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- Light a matchstick instead of a cigarette, and pretend that it is a cigarette stick that you are holding. This trick may cheat your brain, and it may gratify your urge if it does not, you can always treat yourself with a refreshing bath.
- Think of why you are quitting, and stay focused. Remind yourself of your objectives, and constantly repeat to yourself that you are strong enough to win this battle against smoking.
- Difficulty to sleep
- Always being nervous and worried
- Unable to concentrate
- May feel depressed
- May feel irritable
- May feel the urge to light up another stick of cigarette
- Increased hunger and need to eat
The Dangers of Smoking Cigarettes While Pregnant
August 6th, 2010
The sad fact is cigarette smoking is part of many of our lives, regardless of whether we smoke or not. Unfortunately, this includes unborn babies as well.
Surveys show that many mothers still smoke cigarettes during their pregnancy. Most likely these women are unaware of how harmful cigarette smoking truly is on their unborn baby and are unaware that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is one of the major causes of infant deaths in the society today.
Basically, cigarette smoke alone is full of chemicals, some studies even state it has more than 2,500 chemicals. Some chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine are considered the most dangerous substance for the fetus. It has long been proven how these chemicals can greatly affect the development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb.
First of all, mothers who smoke while pregnant run a risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is especially viable when the mother is a heavy smoker during the first trimester of her pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy refers to the state wherein the embryo is embedded outside the uterus, which is contrary to what normal pregnancy should be. Usually, it is embedded in the fallopian tube. In this manner, the fetus has to be removed because this kind of pregnancy will never survive. This fetus will never survive outside of the uterus where a fetus gets all the nourishment and protection that it needs. Prolonging this condition will only risk the mother’s life.
Also, smoking cigarettes during pregnancy increases the probability that the mother will develop complications in the placenta. Reports show that placental problems are actually happening in about 1% of pregnancies. The most common problem is “placenta previa” where the placenta is connected very low in the uterus and is almost at the cervix.
Another problem with smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is the deterioration of fetal growth. The fact is cigarette smoking during pregnancy results in low infant birth weight. For many years now reports have shown that there have been significant differences between babies with mothers who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy and those who have non-cigarette smoking mothers.
Unfortunately, greater risks are imposed on babies who weigh less than the normal babies. They may acquire certain diseases like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or worse – death.
There are also reports on how cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the probabilities of birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate.
Moreover, babies born with mothers who are cigarette smokers have higher incidences of sudden infant death syndrome. If ever these infants survive, they may still incur diseases like asthma, behavioral problems, or learning disabilities.
Then there are the post-pregnancy woes…
For babies with mothers who smoke regularly, problems still lurk within their environment. This is especially true to mothers who smoke even when they are breastfeeding their babies.
Studies have revealed that nicotine can be passed on to the baby through breastfeeding. There have been experiments that prove the presence of nicotine in the babies system through urine testing. It later showed that there is a higher percentage of nicotine found on babies who breastfeed to cigarette smoking mothers.
Most experts contend that the problem lies within the mother’s urge to get back to smoking cigarettes right after she gives birth.
Unfortunately, when the mother continues to smoke during the formative years of her child life, chances are she is already shaping a child that will most likely be a cigarette smoker themselves.
So, what’s the point here? The fact that the mother does not care for her own health is one thing. But the fact that she puts greater risk on her baby because of her vice is another thing.
Babies should be given the right to live a decent, normal, and healthy life. So, for the “moms-to-be” out there, please keep in mind that your babies should not be forced to suffer from the long range dangers associated with cigarette smoking. Let’s take care of them by not smoking cigarettes.
Quit Smoking With Hypnosis – This time For Good
August 6th, 2010
Famous American author Mark Twain once said, “To quit smoking is one of the easiest things in the world, I must have done it over a dozen times.” So many individuals who smoke struggle to quit time and time again. It is believed that the nicotine that is found in cigarettes is one of the most addictive drugs that exists today. Nicotine is addictive both physically and psychologically. A study once estimated that each time an individual lights up a cigarette that individual is shortening their life by seven minutes.
Live longer, feel better and become healthier by quitting smoking. Every smoker has the power to wake up one morning and say, “No, I am not going to do this anymore.” Make this that day. Stop the vicious cycle that is cigarettes. Numerous smokers, who have smoked for decades, admit that they want to quit. Quitting smoking is a lifestyle change, a new way of thinking and a chance to end a bad habit. Over twelve hundred men, women and children die each day from cigarettes. You may be asking yourself what is the best way to quit.
Hypnosis has helped thousands of people to quit smoking. Start down a healthier and happier path through the suggestive power of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a form of therapy that works at a subconscious level by giving suggestions directly to the subconscious mind. Positive suggestions that revolve around the benefits of quitting smoking will work at a subconscious level. These suggestions create new, habits, values and beliefs which will assist a client in making healthy decisions. Quit smoking successfully through hypnosis.
Some of the positive suggestions for quitting smoking include confidence building statements and motivational encouragement. Plus the soon-to-be nonsmoker will be given instructions on how to create a healthier lifestyle. This is a golden opportunity that allows an individual to experience a better life. An individual is set up for success through hypnotic visualizations that allow the individual to visualize themselves as a nonsmoker. The individual can literally “feel” how great it is to not be dragged down by cigarettes. Cigarettes are a crutch that disable a person from walking alone. Throw this unhealthy crutch away as you sprint towards a terrific lifestyle that is healthier and more enjoyable.
There are numerous additional benefits to using hypnosis in order to quit smoking. Hypnosis is known to calm the whole body, the nerves and the mind. Hypnosis alleviates an individual’s stress and anxiety. Hypnotic suggestions are designed to give a client confidence and support in each area of life. There are so many unexpected benefits to hypnosis. Quit smoking, feel better about yourself and embrace a new of living.
Hypnosis can enable a person to quit smoking for good. This is an amazing process that has life-saving results. As a practicing hypnotherapist, I have assisted many clients in quitting smoking for life. If you have tried to quit smoking in the past but have failed and sincerely wish to achieve your goals, I recommend you find a qualified hypnotherapist who is conveniently located near you. With the help of a hypnotherapist your goals to quit smoking can be accomplished.
Stop Smoking: Breaking a Bad habit by Preparing yourself to Quit
August 3rd, 2010
Smoking is a bad habit that is very difficult to give up. It is not only dangerous to the smoker, themself, but to the people around him or her as well. Once a person becomes addicted, it becomes difficult for him to stop smoking. However, despite all the reminders regarding the bad effects of smoking to health, a lot of people are still drawn into the aroma of cigarette smoking.
People should not have started to smoke. Because as you all know, once you have become dependent on nicotine, it would be very difficult for you to eliminate it from your system. Advertisements have constantly reminded people that cigarette smoking is dangerous to health, yet it is as if they have not heard a single reminder. Well, people who do not admit that they are addicted to smoking have a really big problem.
Smokers who are trying to stop smoking can attest to the difficulty of the process of quitting. Determination and will power are needed in order for one to reach his goal of being a non-smoker.
Most people would say that a gradual cutting down of the cigarette smoking is a good method for quitting. Small steps are taken, one at a time to ensure that the process is going in the direction that is more beneficial to the smoker who plans on quitting.
Preparation Necessary to Stop Smoking
Preparation is necessary when you feel like stopping. Reflect on your reasons for smoking, and take note of when you usually smoke and how you typically go about it. You may want to deviate from your usual smoking habits, and try things that you son not usually do when smoking. For instance, you may want to try new things as a replacement for smoking, like when you are urged to smoke, you may just chew a gum or munch on healthy snacks. Or, if you really want to smoke, you may do so but not with the hand that you usually use when smoking. If you are used to holding the cigarette with your right hand, you may try your left hand instead. You need to learn these things so that you can make a good plan that you can follow as you cut down the sticks you smoke.
The Beginning of the Actual Renouncement
Get rid of all the things that may remind you of smoking. You may want to keep your ash trays way from your view, or you may also, for the time being, avoid people who smoke. This way, you are not constantly reminded of your tendencies to smoke. Think of ways activities that can keep your mind off the idea of smoking. Give yourself a reward when you have not smoked for the whole day, this way your act of not smoking will be reinforced. You may also want to visit your dentist so that you can get your teeth cleaned from all the nicotine that may have stained them.
Living a Smoke-free Life
There may be times when you feel irritated or depressed; these may just be the withdrawal symptoms. You should learn to avoid smoking despite these symptoms. It may be difficult at first but as time passes by, you would realize that it gets easier and better. Think of all the benefits that you may have if you stop smoking – financially, physically and socially.
How to Stop Your Cravings When You Stop Smoking
August 3rd, 2010
The attempt to stop smoking is a very difficult endeavor. It entails will power and determination just to be able to control the cravings that may accompany the withdrawal stage. See, as a smoker tries to cleanse his body from the nicotine that he consumes, the body would continue to look for nicotine for it to be able to function properly. This craving will urge the smoker to just continue smoking so that his body needs can be satisfied. This is where his focus and strength of mind should come in. He needs to fight off the urge in order for him to start a non-smoking life.
Some smokers who are on the process of quitting resort to drugs to assist them during the withdrawal stage. Several medicines that are publicized by media are offered to the public to help defeat the urge to smoke; and they are designed to give pleasure to the brain in the same way the nicotine affects the brain. Because of these drugs, the smokers will feel exactly the same feeling as if they had just finished a stick; so as a result, there is really no need for the smokers to actually puff a cigarette.
Despite the help that you may get from drugs, you still have to put in mind that you still need to exert effort in order for you to successfully overcome the temptation to smoke. Be reminded that the first few days of your renunciation would really be the toughest, so you should be prepared to face the difficulty. To be able to do so, you should try your hardest to stay away from things which might remind you of smoking.
For instance, you may want to avoid places where you may encounter a lot of smokers, because you might be tempted to join their fun. For some people, they try to replace a cigarette with healthier foods life cinnamon sticks or celery just to satisfy the need to have something pressed between their lips; and if it is your hands which crave for something to hold on to, try to replace the cigarette stick with a pencil or anything which may take its place. If you are the kind of person who associates smoking with drinking, then you may want to avoid drinking alcohol as well. Keep your mind of the idea of smoking, and keep yourself busy so that you would forget the temptation to smoke.
If despite all your efforts to avoid smoking, you are still craving for a puff, you may want to try these few tricks just to satisfy your longing:
Do not think that a single stick will have no effect on your struggle to stop, otherwise you might start from the very beginning again. And, do not be afraid to ask for your family’s and friends’ support, because in your journey to stop smoking, you need a strong support system.
Deciding to Stop Smoking: Rising Above Withdrawal Urges
August 3rd, 2010
When you smoke, your body is exposed to nicotine, a very addictive substance. The longer period that the body is exposed to nicotine, the harder it is for the body to function properly without such substance. This is the reason why people who smoke, especially those who have been smoking for a long time already, may find it difficult to stop smoking. They have become addicted to nicotine, and they will need longer time just to cleanse their system from the nicotine.
So, even if they have finally stopped from smoking, they are still faced with the urge to go on a relapse and smoke again. This is commonly known as nicotine withdrawal urges.
Withdrawal symptoms may come in different forms, and has different effects on different people. Some urges may take form in the following:
Thus, before you finally stop smoking, you should first have an idea on how to fight these withdrawal symptoms, because if not you may end up starting on the process all over again.
Start by knowing the possible urges that you may experience once you have finally stopped smoking. By doing so, you would have ideas on how to manage them properly when they eventually manifest. There several products which can assist you as you begin to cut down your exposure to nicotine. There are nicotine gums and patches which are available in the market to satisfy your need for nicotine without the need of smoking a cigarette. However, if you choose to buy these products, you should realize that you would still have to stop using them eventually because you would want your system to be cleansed from nicotine.
There are also medicines and prescription drugs which can help you overcome depression after you have stopped smoking. Sometimes, these medications may also help with other withdrawal symptoms aside from depression. However, before you take any of these drugs, you should consult your doctor first so that you would be guided accordingly.
These withdrawal urges may come and go throughout the day. You just have to wait it out until the urge passes. You have to fight hard not to smoke despite such strong urges. After several times of being able to fight off the urge to smoke, you will feel that such urges will become less powerful, and you will find it easier to defeat such tendencies. You just have to stay strong because it is not easy to flush out the nicotine from your body, and will surely take time before you are absolutely cleansed from it. So, as you wait, you have to stay strong, firm, and focused. Try hard not to relapse; otherwise you might end up on the starting line again, and you’d waste your efforts. Do your best to divert your attention to healthier activities so that you will not think of smoking as often as necessary. Remember your reasons for quitting, and hold on to them. The process you need to go through to stop smoking may not be easy, but it shall be worth it.
The Effects Of Smoking On Aging
August 2nd, 2010
If you’ve ever watched the makeover programs that they have on television from time to time you will notice that the people they often choose for the shows where they are trying to make people look ten years younger or thereabouts are those who smoke.
There is a very good reason for this and that is simply because smokers will generally look a lot older than others of the same age.
Smoking is only second to over-exposure to the sun for making the skin look old, tired and unhealthy. Of course there are the other factors that need to be considered with smoking such as lung cancer that will certainly shorten your life and decrease the quality of life along the way.
Smoking will also discolour teeth and teeth discolouration is something that is associated with aging. The smokers hair will also usually be somewhat discolored too.
Smoking leaches a lot of goodness out of the body and that is shown in the skin causing a lifeless dry condition.
Wrinkles also form around the lips of smokers from the action of sucking on the cigarette on such a regular basis and it is common for smokers to have more frown lines due to the fact that they often have to look through the smoke haze that they are expelling in front of their eyes.
When you add all these negative effects together it becomes easy to see why smokers look so much older for their age and how eliminating smoking can stop the speed of the aging process and to some extent reverse the trend.
Once smoking has ceased then various skin treatments, tooth whitening procedures and other positive anti aging processes can be implemented that will help the person to look considerably younger and healthier, provided they don’t resort to smoking again.
Stop Smoking: A Friendly Reminder
August 1st, 2010
Smoking may lead to an addiction; one thing that is very difficult to keep away from your system. Quitting smoking is a very hard process; thus, if your friend is on the process of doing so he or she will need all your support to do it. Be supportive and encourage them to defeat their urge to smoke. Be there with them as they try to stop smoking.
Proper Encouragement
As a friend, your encouragement is your best contribution to your friend’s rehabilitation. Remember, with the right words said at the right time, you are able to push your friend to reach his goal. But, how can you really give encouragement without sounding too much of a nagger?
Encouragement follows after a person finally decides to quit smoking. Once he has the determination to quit, you step in to give him words of encouragement so that he will not lose his focus. This is the time when you have to let your friend feel that you are with him throughout this process and that you will stay beside him until he finally reaches his goal. Sometimes, words are not necessary anymore – your acts alone may be enough as encouragement.
You also have to remind yourself of the difficulty of the process that your friend is going through. This reminder will let you understand your friend more, and the better you understand his situation, the more helpful you can be. There may be times when your friend may not stop himself from puffing another stick, but you should not use this against him. Instead of criticizing his mistakes, try to remind him of his progress and steer him away from the said errors. You should not dwell on his mistakes, but on how he was able to correct such afterwards.
And though after quitting, addictive substances such as nicotine and tobacco still remain present within the system of someone who has recently stopped smoking. This is what causes relapse. Thus, the process still continues even after a long time, and you should continue to encourage for as long as your friend’s battle with smoking continues.
Process of Quitting
People have their own ways of quitting. Some say that it is better to quit all at once; however, there are still others who believe that it should be done slowly but surely. Slowly quitting would mean that nicotine exposure would be decreased moderately by consuming lesser cigarettes each day.
Really, it does not matter how one chooses to proceed with quitting. Whatever method he chooses, you should always be ready to give him the encouragement he needs. To do so, here are some things that may help you give confidence to your friend who needs to stop smoking:
1. When you talk about progress, stay positive and inspiring by pointing out the instances when he has really surpassed a trial.
2. Talk about his slip ups but refrain from dwelling on the matter.
3. You should support whatever quitting technique he may have chosen.
4. Help him avoid situations which may trigger his desire for smoking again.
5. Continue to be a friend!
You do not need to be licensed counselor to give good encouragement. All you need to be is to be loyal and one who cares for a friend. Just stay with them, back them up and make them feel that they are not alone in their attempt to stop smoking.
Tips On Talking To Kids About Not Smoking
July 31st, 2010Any time parents spend with their kids can be a good time to talk about not smoking cigarettes-and if it seems hard to find the time, maybe it’s a good idea for parents to set a date.
It’s important to set up special times to talk to your kids about critical issues like not smoking, says Dr. Michael Popkin, a parenting expert.
Because he knows how hard it can be to get the conversation started, Popkin supports a new initiative, Pledge to Talk, which provides parents with a ready-made opportunity. Talk Early, Talk Often, Lorillard Tobacco Company’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program, offers free movie vouchers to parents who Pledge To Talk to their kids about not smoking.
“The movie vouchers aren’t just a reward; they will help set the stage for an intimate conversation between a parent and a child,” says Popkin. “Any chance you have to bring up the no-smoking message is a good one, even on your way to and from the theater. Parents who Pledge to Talk at KeepKidsFrom Smoking.com will get movie vouchers that can be redeemed at the box office for free admission.”
Each parent will receive a voucher good for one adult and one child admission while supplies last. Those interested should log on early since quantities are limited.
Those who Pledge to Talk will receive the movie vouchers as well as a special tip sheet with helpful conversation starters.
“Parents often ask me what moment is best for talking to kids about not smoking,” said Dr. Popkin. “Although there are certainly things they can do (and avoid) to make talks more effective, any time is a good time to talk. Talks can happen on the way to school or a movie. They can happen at mealtime or bedtime. The important thing is that they happen-at an early age and often enough for the message to stick.”
Quitting Smoking with a New Lifestyle
July 30th, 2010One of the best and proven ways to quitting smoking is by making changes to a lifestyle that has been hindered by that dangerous and addictive habit. You must substitute your old lifestyle with a new one. Focusing on your new lifestyle allows you to live and visualize the end result – smoke-free, healthy, and vibrant – and not just talk about it.
A very successful way of starting a new lifestyle without smoking is to begin a fitness program.
A fitness programs offers a lot of help for the person quitting smoking. Exercise helps to reduce stress which is a major trigger for smoking with many people.
It will also help to sustain a healthy bodyweight and this can be a fear for people who are prone to put on weight once they stop smoking as nicotine helps to keep weight down.
Statistics have shown that those people who are involved in some form of exercise regimen have a greater chance of triumph when quitting smoking.
The endorphins that are released with exercise are a superior substitute than those that people get from nicotine. One of the main reasons why quitting smoking is so hard for people is because of the endorphins that are released in the brain while smoking. Endorphins are also known as the ‘feel good’ chemical.
The release of endorphins with exercise can bring about a sense of well-being for several hours following your workout.
As your health will begin to progress within 20 minutes from your last cigarette and continue to do so as your body overturns the damage that smoking has done, one of the first things you will notice will be the capacity to breathe more freely.
Being able to breathe more freely will also boost your energy levels and this will also be augmented by the improvements in the ability for the blood to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
Increased energy makes working out easier and the upward cycle of fitness can bring some exceptional improvements over a relatively short term.
Changing lifestyles to include exercise usually pushes people to make other improvements to their life with superior nutrition and leading a more stable life. The extra money that you will save from not having to buy cigarettes will allow for more options to get the most out of life and experience things that were previously unattainable when smoking was a part of it.
Reasons To Quit Smoking
July 29th, 2010In this article, I write about the reasons why I decided to quit smoking. I feel that it is important that you have a number of good reasons as to why you want to stop smoking, as this will help you to get through the great number of cravings that you will no doubt have. I hope this article proves to be of inspiration and can help other people to cut cigarettes out of their lives once and for all.
When different governments around the world have attempted to convince people to stop smoking, they always seem to go down the health route. It could be by showing a man who is dying of cancer for example. I knew about all of the health risks that were involved with smoking but I still did it. This was because in my own mind these health problems were unlikely to really start affecting me for around thirty years. I used to say to myself that there is a good chance that I will not be alive in thirty years time and that I should live for today. I would also try to convince myself that if I do live for another thirty years that there is a good chance that they will have found a cure for cancer by that point. When I decided to stop smoking, health was one of the reasons why I wanted to quit, but it was by no means the main reason.
The main reason was without doubt financial. The price of a packet of twenty cigarettes in the UK has rocketed upwards over the last few years. It is not that I can not afford to continue buying them, it is that I would rather spend the money on other things such as clothes or a holiday. I have worked out that I save over a thousand pounds a year by no longer smoking. This for me is a lot of money and was what I always thought of when the demons in my head were trying to convince me to smoke just one last cigarette.
There were of course other reasons why I wanted to stop smoking. These include the amount they make your clothes smell, the amount they make your house smell, the affect they have on your teeth, the fact that most women find smoking a turn off and the sheer dependancy that one can get from cigarettes. For example I feel a bit stressed, I must therefore have a cigarette. I am drinking coffee, therefore I must smoke a cigarette.
It was very very hard to stop smoking cigarettes but all of the effort is more than worth it.
