We produced the easy stop smoking guide in the hopes that we could make quitting smoking easier for you. Much of the articles and advice I have come across were written by people who weren't smokers, and had no idea what was involved. I have had a lot of help in my own efforts, and I would like to make what I have learned available to you.
Quitting Is Easier Than You Think
Once you make up your mind to quit I think you will find that it is much easier than you thought. The very hardest part is making up your mind to stop. Once you begin it only takes about 3 days to eliminate all of the nicotine from your body.
Will all of your troubles be over in 3 days? No, you still have the habit to beat, but it will be much easier after the first 3 days. Unless you have been smoking for a long time you will have the habit beat in 3 weeks.
If you have been smoking for a long time you will find that it is much easier after the first 3 weeks. You will find that you only have an occaisional desire for a smoke, and that will pass away in 5 or 6 weeks. We have been talking about quitting "Cold Turkey" or without assistance. If you have been smoking for a long time you will have an easier time of it if you use a nicotine patch. Check with your doctor to see if anything will prevent you from using the patch.
My Own Experience In Quitting
I actually quit 3 times. The first time I quit was back in the fifties. Back then nearly everyone you knew smoked, airline pilots, doctors, movie stars, and the people you worked with. None of us thought smoking did you any good, but no one believed it would cause you any serious health problems.
I was in the navy, and a friend of mine bought a book written by a professor in an ivy league university. The book was really good, and the professor had got the word on the hazards of smoking long before anyone else. He smoked, and he made quitting smoking an experiment, and worked it out until he found things that really worked, and made quitting easy. Much of the information I have here were things I learned from him.
I had only been smoking for 4 or 5 years and quitting wasn't a really big deal. Most of the guys in my shop quit at the same time. I didn't smoke until I got out of the navy. I guess I didn't smoke for a year or so. After I got out of the navy most of the people I knew smoked, and it wasn't long until I was smoking again.
The second time I quit all doubt had been removed about the hazards associated with smoking, and I had been smoking for over 20 years. I quit "Cold Turkey" and really didn't have a lot of trouble quitting. I didn't smoke again for 5 or 6 years. I found that I seemed to be getting more nervous as time passed, I had to have something to do all the time to occupy my mind. Eventually I started smoking again.
When I finally quit, I had been smoking off and on for over 55 years. I used the patch this time, and I also enlisted God's help by asking for his help in prayer. I had very little trouble quitting, and this time I have had no problem with nerves, so I think it may be helpful to use the nicotine patch if you have been smoking for a long time. Perhaps it takes a little time to rewire your brain to exist without cigarettes. Personally I think God's help was the key.
It Is All In your Mind
The major source of our addiction is in our brain, It is not your imagination, it is a very real process and is as addictive as food, alcohol, drugs, pain, or any other addiction. That is why it is so hard to quit by gradually reducing the amount you smoke.
The habit of smoking is something your mind has become accustomed to. Chemicals in the tobacco smoke trigger pleasure centers in our brain. We become addicted to that pleasure and it is similar to a drug addiction. It is a powerful addiction, and our brain craves the pleasure smoking brings, even though the process is playing havoc with the rest of our body.
The Value Of Nicotine Patches
The nicotine patches start off pretty strong, but as you continue using them the amount of nicotine they contain is gradually reduced. That process allows us to gradually wean our brain of the pleasure the nicotine brings. Eventually the amount of nicotine contained in the patch is so small that we are able to stop using them all together, easily. You should check with your doctor to be sure that using the patch won't cause you any problem. We have links elsewhere on this site that will give you more information on patches.
Quit Now
I always told myself that if it ever got to the point where smoking was starting to effect my health I would quit. I finally realized that almost all of the health problems associated with smoking can't be reversed. By the time you notice that you have a problem, it is too late for a remedy. You have a disease that is progressive and nothing can be done for it. Quit while you can escape with your health intact. Quit now!
Motivation
You do have to work up the motivation to quit, no matter what scheme you use. That is the single most important element of all. Knowledge is power, so study all of the information here. You don't have to feel guilty about smoking, stop for awhile and have a smoke before you go any farther.
This website has all sorts of information to make quitting smoking easy for you. Please go to the home page and start at the bigining. All of the information and devices in the world are useless to you unless you apply them to your own problem. Study the material, work out a plan of your own, and put your plan into action.
Your Support In Quitting
I had powerful support in my effort to quit. Since I am a christian I was able to call on the Lord for help with this problem, and I received it. If you have no close friends or family members to support you with this effort, or with the other problems you face in your life, you too can receive God's help. We have information on this site that will help you obtain the Lord's help in all that you do. Please start at the Home Page/Start Page below to get the full benefit.
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