9/03/2012

Once you decide to stop smoking, natural methods to overcome your urge to smoke are your best bet to help you quit smoking. Natural products do not have the side effects associated and costs associated with medications.



Stop smoking medications can help but they have numerous unfavorable side effects. They can also get costly. Since they only work while you are taking them the cost can really add up. Also, they are not safe for everyone based on their medical condition.



There are a lot of natural methods to help you quit smoking. Let's take a closer look at some of your options.



Hypnotherapy



This involves tackling your psychological aspect. Analyze probable situations that prompt you to light a cigarette. Try avoiding such situations. Remain calm and composed without getting agitated or worried. Practice deep breathing exercises for three to five minutes whenever you crave for nicotine.



St. John's Wort



This natural herb is an antidepressant. When you smoke, nicotine increases dopamine levels. These levels drop when you quit smoking. St. John's wort increases dopamine levels in brain in similar fashion like nicotine and reduces your urge for a smoke.



Determination



Fix a date to quit smoking. Remain determined not to give in to any temptation. Stay away from bars, clubs, casinos, hotels, and other places that could trigger desire to smoke. Engage in other activities like playing online games, going out for long and brisk walks, take up a sport to keep you busy and occupied. Keep home and workplace clean of ashtrays, cigarette packs, lighters, and similar objects.



NLP



NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. It is a branch of psychotherapy that has been around for years but just recently has proven to be very effective at helping smokers to quit smoking. In a recent test of 5,000 smokers who participated in an NLP session 97.2% were still smoke free six months after the test.



NLP works so well because it targets and destroys the cravings to smoke. Once the cravings to smoke have been removed it is actually quite easy to stop smoking. Natural NLP methods can greatly increase your odds of quitting smoking by removing the cravings to smoke.
Posted by Admin On 12:02 AM No comments READ FULL POST

9/02/2012

Gaining weight is a real problem associated with quitting smoking. Most of those who are reluctant about quitting the cigarette habit take it as the real reason keeping them from quitting. If you are really thinking about how to stop smoking without gaining weight then you may find the following tips of a great help.



The first thing you should do is to replace the cigarette in your hand with another thing that is not calorie-stuffed. In normal cases, people exchange the cigarette in their fingers for a Coke, candy bar or even a hot dog. They might succeed in quitting smoking but, they are adding lots of fats and calories to their bodies. In other words, they are exchanging the threats of smoking by the threats of being obese. Try chewing sugar - free gum, a handful of nuts or drinking a sugar - free natural juice. These are great substitutes for the bad cigarettes as your body can make use of the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids in these foods instead of gaining pure fat from candy bars and soda cans.



Knowing how to stop smoking without gaining weight is a real help when this is the main reason holding you from quitting. The first thing you need to know is that you are the only person responsible for gaining weight after quitting. Your craving to a cigarette will let you eat or drink the first thing available to your hands so, it is highly advisable to keep some natural and healthy snacks handy. Do not wait until you feel the carving then run to the deli instead, prepare a small salad dish or a natural juice so you can use it when needed.



Combining the cigarette quitting with exercise starting is one of the best methods that will help you with the weight gaining problem. The concept is very easy, when you quit smoking you start eating so, give your body a way to burn that extra "Temporary" calorie - intake. When you start practicing, your body will grow healthier and you will notice that the exercises are easier now and you do not remember the cigarettes any more, it is that simple.



Join gym class so you do not feel lonely and try to find someone who is a fresh quitter. Try to encourage each other and exchange thoughts about how to stop smoking without gaining weight. Looking at the topic from another point of view will give you more thoughts.



The easiest method to know how to stop smoking without gaining weight is to know that these threats of being overweight are the same as those associated with smoking cigarettes or any other type of tobacco. Smoking causes, heart problems, artery problems and nervous system manifestation and obesity causes, heart problems, artery problems, bone problems and generalized fatigue. So, end of the day the threats are the same so, do not quit smoking to be killed with something else instead, learn how to stop smoking without gaining weight.
Posted by Admin On 4:02 PM No comments READ FULL POST
Marijuana while only a "soft drug" compared to the likes of cocaine, heroin and others can still be a very addictive and destructive drug. Many people who long to quit smoking pot find their lives revolve around marijuana and it becomes a habit that fills any gap in their lives. It can become such an integral part of their lives that they feel like they are living in a haze most of the time and are missing out on some very important parts of life. The first thing to know when learning how to quit smoking weed is that the drug is not chemically addictive!



Pot is not an addictive drug like heroin or cigarettes as there is no physical craving that occurs when you do not take the drugs. Pot does not affect the receptors in your brain like these drugs and the effects are also not as vivid as the hard drugs making it less of an issue to many people to start smoking. The primary addiction to weed is a psychological addiction, the memory of the highs you once felt smoking pot always come back and make you want to try to reach that feeling again even if it takes you more and more pot to do this as you become more resistant to its effects. The smoking goes from a pleasurable action to a habit with little real benefit just a perceived one. To compound this many pot smokers have friends who also smoke and it becomes a social thing making it more ingrained.



So this being said it is possible to quit smoking weed without suffering cravings or relapses and you are not fighting with a chemical need but a psychological need which can be overcome with willpower. While this may sound easy it can of course be a lot harder in practice as the habit can run very deep especially for those who have smoked for years. Quitting can be accompanied by anxiety and depression as you learn to live life without the constant smoking which can seem soothing and comforting but only because it was a part of your routine. The trick for some people is to find something to replace this addiction, obviously not another addiction but something creative and fulfilling. Something that makes you happy without an extreme high you may try to latch onto as an alternative.



So how to quit smoking weed in a nutshell? You must realize you do not crave weed but just want it! Once you learn to adapt to a life without marijuana you will find you can quit smoking pot forever!
Posted by Admin On 8:02 AM No comments READ FULL POST
When you embark on your search to learn how to stop smoking pot one of the things that you must be keen to understand is how marijuana affects the brain and how this in turn affects your addiction and your choices surrounding smoking and quitting.



Marijuana has a chemical component called THC which most pot smokers know of. It is this chemical that causes the feelings of a high that can mellow you out and can also cause paranoia and panic in some users also. It is the chemical that you are etste3d for in a drug test also. THC in marijuana however is NOT addictive like nicotine from cigarettes are or others chemicals from harder drugs.



So how do people become addicted to a non-addictive substance then?



When we do any activity that causes a high of some sorts we stimulate the reward center of our brain which controls what we believe is rewarding and fulfilling. Over a long period of time smoking marijuana often we become wired to treat marijuana as a needed 'reward' so when you feel down it will be the first thing you think of to get you out of a funk. It also becomes habitual just as other rewarding acts become in people's lives.



So what happens when you try to quit smoking Pot?



Without this reward you will feel something is missing and you get a mental if not a physical craving for marijuana; you want it but you do not NEED it. This does not mean you are weak willed but it can often be confusing when you consciously know pot is not good for you anymore but you feel that without it you might be even worse off.



To this effect you must 'rewire' your brain to realize that you can be rewarded and fulfilled through other things. Exercise, hobbies, social interaction and many other things can replace this nagging voice that keeps telling you to smoke pot. This is a major part in plotting out your plan to stop smoking weed.
Posted by Admin On 12:02 AM No comments READ FULL POST

9/01/2012

Do you want to stop smoking cannabis but aren't sure how or even where to begin?  You aren't alone.  People who become addicted to cannabis have many obstacles to overcome when they get ready to stop.  Here are three tips to help you on your way.



Take it one day at a time.



Don't get ahead of yourself.  I know you want to get through a week without smoking, but you need to get through a day first.  So everyday when you wake up, your goal needs to be to go the entire day without smoking marijuana.  Then repeat this process the next day.  Once you make it through a couple of weeks you can begin to set weekly goals and move forward from there.  If you don't start small you may never make it through your first week.   Remember the first week is the hardest because of the withdrawal symptoms.



Tell Other People That You Are Quitting.



Let your friends or anyone else who knows you smoke that you plan to quit.  This will let them know to avoid talking about it and doing it in front of you.  This is crucial.  One of the main causes of relapse in marijuana users is that their friends provide temptation.  Telling them not to do it around you and asking them to support your decision can make it much easier to stop smoking cannabis.  It helps to have people on your side, and catch you when you fall down.  Subconsciously,  you are preparing yourself stop.  You are also more likely to quit the more you talk about quitting and envision yourself as some who will stop smoking cannabis.



Be prepared



Before you ever quit, take the time to think of the possible situations that you are going to face when you stop smoking cannabis.  Then decide on what your reaction will be when the situation arises.  This will prevent having to make split second decisions when you are weak from withdrawals.  Putting yourself through scenarios before they happen, and choosing the right outcome, will strengthen your resolve to make that decision when the situation actually happens.



You can stop smoking marijuana.  These tips will help set the foundation for you to break free from your addiction for good!
Posted by Admin On 4:02 PM No comments READ FULL POST
If you discover that your teenager or child is addicted to cigarettes, it can be a frightening situation to deal with. As an adult, you realize the harmful effects of smoking and how devastating the deaths and sicknesses that can occur will be for your child. We never want to see anything bad happen to our children and smoking is one of the worst habits to pick up. But before you jump all over your child, stop and think through some strategies to help your teen stop smoking.



The worst thing you can do to encourage your teen to stop smoking is to yell, scream, or demoralize your child. This will have the opposite effect of what you want. Teens already have a problem thinking that their parents do not understand them and if you go nuts when you find out the problem, in the mind of your child this will only solidify that you do not understand them or their position.



This is not to say that punishment will not be necessary, particularly if you have clearly stated that smoking is not acceptable behavior in your home, but if you want your child to successfully stop smoking, punish with love and respect.



The first thing you need to do is talk to your child about the reasons to stop smoking. It can be difficult for teens to recognize that all of the terrible effects they have heard about smoking can actually happen to them. You may want to have them talk to a smoker that you know, one who perhaps has some of these health problems, about the long-term effects. Remember, teens live in the now and they have a hard time thinking about the future. Right now, it is cool to smoke and they might not care about the future risks. It is your responsibility as a parent to convince your teen that they need to stop smoking for their own health. That is one easy to do.



Once you have overcome that hurdle, give your teen the support that they need to stop smoking. Assure them that you realize it will not be easy. Many teens think they can stop smoking whenever they want. This is not the case and they are often discouraged when they find that they are truly addicted! Tell your teen that they will probably fail in their first attempts to stop, but that the important thing is to keep at it. Assure them of your support!



You may need to consider outside counseling to help your child stop smoking, especially if you have never had a serious addiction. It can be hard for teens to relate to their parents, particularly about a hard-to-kick habit like smoking. Talk to your school and see if there is a counselor you can use. Or, consider talking to your pastor if you attend church.



The most important thing you can do to help your child stop smoking is to be consistent and loving! Even though you are angry or embarrassed, if you are committed to helping them quit, you must be loving! Give support and be there to pick them up when they fail. This is the best way to help your child stop smoking!
Posted by Admin On 8:02 AM No comments READ FULL POST
There are believed to be over 1 billion smokers worldwide, with some 800 million of them residing in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) expects that by 2020 the worldwide death toll from smoking will reach 10 million, causing nearly 18% of all deaths in developed countries.



Tobacco is known to contribute to hardening of the arteries, which will eventually become blocked and restrict blood flow. Many smokers who develop this problem will often need complex heart bypass surgery.



UK statistics indicate that smokers in their mid-30s and 40s are five times more likely to suffer heart attack than non-smokers. With a life time of smoking there is a 50% chance that your death will be related to smoking.



The considered main health risk associated with smoking is lung cancer, which is said to kill 20,000 people in the UK each year. The more you smoke, the more your chance is of getting lung cancer. A significant factor, though, is the length of time you have been smoking.



Filtered and low tar cigarettes are said to reduce the lung cancer risk, but as most smokers tend to take deeper puffs this is canceled out. There is a tendency also with these aids to smoke more cigarettes, so again the lung cancer risk remains.



If you can stop smoking, the risk of lung cancer starts to go down. 15 years after you stop smoking, your lung cancer risk will be almost the same as a non-smoker.



Although many people seek help on how to stop smoking, a significant number of these are likely to fail in their attempts to quit permanently once they think they have found a suitable program. It's not easy to stop smoking, and this is obvious from the comments and many attempts made by those trying to stop. What is needed is a solution that doesn't involve a tremendous amount of will power.



In some people's search for a solution on how to stop smoking, they have discovered hypnosis as a possible remedy. They have come across stories of people who have smoked for 30-40 years being able to finally quit - all through hypnosis. These people are quitting in a matter of hours and never starting smoking again.



The hypnosis program comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. It's recommended by doctors because you don't have painful withdrawal symptoms, side-effects or cravings. You don't need to take any nicotine replacement products for success and you won't feel any anxiety when you finally quit.



If you have tried before to stop smoking without success or have been searching for a proven method on how to stop smoking, then I suggest you consider hypnosis. An estimated 19 out of 20 people quit smoking with this method.
Posted by Admin On 12:02 AM No comments READ FULL POST
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