I quit smoking in 1971. Except for a few cigars I haven't smoked since and my last cigar was in 1977. Have you quit or are you trying to kick the habit? I quit cold turkey without a support group or any kind of medicine or other aid. Once I firmly decided to quit I had no trouble staying quit, but I did backslide several times on the way to successfully quitting. I never doubted I could kick the habit, though it was not easy to quit after years as a smoker.
Between my first serious attempt to quit smoking and my final successful attempt there was a span of six years and probably four or five tries to quit. It was not easy, and the hardest part was being around other people who smoked. In one of those tries I was smoke-free for nearly three years before I backslid into the habit. So I respect anyone who has tried--failed or succeeded--and I fully sympathize with those who have the habit and want to quit.

Great answers, everyone. Thanks for participating. If you've quit, congratulations. If you've tried and failed, I respect your efforts and wish you the best.

The cost is one factor that helps me stay quit. When I last smoked cigarettes cost about 40 cents a pack.

Hi warren..

congrats on that time its impressive.. i have been free for over 5 years now.. after smoking for more than 40 years.. the thing that worked for me was a support group..

the biggest challenge, was to become convinced, i couldent smoke just one..

Nicotine Anonymous is a Non-Profit 12 Step Fellowship of men and women helping each other live nicotine-free lives. Nicotine Anonymous welcomes all those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction, including those using cessation programs and nicotine withdrawal aids. The primary purpose of Nicotine Anonymous is to help all those who would like to cease using tobacco and nicotine products in any form. The Fellowship offers group support and recovery using the 12 Steps as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous to achieve abstinence from nicotine.

I have been trying to quit smoking for months now and I always manage to buy cigarettes. I keep making excuses for myself which leads me to buy them and I always feel left out from a group of people who are smoking and I'm not. I have the gum and went one week without buying cigarettes but I still scabbed smokes. I really want to quit for my healths sake.

Stop thinking that quitting is a difficult thing, we have an anti-smoking culture so people think of smokers as a great evil rather than victims of an addiction, this culture effects how we approach quitting. People think that if smokers continue to suffer in order to smoke that they must enjoy smoking thus quitting will deprive them of something so will be difficult, when logically the fact smokers suffer should make quitting easier. Did you know there are laws in place so methods that don't require willpower are restricted, being told constantly that you need willpower and quitting is difficult you believe it too and that is hardly motivation to quit!

I seriously recommend EASYWAY it has a 90% success rate and once quit very few start smoking again, there is no weight gain, no moodyness, and no feeling deprived. Easyway is easy as there is no willpower required, instead it helps you understand the nature of the addition to overcome it and feel positive from day one. It deals with the mental addition rather than the chemical, after all smokers can go all night without being woken up by cravings, nicotine may be highly addictive but the cravings and withdrawals are minute, it's all mental. A lot of it is common sense that the addiction cancels out, sure you know smoking will kill you horribly and costs you a fortune but you still continue, that darn addiction is overriding your own brain. Easyway gets rid of the addictions grasp on your logic and deprograms the brainwashing about quitting being difficult or social dependancy on having a cigarette in your hand, then you quit successfully and happily without any ill effects. The course comes in different forms, you can get a book from Amazon for practically nothing, I tend to buy copies for £3-£4 to give away, the books also give you 20% discount off the clinics. The clinics offer the same information but more support, they are £220 but you can go as often as you need and they offer a full money back guarentee. http://www.allencarrseasyway.com

There are of course other methods, tips to help you quit, most are about as much use as, well, as continuing to smoke is to your health. Some methods work for some people and not others, but with the right attitude anything can work. If you go cold turkey try drinking coffee which feeds the caffeine addiction so takes the edge off the nicotine addiction, the bitterness also puts your off smoking, and coffee helps clear what will be coming off your lungs. Bitterness of range juice and dark chocolate can also put you off smoking, don't use lollipops as although they keep your mouth busy it's positive reinforcement – your body is craving nicotine so you are rewarding it with candy. Avoid quitting with friends as if one fails then it gives you an excuse to give up too, but by all means find a support group. If you find yourself laying in bed reflexting on how much you want to quit get up and write it down as in the morning you'll forget those thoughts. There is a mouthwash you can use which is like the bad tasting nail polish used to stop biting nails, it's sprayed onto your tounge to make cigarettes taste horrible, but it makes everything else taste horrible too. Herbal cigarettes totally help as they keep your hands and mouth busy, the problem is that you can't smell them but everyone else can, they don't smell nice, so use them when you're alone. There is nicotine replacement, lozenges, patches, gum, inhalator, these are expensive but if you live in the UK you can get them free on the NHS as long as you go along to smoking clinics that monitor your progress – if you fail you have to wait six months before you can try again. You can also get drugs like Zyban, again free on the NHS, these drugs act on your brain to stop cravings, you start them a few weeks before you want to quit. My friends parents used a similar drug to Zyban and were so disgusted by cigarettes that his father threw up at the mere smell of his cigarette tin.

http://www.costofsmoking.com

http://stopsmokingcoach.ca

http://www.megalink.net/%7Edale/quitcigs.html

http://QuitSmokingEasy.org

NLP is a stop smoking forever program that guarantees instant results.

NLP has stop smoking for good.

Try for yourself and listen to this easyway stop smoking program.

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I'm planning on quitting starting Aug 21st. My reason is so i can live longer for my child, plus he has asthma and i don' t want the cigarette smoke in my clothes anymore when he breathes it in. Another reason is gas prices are so high now and between gas prices and buying cigarettes i spend at least $80-$100 a month. This will be my first time ever doing this, i don't even know how to quit or avoid the cravings. I really can't afford the smoking cessation classes (don't know if i spelled the word right lol) i just want to do it on my own. I already know that the nicotine gum won't work because i already chew gum when i'm smoking a cigarette. Need advice please and thank you to all!
I have people that will support me, like my boyfriend (he wants me to quit also), co-workers, my mom said she'll support me but she smokes too and i live with her, i know other family members will be willing to help me.

To start quitting is a pretty good idea. You'll find usefull info there.

Good luck !

With the push today to get everybody to quit smoking, today a smoker can choose a wide range of stop smoking treatments of his own personal choice. With different choices of a stop smoking treatment coming out all the time, if one doesn't work for you then another one may - or you can choose several types of treatment to work together.

But the best stop smoking treatment will be your own determination and will to want to quit - if you don't want to, then the entire stop smoking aids together will not work. Once you decide to quit, and chose the date you are throwing away your last cigarette, the option you choose as a treatment is the one you are the most comfortable with: inhalers, patches, injections, pills, pills, or cold turkey. This can be natural or traditional medicine - with everything being a matter of personal preference or medical concerns.

The cold turkey method has an advantage over all other treatments, as the nicotine will be out of your system in just a few days. But the largest disadvantage is the withdrawals will be extremely intense and painful. But what happens is the body demands its maximum amount of nicotine that it has had over the years. Long-term heavy smokers use this method over all the others - about 90% of smokers will suffer through these first 72 hours to two weeks of exhausting and hard cold-turkey from nicotine to make the body 100% nicotine clean and chemical withdrawn.

And as you read this, you think of pain and suffering instead of a short period of withdrawal but of the 90% of smokers who use it, they have a larger chance of success than with the other stop smoking treatments. The body recognizes there will be no nicotine offered and the pain and withdrawal stress will disappear, as compared to a slow and easy treatment. The body knows it will eventually be getting some amount of nicotine, creating some form of chronic state of drug withdrawal. It is a matter of choice - two weeks compared to life.

If cold turkey doesn't appeal to you, try one of the other popular stop smoking treatment for nicotine replacement therapy. It gives the smokers a wide range of products to choose from with each product releasing a small amount of nicotine into the body, negating the urge to smoke. Some of the nicotine products that have been developed to kill the smoking urge are: the nicotine inhaler, nicotine gum and the nicotine patch. Or the smoker can use a pill like Zyban to stop smoking.

Zyban prods the pituitary gland to release endorphins in the bloodstream, which, in turn, cause a positive upswing in the smoker's mood. Generally, a Zyban course lasts 8 to 12 weeks and should be taken under medical supervision.

A few other unique methods is to quit naturally, using the time-tested Asian therapy of acupressure. In this therapy, silver needles are used to release energy inside the body while creating a sense of well being, assisting the smoker to combat withdrawal symptoms. Another way to combat withdrawal symptoms is to take laser treatment. The low intensity laser beam stimulates the release of endorphins, and kills the urge to smoke. Some smokers also use herbal cigarettes to give up the habit.

Besides this, the smokers can take the help of clinics or self-help groups that provide advice and guidance. Such clinics provide counseling to individuals who want to give up smoking. They conduct mind exercises to improve an individual's will power and the desire to return to smoking. Hypnosis is yet another method that can be used to give up smoking.

Considerable self-discipline is needed for any of these treatments to work. More often than not, smokers give up smoking for a few days or a few weeks and then pick up the habit again. They need the support of family members and close friends during this troublesome period. To quit smoking and recover from the nicotine addiction is a period of readjustment of the mind and body. Over time, the body and mind combination heals itself and breaks free of the addiction, teaching itself to function without cigarettes or any form of tobacco on a dependency level.

The same way different people smoke and are addicted differently, they will also quit and recover in the same ways. Some can quit and walk away with no symptoms or problems, while others double over with pure intense physical pain with multiple symptoms. This is why there are so many different stop smoking treatments for assorted types of smokers. Know yourself and what works the best and the most efficient way.

Mike Singh
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/stop-smoking-treatments-which-one-is-the-best-84966.html

If medical smoking aids to not appeal to you, then low level laser treatment to stop smoking (LLLT) may be your choice as an aid or treatment method. It is a natural, simple, relaxing, and painless form of therapy, similar to acupuncture, with no reported side effects. It has been used over 30 years in other parts of the world, while new in the United States. It produces endorphins in the body by applying the laser to various meridian points, depending on what the purpose of the LLLT is.

In Medical News Today, September 9, 2006, the Medical Reporter for CBS3 from Philadelphia, Stephanie Stahl, states, "Other than the treatment not working for everyone, there are no downsides to the laser, as long as it is used by a trained technician." With a success rate of 64% in some clinics to 80-90% in others, the LLLT is currently in clinical trials with plans to receive FDA approval.

The entire therapy is normally done in three stages, 20 to 30 minute duration, but occasionally less or more is needed depending on the smoker. The first stage deals with the laser activation of meridian points, helping to reduce the dependence of the body on nicotine. Controlling the appetite points so that you do not gain extra weight follows this up in the second stage. The last stage is the stimulation of relaxation points to release the endorphins.

The release of endorphins, according to latest research, is critical to any treatment aimed at helping a smoker give up cigarettes. Produced by our pituitary glands, the endorphins create a "euphoria" mood inside of us, or a sense of false well being, that removes the withdrawal distress caused by the nicotine. Some methods combine the LLLT with individual guidance and a 24-hour hotline, which has higher rates of success than just one form of treatment.

The meridian points of smokers that are activated by the LLLT for endorphin releases are the ears, nose, hands, wrist, and forearm. Doctors consider laser therapy similar to the Oriental science of acupuncture, but instead uses "cold" low intensity laser beam instead of sharp needles. When a smoker begins to quit smoking, the endorphins register a sharp fall. As a result, the person experiences emotional distress which includes sleeping problems, serious mood disturbances, sharp increase in appetite, anger and a phenomenal urge to light another cigarette. The only smokers who should not go for laser therapy are pregnant women, cancer patients, and epileptics.

A huge barrier to quitting smoking is the pain and distress of the nicotine withdrawals. The smoking aids may temporarily help a smoker through out the day, but by quitting smoking altogether, we can enjoy life without any distress on the body. Methods like the laser treatment to stop smoking allow a person not to be living a life dependant on a cigarette, but without the fear of withdrawal and a healthy future of added years.

Mike Singh
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/laser-treatment-to-stop-smoking-56042.html

I have been smoking cigarettes for 10 years now, i have cut down to the light ones 1mg and i smoke around 20 per day. I am TTC now and am finding it so difficult to quit. My partner is a smoker also and this makes it even harder, he says he will quit when i do. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

You need to be firm with your partner. You want to quit - and seeing other people smoke is even worse for you.

If you haven't already, ban smoking inside the house. From now on, make yourself and your partner smoke outside. This kind of "breaks" some habits (smoking first thing in the morning, smoking after a meal) and makes breaking more easier.

After a meal and first thing in the morning, try to force yourself to go an extra 30 min to an hour without allowing yourself a cigarette. The more "habits" you break, the easier it will become to cut back dramatically. When you are down to say... five cigarettes a day - imagine how much easier it will be to cut down to 2.. then 1... . then ... poof! No more.

The key is to break habits. Yes there is nicotine addiction - but I found that the urge to light up in the car, during coffee, after meals, etc was stronger just because i would associate those things with cigarettes. Forcing myself NOT to light up immediately really helped with phasing it out all together.

Quitting smoking is a huge undertaking. While your body rids itself of the physical nicotine addiction, your mind has to cut the mental stronghold that cigarettes have over you. Many smokers wish that they could just wave a magic wand and make the habit disappear for good. Maybe they can.

Laser therapy is an option that can help smokers kick the habit for good. Most smokers genuinely want to quit, but are afraid of how they will deal with the withdrawal symptoms and the nicotine cravings. These people are afraid of what will happen if they just can't cope without cigarettes. These fears keep smokers dependent on nicotine.

Laser therapy treatments can help manage nicotine cravings, keeping you calm and relaxed during the first crucial weeks. The treatment provides a natural high with a feeling of well being, thereby greatly reducing the temptation to smoke another cigarette.

Stop smoking laser therapy is a low-level laser therapy that is virtually painless, entirely safe and helps fight nicotine cravings. It is an external, non-thermal, and non-invasive process.

Considered a non-medical procedure, treatments are given using a low-level laser to help promote the release of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are natural chemicals that signal your system to decrease stress and increase energy.

When you undergo stop smoking laser therapy, you will receive laser beams to acupuncture points on the body and ear. Advocates say that not only is the procedure non-invasive, it has no side effects. Most smokers need only three to five treatment sessions that last about 30 minutes each. Patients receiving laser therapy do not require additional nicotine or drug replacement.

The low-level laser acts as an instrument to aid the client through the initial physical withdrawals from nicotine. The first 72 hours after quitting is considered to be the crucial detoxification period. For three to five days following treatment, the laser will mimic a similar endorphin release, relieving the stress associated with giving up nicotine.

Stop smoking laser therapy has been proven to be far more effective than other treatment options. Like thousands of successful laser therapy clients, you will be amazed at how easily you can stop smoking with the help of these treatments.

Laser therapy programs focus more on the mental side of addiction. The complete plan offers advice on helping you adjust to being a non-smoker, addressing the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of stopping smoking. This additional material provides added support to help you adjust to the significant change in your lifestyle.

Backup support is also available, providing ongoing support to secure your lifestyle change and help you remain smoke-free.

If you're still not sure that you're ready to escape the clutches of nicotine, consider the health benefits of being a non-smoker. Within twenty minutes of having your last cigarette, your blood pressure will begin to normalize. Within a few hours, the carbon monoxide in your blood goes down and the oxygen level increases to normal. Your hands and feet will feel warmer as your body enjoys an improvement in blood circulation. Your body will thank you as your lungs begin to deliver clean, fresh air. Improved senses of smell and taste are two very pleasant benefits you'll enjoy as an ex-smoker. Over the weeks, months and years to come, literally every aspect of your health and life will be better.

Through laser therapy, the fight to escape nicotine addiction can be an easier battle. Try the treatments, stick to your program and avoid temptation to give yourself a fighting chance.

Robert Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/laser-therapy-to-stop-smoking-102765.html

Dr. Glenn Hausenfluke.of the Habitbreaker talks about his work with individuals trying to stop smoking and other addictions. Dr Glenn has
over twenty years of helping people trying to stop smoking naturally. Glenn in this video talks about the shocking situation in the USA with
millions of Americans trying to break their personal additions and finding that the normal medical establishment have little to offer them.

Dr Genn offers natural system that really works with many types of additions and he also personally guarantees his natural treatment system with a money back guarantee! http://www.habitbreaker.biz

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Using laser therapy to quit smoking has some grandeur associated with it. Laser! The very name inspires! Fortunately, from the practical point of view, laser treatment has proved to be very effective. You are introduced to this system recently, and it has been liked by most of the people.

Factually speaking, laser therapy is old wine in the new bottle. Certain nerve centers in the body act as pressure points. By treating those points, you can cause or encourage certain changes in the body. Many disciplines, like reflexology and acupuncture use this principle. Each pressure point, when treated, gives known results.

The same principle is applied to treat you of smoking habit. In laser treatment, specific points in your body are treated with low intensity laser beam. You need not wait long for the result. You find the degree of your smoking cravings drop substantially with immediate effect.

But don't be overjoyed. Reduction in the cravings does not mean that you have quit smoking. You have just begun the journey. But a very good point about laser therapy is that it has no side effects. Such a fast reduction in the cravings is itself an achievement. Laser therapy has to be clubbed with another therapy known as behavioral therapy, to get the optimum results.

Behavioral therapy helps to eliminate the psychological cravings of your smoking addiction. The laser gives the blow to the Nicotine addiction. With these double blows, the effect will not be injurious, and you will emerge victorious!

So, are you convinced about the laser therapy treatment? Now, you need to come to the practical aspects of it. Laser therapy could be quite expensive. So, compare the rates of some of the best clinics. Check the rates in your State, whether the treatment cost is covered under the health insurance. In many cases, laser therapy however may not produce the desired results, so give equal importance to the behavioral therapy as well.

Don't forget your will power. It is not the laser beam, but it's about you who have to quit smoking! Laser treatment will give you the initial support and you own the resultant enthusiasm. But your job is not done. You need to maintain the level of enthusiasm and firm up the decision to quit smoking for ever.

So, let your laser therapy treatment, also known as LLLT (low level laser therapy) start on a positive note. The relevant nerve centers thought that they are the beneficiaries of something pleasurable, when you smoked. Now they will experience the real pleasure, when you say farewell to your smoking for ever!

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/laser-therapy-for-quitting-smoking-58315.html