If you become overly stressed, take a walk. Again, relaxation techniques will work also.
• Coughing - If you develop a cough, try sucking on cough drops or sugarless hard candy.

Decide that you are definitely going to quit smoking. Don't think about how difficult it might be in the future; just make that initial decision to quit.

Next, list all the reasons why you should quit smoking. Then, each night, before going to bed, state each of them aloud at least 10 times. These affirmations will help your mind develop the proper mindset for quitting.

Begin an exercise program. Try to develop a healthier lifestyle by beginning a moderate exercise program, drinking more fluids and getting plenty of rest.

Set a definite target date for quitting. It could be a special day, such as a holiday or your birthday, for example. Don't let anything deter you from quitting on this day.

Once you quit smoking, become aware that you may try to rationalize yourself into smoking again.

For example, you may think that having just one cigarette won't hurt, and will help you to calm down. If you begin to think these thoughts, try to immediately distract yourself by thinking about something else.

Also, avoid situations that you previously associated with smoking. Be aware of these triggers and try to counteract them. Avoid being around individuals that smoke.

Next, try to find activities that make smoking difficult such as taking a shower or washing the car. Here again, exercise will help destroy any urges you have to smoke.

Additionally, plan to give yourself special rewards periodically, after successfully going without a cigarette. For example, treat yourself to a movie, buy a CD or go to a special concert. This will help remind you that what you're doing is in your best interest.

Repeat positive affirmations if you feel the urge to stop your quit smoking plan. It might be a good idea to review your list of reasons to quit several times each day.

Here's a list of 15 things you can do that will help you stop smoking:

• 1. When you smoke, only smoke half of one cigarette
  
• 2. Take 10 deep breaths, holding the last one while lighting a match. As you exhale, blow out the match pretending it's a cigarette, crushing it in an ashtray.
• 3. Reduce or avoid drinking alcohol.
• 4. Change your morning routine. When eating breakfast, sit in a different location than you formally did.
• 5. Eat regular meals. Sometimes, when you are hungry, you will mistakenly interpret that urge to eat as a desire to smoke.
• 6. Place the money you save from not smoking in a piggy bank.
• 7. Add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.
• 8. Remove all tobacco products from your home, car or work.
• 9. Try keeping your hands or fingers busy by squeezing a ball or pencil to satisfy that need for tactile stimulation.
• 10. Each day, try to smoke that first cigarette one hour later than the day before.
• 11. Don't empty your ashtrays. This will remind you of how many cigarettes you have smoked that day, and the smell of old cigarette butts may be quite unpleasant.
• 12. Light incense or a candle instead of lighting up a cigarette.
• 13. Do not smoke at all, don't even think about lighting up a single cigarette.
• 14. Buy only one pack of cigarettes at a time.
• 15. Switch to a brand of cigarettes you don't like.

If you lack the will power to quit smoking on your own, you may need to visit your doctor and review the various medications that can help you quit smoking.

It is estimated that only 4 to 7% of people are able to stop smoking without medications or other help. Here is a brief overview of the medicines and therapies he may recommend.

Nicotine replacement therapy - With this type of therapy, you're given small doses of nicotine. It can be administered using patches, by chewing gum, using an inhaler or sucking on a nicotine lozenge.

Patches can be bought with or without a prescription. They come in many different types and strengths.

The 24-hour patch provides a steady dose of nicotine, and may be best suited for heavy smokers. The 16-hour patch may be best suited for light to moderate smokers. Patches are also less likely to cause any unpleasant side effects such as skin irritation, problems sleeping, headaches and a racing heartbeat.

Your doctor may recommend you start on a full strength patch (15 to 22 mg of nicotine) for four weeks, switching to a weaker patch (5 to 4 mg of nicotine) for an additional four weeks.

You may prefer to use nicotine gum instead. Nicotine gum is a fast acting way of administering nicotine. It can be bought without a prescription, and is available in 2 mg and 4 mg strengths.

One advantage to using a gum is it can be chewed whenever an individual experiences an urge to smoke each day. Usually, chewing between one and two pieces of gum is the preferred dosing schedule.

It is thought that nicotine replacement therapy can help an individual cope with most of the withdrawal symptoms they may experience. The reason that most individuals resume smoking is they become uncomfortable coping with the withdrawal symptoms.

However, using nicotine gum does have a downside. Research indicates that between 15 and 20% of all gum users continue to use it a year or longer after quitting smoking.

Your doctor may also recommend a nicotine nasal spray.

With this type of nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine is quickly delivered to the bloodstream as it is quickly absorbed through the nose. It helps to minimize withdrawal symptoms very quickly, helping you control your cravings.

You may also prefer to try nicotine lozenges. They are also available without prescription, and come in 2 strengths: 2 mg and 4 mg.

Your physician may recommend you use other prescription medications to help you quit smoking. Here's a brief list of some of them:

Bupropion (Zyban®) - This is a prescription antidepressant that helps to reduce symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

Varenicline (Chantix™) -This is a newer prescription medication that lessens the physical pleasures one receives from smoking by interfering with the nicotine receptors in the brain.

Nortriptyline - This is an older antidepressant drug.

Clonidine - This is an older medication originally approved by the FDA for treating high blood pressure. It is also used as a treatment for quitting smoking.

Unlike my significant other, I hope that you are able to successfully quit smoking. I have heard that nicotine is as addictive as heroin. After observing what she went through, I have to agree with that last statement.

Nonetheless, nicotine can be very addictive, and is 1000 times more potent than alcohol. It can also be 10 times more potent than cocaine.

So, you've got your work cut out for you. But you can do it, with the proper mindset, using the tips mentioned above.

Short of that, talk to your physician about trying some of the nicotine replacement therapies if you're having trouble quitting.

Regardless, try to stick with it. Good luck.