I smoked for over ten years and when I hit 33, I knew it was time to quit. My wife just gave birth to our newborn son Owen and I just couldn't bear the thought of what would happen to him if I ever jeopardized my health.
That's not to say it was the best reason in the world for quitting. In all honesty, if you're going to quit, it should be for you first and foremost. After all, if you don't want to quit for yourself, then you'll have a much harder time letting go of the habit. No one else can do it for you. You've got to fight the cravings every single day for numero uno to stop from grabbing a pack of fresh cigs at the store.
I turned to medication in my first attempt at quitting. Actually, I tried several different medications. We'll get to that in a second.
The first medication to help quit smoking that I tried was Chantix. No good. The real problem I faced was the fact that the pill didn't replace the oral fixation. Taking a pill everyday may reduce the physical dependency on nicotine. But how was I supposed to deal with the oral fixation of inhaling a nice cloud of smoke, feeling it fill my lungs and exhaling it to the pleasant sensation of a nicotine high. Sounds kind of sick when I say it out loud. But addiction is never a pretty thing.
So, the medication didn't do it for me. My psychological dependency was way too strong. I tried other meds but it was the same problem. The habit was more than just a need for the drug. It was a need for the lifestyle and feeling I got when I smoked. A feeling of utter relaxation.
So how did I finally decide to end the cycle of cigarette addiction? Well, believe it or not, my salvation came in the form of natural remedies. No, I wouldn't say cold turkey. Granted I didn't need to use patches or inhalers. But I did learn the natural supplements in nature that not only combated the nicotine addiction but also the psychological need for the oral fixation.
That's not to say it was the best reason in the world for quitting. In all honesty, if you're going to quit, it should be for you first and foremost. After all, if you don't want to quit for yourself, then you'll have a much harder time letting go of the habit. No one else can do it for you. You've got to fight the cravings every single day for numero uno to stop from grabbing a pack of fresh cigs at the store.
I turned to medication in my first attempt at quitting. Actually, I tried several different medications. We'll get to that in a second.
The first medication to help quit smoking that I tried was Chantix. No good. The real problem I faced was the fact that the pill didn't replace the oral fixation. Taking a pill everyday may reduce the physical dependency on nicotine. But how was I supposed to deal with the oral fixation of inhaling a nice cloud of smoke, feeling it fill my lungs and exhaling it to the pleasant sensation of a nicotine high. Sounds kind of sick when I say it out loud. But addiction is never a pretty thing.
So, the medication didn't do it for me. My psychological dependency was way too strong. I tried other meds but it was the same problem. The habit was more than just a need for the drug. It was a need for the lifestyle and feeling I got when I smoked. A feeling of utter relaxation.
So how did I finally decide to end the cycle of cigarette addiction? Well, believe it or not, my salvation came in the form of natural remedies. No, I wouldn't say cold turkey. Granted I didn't need to use patches or inhalers. But I did learn the natural supplements in nature that not only combated the nicotine addiction but also the psychological need for the oral fixation.
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