How To Quit Smoking for Good and Stay Smoke Free!

Have you reached the point of no return?  No, until the day you die you can change things in your life.

• Do you find yourself climbing stairs and need to stop to catch your breath before reaching the top?
• You can’t even think about running as you feel your heart is going to explode?
• You wake up in the morning with a cough as if something is stuck in your throat?
• You wake up in the middle of the night with a coughing fit?
• Can’t taste your your food like you used to?

If you answered yes to the above it is truly the time to quit smoking!  However you can answer yes to these all day but it will do you no good unless you have the mind set and the mental will power to quit.

There are many methods and over the counter things that can help you quit smoking, but the truth of the matter is there are things you need to do in your life to make this successful.

1. Eliminate as much stress as possible.  Stress makes a smoker run to a cigarette.
2. Come up with alternatives to do on trigger times.  After dinner and first thing in the morning were tough times for me.  Come up with something to occupy your mind during the "nicotine attack" times.
3. Put something else in your hand and or your mouth.  I had purchased straws and cut them in 3rds and would chew on them.  It did help get through the moment.
4. Try alternative methods.  Chewing gum helps you get through the craving, sucking on a mint helps…you don’t want to exchange a cigarette for another addition, so don’t turn to food or some other bad habit.

I finally went to my doctor and got a prescription for Chantix and that worked great!  It stops the nicotine receptors in your brain so even though you have to work on the stopping it is a big help.  Some insurance companies are even covering the cost of this as preventive medicine.  However, my insurance did not and it is kinda expensive, but when compared to what you are spending to smoke…it is cheaper.

Smoking is recognized as the leading preventable cause of death, causing or contributing to the deaths of approximately 430,700 Americans each year. Tobacco use costs the nation about $100 billion each year in direct medical expense and lost productivity. About 25% of all American adults (46.3 million people) smoke.

Smoking can cause:

1. Increased chance of lung, cervical, and other types of cancer;
2. Respiratory diseases such as emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis;
3. Cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, and atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries).
4. The risk of stroke is especially high in women who take birth control pills.
5. Smoking can damage fertility, making it harder to conceive, and it can interfere with the growth of the fetus during pregnancy.
6. It accounts for an estimated 14% of premature births and 10% of infant deaths.
7. There is some evidence that smoking may cause impotence in some men.
8. Because smoking affects so many of the body’s systems, smokers often have vitamin deficiencies and suffer oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
9. Smoking is recognized as one of several factors that might be related to a higher risk of hip fractures in older adults.

Symptoms That Occur After Quitting Smoking :

1. Craving for cigarette
2. Irritability, impatience
3. Insomnia
4. Fatigue
5. Lack of concentration
6. Hunger
7. Coughing, dry throat, nasal drip 
8. Constipation, gas Intestinal movement

And of course there can be more

However the benefits far outnumber the limited time of withdrawal symptoms.

Benefits of quitting:

1. Hands and feet become warmer from improved circulation.
2. Blood pressure and pulse rate lower and approach normal.
3. Mouth and hair no longer smell of smoke.
4. Senses of taste and smell improve.
5. Cough disappears and phlegm production returns to normal.
6. Stamina increases significantly.
7. Energy level is higher.
8. Field of vision increases by 15 to 20 percent.
9. Risk of all diseases caused by smoking is reduced - emphysema, heart attacks, and cancers of all types.
10. You have improved your self-image.
11. You have put yourself in charge of your life.
12. You have a feeling of accomplishment and self-respect.
13. You are becoming happier, less depressed.
14. Never again will you have to plan every activity around cigarette smoking.
15. Never again will you have to make excuses, or feel guilty about needing cigarettes.
16. Never again will you have to go back into the house to be sure all cigarettes are extinguished.
17. Never again will you have to take inventory of smoking paraphernalia before you leave your home or office.
18. Now you can hold on to the excitement of being a winner and bask in a sense of well-being.
19. You now project an image of self-control that is not available to smokers.
20. Your house, car, and clothes don’t smell of cigarettes.
21. You will have more time to devote to family and friends.
22. You will not become a burden on your family members because of illnesses related to smoking cigarettes.

So Now How to quit:

1. MAKE A DATE and stick to it. Draw up a plan of action, considering what methods are available to you.
2. KEEP BUSY to help take your mind off cigarettes. Throw away all your ashtrays, lighters and tobacco.
3. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS - keep a glass of water or juice by you and sip it steadily. Try different flavours.
4. GET MORE ACTIVE - Walk instead of using the bus or car. Try the stairs instead of the lift. Exercise helps you relax and can boost your morale.
5. THINK POSITIVE - Withdrawal can be unpleasant, bit it is a sign your body is recovering from the effects of tobacco. Irritability, urges to smoke and poor concentration are common - don’t worry, they usually disappear after a few of weeks.
6. CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE - Try to avoid the shop you usually buy cigarettes. Perhaps you should avoid the pub or the break room at work if there are lots of smokers around you. Try doing something totally different. Surprise yourself!
7. NO EXCUSES - Don’t use a crisis or even good news to be an excuse for "just one cigarette" there is no such thing - you will soon want the next and the next….
8. TREAT YOURSELF - This is important. If you can, use the money you are saving by not smoking to buy yourself something special - big or small - that you usually would not have.
9. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU EAT - Try not to snack on fatty foods. If you do need to snack, try fruit, raw vegetables or sugar free gum or sweets.
10. TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME - each day without a cigarette is good news for your health, your family..and your pocket.
11. Use help aids if needed or contact your doctor for help

Good Luck and remember there are lots of help groups online and people who are willing to help.