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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Alternative Ways to Stop Smoking

Most smokers by now are familiar with the cold turkey approach to stopping smoking (not recommended), and the many stop-smoking aids available from the high street pharmacy.

Sadly, there are some folks who have tried just about every conventional method to quit yet still can't seem to stay stopped.

Are these traditional options really failing them, or are the smokers themselves just not serious enough about quitting? Well, if you're here and reading this, then there's a good chance you are serious, but perhaps you're seeking some alternative ways to stop smoking tobacco.

Smoking cessation, just like quitting alcohol, or dieting, does not have a single solution which suits all.

This is why there is a variety of both conventional and alternative treatments for managing the physical craving of nicotine and the metal obsession to smoking.

Let's start by breaking down some of the common choices first and then we'll take a look at the alternative ways to stop smoking later in the piece.

Cold Turkey: Set a date and just stop completely! Not really recommended simply because the withdrawal symptoms can drive a person nuts and have them reaching for a packet of 20 before the days end.

However, younger smokers who have not been in the grip of nicotine for as long as many older smokers, usually have a higher success rate at this somewhat drastic approach.

Cutting Down Gradually: Although this sounds like a good idea in theory, it has little chance of succeeding with most smokers! A typical active smoker is a master at finding justifiable excuses, and the moment a little upheaval happens in their life, they reach for the tobacco.

Cutting down is perhaps a method tried by most smokers who have just made a decision to quit, but very few can tell you they managed to stop and stay stopped by gradually cutting down until the desire to smoke was completely lifted.

Quit smoking Products: There are so many of these and they are by far the most successful at helping smokers stop altogether. Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) are perhaps the most successful.

These include patches, gums, inhalers and nasal sprays. There are also tablets (Zyban (Bupropion)) which some smokers find effective.

However, pills are usually prescription only and can result in some uncomfortable side effects in certain patients.

Alternative Ways to Stop Smoking in 2009

Stop Smoking with Hypnotherapy: Hypnosis to quit smoking is becoming more popular with each passing year.

This type of therapy does not come cheap and has little chance of working if the patient is skeptical about the practice.

For those who do believe, or are willing to believe in hypnosis, the reports have been very positive.

Hypnosis to stop smoking works by changing the attitude of the smoker so that stopping smoking becomes a strong positive thought and diverts the user attitude towards cessation.

Stop Smoking with Acupuncture: Like hypnotherapy, acupuncture is also gaining in popularity for those looking for alternative methods to quit smoking.

Acupuncture is based a combination of ear acupuncture points which are said to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms which are often triggered when a smoker is deprived of nicotine.

Stop Smoking with Aromatherapy: This is a gentler, softer approach to giving up smoking.

Aromatherapy is more popular among women than men seeking to quit the habit. The special smoking cessation oil is said to be made up of eight essential oils which are intended to provide relief from the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal.

Stop Smoking with Meditation: Meditation is all about finding inner strength and peace.

It's said that the habit and addiction of smoking cannot possibly exist in either the mind or the body when a person has achieved that inner peace and newfound strength by practicing meditation techniques.

Both the thought of smoking and the act of smoking are negatives, and meditation works by removing, or dismissing harmful thoughts.

When negative beliefs are removed or controlled, the desire to persist with the destructive behaviour is gone.

There are more alternative ways to stop smoking than those mentioned in this short piece. Hopefully you now have an insight into a few of the more popular methods used successfully.

Those of you looking for less typical ways to kick the smoking habit once and for all, now have a plethora of choices available at your disposal.

Whether you opt for conventional or unconventional methods to help you wean off the drug nicotine, the help is out there should you want it. The only thing that can stop you from stopping now is you yourself.

Discover the various ways to quit smoking in 2009, both conventional and alternative. Many ex smokers can and do Stop Smoking by Hypnosis, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and meditation.

All this and much more when you visit Addicted To More dot com - Your Independent Guide to Recovering from Addictions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Maingam

How Does Stop Smoking Shot Treatment Help Quit Smoking

Several medicines combine to make a stop smoking shot. The Stop smoking shot restricts the movement of the nicotine receptors within your brain.

Thus, being a smoker you no longer enjoy the effects of nicotine. You feel terrible at the thought of having cigarettes and withdrawal symptoms seem manageable to you.

The day after having the shot, you feel like a non-smoker without any crave for nicotine.

You don't even feel frustrated and tensed for having to quit cigarette all of a sudden.

However, the shot therapy does not involve the intake of nicotine and similar other products like nicotine gums, nicotine patches or inhalers.

After the stop smoking shot therapy is over, some clinics offer behavior treatment programs in order to ensure that you are never to return to your bad habit again.

Such a treatment takes more than a month, though the time sessions largely vary from clinic to clinic.

Stop smoking shot is entirely an effective medical procedure. First you have to pass a physical exam, which helps the physician decide whether a shot therapy is suitable for you or not.

However, in case you are suffering from specific medical problems, a stop smoking shot treatment won't be suitable for you.

Good news is that the stop smoking shot treatment is covered by health insurance policies or plans.

Even if the treatment is not covered, its cost is quite negligible and so you don't have to think several times before going for the treatment.

Moreover, it is a one-time treatment. The new and innovative improved shots have fewer side effects than the older ones.

However, in case you are interested to go for a stop smoking shot treatment it is better that you consult you physician for a good clinic.

Some smokers have doubt about the effectualness and safety of stop smoking shot treatment.

They do not understand that how a shot injection can reduce cravings for cigarettes. They wonder whether a shot treatment can cure both mental and physical addiction.

The best part of the story is that stop smoking shot injections do not share interdependence with nicotine replacement products like nicotine patch and gum.

So, when everything fails and you are still wondering how to save yourself from the detrimental habit of smoking, it is stop smoking shot treatment you can opt for to witness that long desired change in your monotonous and addicted life.

About the Author
Roy Dobson is a successful writer and publisher of Smoking related issues, for more informative articles go to http://www.stopsmokingtoday.net

Lung Repair After Smoking - How to Clean Your Lungs

Aside from the brain, the lungs are the most delicate organ in your body. Healthy lungs are filled with tiny passage ways and air chambers.

As you breathe, fresh air containing life sustaining oxygen, is drawn into your lungs.

Once inside these tiny chambers, oxygen is passed to the red blood cells in exchange for carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is expelled from your system as you exhale.

This process takes place about 17,000 times each day.

In order to complete this process, the passage ways in your lungs must be clean and free of sediments that could clog the tiny passage ways and interfere with the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange.

In order to keep the chambers clear, your lungs contain thousands of tiny hair like stalks called cilia. The cilia continually sweep impurities and sediment out of the lungs to keep them clear.

When you smoke, toxins and chemicals are drawn into the lungs. If you are just an occasional smoker, the cilia can easily keep the lungs clean. But if you are a heavy smoker, the cilia cannot effectively do their job.

As you continue to smoke, many of the tiny cilia are damaged, making the cleaning process even more difficult. Over time, toxins from cigarette smoke begin to clog the tiny air chambers.

Because the smaller number of healthy cilia can no longer keep the lungs clean, your body resorts to a second method in an attempt to clean your lungs; a cough. This smokers cough is your body's way of assisting the cilia to clear your lungs.

So, what can you do if you've been smoking for a while and have a nasty cough? The solution is simple. You should help your body clear the lungs.

You can do this using a simple combination of food supplements and vitamins that rinse the toxins out of your lungs and flush them out of your body. This easy process will clean out your lungs 15 - 20 times faster than your body can do it on its own.

If you've been smoking for a while, do something good for your health; Clear Your lungs Now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jo_Mark

4 Great Reasons to Quit Smoking Right Now

As a smoker, you are constantly told about the millions of reasons why you need to quit smoking.

I know that when I smoked, I was always being reminded that I was going to have a million strokes, high blood pressure, and all kinds of other bad things.

Thinking back, it was really stupid of me not to listen to people, as these are the reasons why I don't smoke any more.

Blindness

Studies have shown that smokers are at a vastly increased risk for loss of eyesight. Turns out that smoking is around on par with moonshine for smart things to do for your vision.

Heartburn

I've seen research about this, but I didn't really need to, having experienced it myself. Before quitting, I smoked anywhere between one and three packs a day. I remember regularly waking up to severe heartburn.

Impotence

There are several studies out there showing a correlation between smoking and erectile dysfunction. That should be enough to make you want to quit smoking right now if you're a guy.

Depression

Sure, depressed people are supposed to smoke. That's what you always see in the movies. It becomes self fulfilling, though, as being a smoker keeps you depressed and makes it even harder to enjoy life.

Of course, in addition to these three are the slew of well known health risks, ranging from emphysema to lung cancer. We all know how hard quitting smoking is supposed to be, but it's well worth it if you want to live a happy life.

If you're trying to quit smoking, you might be wondering How does the Nicotine Patch work or about various Natural Methods for Quitting Smoking that you can use. Check it out and quit smoking right now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Berkeley

Physical Recovery and Changes After Quitting Smoking - What to Expect

One of the best things about quitting smoking is just how quickly your body recovers from the ill effects of smoking.

hile it takes many years to completely recover, your body starts healing itself in just over a quarter of an hour. These are some of the things you can look forward to (and be wary of) in the coming days after stopping smoking.

About twenty minutes after quitting smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate are back to a normal level.

12 hours after stopping, your blood oxygen saturation has become normal, and nicotine levels in the bloodstream are a twentieth of their levels as a smoker.

One day after quitting, you will start to feel the anxiety and withdrawal that comes with quitting smoking. You've made it this far, don't turn back!

Between two and three days from the last time you've smoked, your irritability will be at an all time high. You'll experience several cravings per day for cigarettes, but as time goes on their length and intensity decreases. It also becomes easier to breathe, as your lungs are healing.

After a week, you'll experience fewer symptoms of withdrawal. Past the three day mark, all withdrawal symptoms are mental, as your body as cleansed itself from the addictive properties of nicotine. Stick with it, because it only gets better from here!

After two weeks, you shouldn't feel withdrawal any more. Urges to smoke will have dissipated, and you can relax knowing that you have taken control of your life again.

In the coming few weeks, irritability, sleeplessness, and depression associated with smoking will subside and you'll be able to take in just how incredible it is to not be a smoker.

One year after quitting, you are at a massively decreased risk of coronary heart disease, about half that of a smoker. Over the next few years, the rest of your disease risks will return to those of a non-smoker.

The first month is the hardest, but if you stick to it you'll be rewarded in the end.

Make sure that your family and friends know that you're quitting smoking and to expect you to be more irritable and anxious.

The first two weeks after I quit, I was absolutely unbearable to be around, but it went away with time and I never look back and miss smoking.

If you're trying to quit smoking, you might be wondering How does the Nicotine Patch work or about various Natural Methods for Quitting Smoking that you can use. Check it out and quit smoking right now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Berkeley

4 Quit Smoking Tips

Quitting smoking is not easy for anyone and if you've tried it before you should know exactly what I'm talking about. The nicotine is one of the most addictive substances that affects the entire body functioning including the brain.

Recent studies show that nicotine is just as addicting as cocaine, heroine and marijuana. The more nicotine your body takes in the greater your addiction is, therefore you are at high risk of developing several serious illnesses and even cancer.

The sad part is that smoking is socially accepted and second-hand smoking is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes itself. Several anti smoking campaigns have been initiated over the last couple of years, sadly without any real results.

Here are some tips if you're looking to quit smoking cigarettes once and for all:

1. You need a good plan. Quitting smoking cold turkey is possible but still you need a plan. It's better that you take a few weeks of work so that you can relax more. Take advantage of the short vacation to concentrate on your journey of quitting smoking.

A good plan basically means that you should try and avoid people and places that might trick you into smoking a cigarette again. Throw away any cigarette or lighter you may still have laying around your house.

2. New Hobbies: Think about it for a second! Smoking a cigarette usually takes up to 10 minutes. If you are a-pack a day smoker then you're basically spending roughly 4 - 5 hours smoking. Isn't that an awful lot of time?

This is the main reason you need to come up with new things to do instead of smoking. If you won't find new activities boredom occurs and again you might be tricked to light up a cigarette again. Try and keep yourself busy at all times, this will help you fight cravings easily.

3. Exercising: Gaining weight is not a number one rule when you quit smoking but there are people that are likely to gain a bit of weight after giving up cigarettes.

Your body might be weak due to the smoking cravings and this is why excises are an excellent way to strengthen your body and mind. You can also try jogging, swimming, rollerblading, playing tennis or any sport that involves a lot of movement.

4. Healthy Eating: It's important that you take in the right nutrients and vitamins when you quit smoking. Your body goes through a complicated process of eliminating all the toxins and nicotine, therefore eating healthy will help. Don't worry about your weight. Most people think that smoking keeps them thin which is untrue.

Alex has been struggling to quit smoking and finally made it using a simple yet effective method.

If you're serious about quitting smoking please visit my review of the top rated product to quit smoking. Visit this webpage: The Quit Smoking Today Program

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexandru_Matei