Giving Bad Advice to Others When Quitting Smoking

I read a lot of blogs and websites that are written by former smokers that give advice on how they quit smoking. I encourage every smoker to find a way that works for them but often these reformed smokers are giving bad advice that will cause another smoker to fail or relapse, which just increases the sense of shame that a smoker has that there is something wrong with them that they can't quit,

Making Smoking a Conscious Choice

Have you ever found a cigarette in your mouth and forgot that you had lite up or had a second one in the ashtray? Smoking becomes an unconscious, automatic habit. Most cigarettes are not conscious choices but a reflex. The brain triggers a want, desire or craving for a cigarette and the smoker automatically reaches for one without consciously thinking about it. The brain reflex continues after an

Classical Conditioning Can Keep You Smoking

Palov was a scientist that discovered that dogs can be conditioned to salivate when they hear a bell rung because the sound had been paired with the presentation of food. The dogs learned that when they hear the bell, they would be fed. This is called classical conditioning. Habit cigarettes are the very same thing. Everything a smoker smokes a cigarette while doing something else, they can

Obnoxious Ex-smokers

Out of 7 siblings, 6 of us smoked. My brother was the first to quit because he was having surgery and was told that he would not heal very well if he continued to smoke, so he quit on the way to the hospital. After his surgery, he nagging the rest of us and was just obnoxious with his holier-than-thou attitude towards those of us who continued to smoke. Years later after I quit, he confessed that

Using Cigars to Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Jim quit smoking cigarettes almost two years ago but he has started smoking mini-cigars that are the shape of a cigarette. Many men switch to cigars thinking that this is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes because "you don't inhale" with cigars. Research has shown that when a cigarette smoker switches to cigars, that they do inhale, it is an automatic response, plus cigars, depending on

Who is in Control, You or the Cigarette?

A few days ago I flew up to Seattle to visit family and friends. My flight was delayed and I spent needless extra hours in an airport. If I had been a smoker, this would have been very uncomfortable. Many participants in my stop smoking workshops have admitted that they avoid flying because of the restrictions on smoking. They can't or don't want to have to deal with the stress of flying and

Dreaming About Smoking Even After Quitting

Yesterday was my 18th anniversary of going smoke free. I gave my first stop smoking workshop one month later. Even after all this time, I still dream that I smoke. It usually happens before a new workshop is scheduled to start and I'm in a panic because I need to quit right now, so that I can facilitate the class. Upon waking, it takes a minute or two to realize it was just a dream and for that

Myths About Nicotine Replacement Products

Many smokers believe that medicinal nicotine is just as harmful as getting nicotine from smoking but that is not true. Inhalation is the faster way for nicotine to enter into the brain because the smoke goes from the lungs to the heart and is pumped directly to the brain. It only takes about 7 to 10 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain. Inhalation of smoke give a higher concentration of

Planning Ahead to Quit Smoking

The average smoker smokes a pack a day and each of these 20 cigarette represents a different ritual. The first one in the morning might fit in with a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. The one that you light up to start your car. The one you grab to answer the phone. The two that you smoke after getting into a fight with your spouse. the unexpected extra half a pack from partying with

Powerful Technique to Stop Smoking

When we exchange our cigarettes for freedom from tobacco, often we feel deprived. I remember it was a few years after I quit and a craving seemed to overwhelm me with the thought, "How dare they take my cigarettes away from me!" I didn't know who "they" were and it only took a minute to realize what a crazy thought this was, but it shows the seductive power that nicotine can have over us. When we

97 Reasons to Quit Smoking

As if it is hard to think of reasons to quit, this site has some new and usual reasons such as it is an excuse to play computer games, save water by having to wash your clothes less often to rid them of the smell and save trees because they are being cut to make space for tobacco plants, and one of my favorites- broaden your dating options since many non-smokers will not date a smoker. This

Quit Smoking for Yourself or For Another Person

Jessica finally decided to quit smoking because her son and daughter in law were going to have their first child and told Jessica that she couldn't be around the child and smoke, which meant she didn't get to babysit her first grandchild.It's important to quit for yourself rather than for someone else and Jessica is at high risk of relapse if her reason for quitting disappears. What if her son

Parental Influence on Adolescent Smoking

Condensed version: Most smokers start as a teenagers and if they become addicted, they become lifelong smokers and have a high risk of dying from smoking. The teen doesn't become addicted with the first cigarette but follows a path that can lead to addiction. The first step is thinking about trying a cigarette, then experimentation, a cigarette every now and then, which progresses to a regular

Who Will Be Successful At Stop Smoking?

It was the last night of my 6 week smoking cessation workshop and we were talking about slipping and falling into relapse. One of the members had slipped because she got stuck in traffic and had an "emergency" cigarette in her car. I had said the week before that by having that "safety" cigarette handy, this person was very likely to smoke it when faced with stress. Another participant mentioned

Appreciation for Quitting Smoking

I have been helping smokers become smoke free since 1990 and I love receiving letters like the following. It makes it all worth while:



Dear V.J.,

Just needed to drop you a note and thank you for your support and guidance to help me stop smoking. I am "smoke free" since June 8, 2002. Sometimes I still here your voice in my head saying "Remember, you are only a puff away from a pack a day" so I

Changing the Way You Think to Help Stop Smoking

It is important to change the way you think about cigarettes. I find it sad when individuals have quit for many years but are still thinking and wanting a cigarette. wouldn't it be nice for smoking to just be a non issue in your life!The following five steps will help you work through your compulsion to smoke, not only during withdrawals but any time in the future. When a craving comes over you,

Romancing the Cigarette After You Have Quit Smoking

Have you ever been in a bad relationship and had it break up? There were so many things that you didn't like about the person you were involved with. But after six months, you haven't started dating anyone else and your thoughts drift back to the fond memories, you tell yourself it wasn't so bad, you had some great times together, you forget all the negative qualities and before you know it,

Weight Gain Tied to Emotional Issues when Quitting Smoking

Many people will gain weight when they quit smoking (see previous blog for 7 Reasons Why Quitters gain weight on August 1, 2008). The reason why people will gain a large amount of weight is because they are eating more, it is not because of the small change in metabolism. Why the increase in food? For emotional reasons. We smoke when we are sad, happy, lonely, afraid, angry, stressed and for many

Dealing with Stress and Strong Emotions When Quitting Smoking

Smoking offers the illusion of going through life with the least amount of pain and the greatest amount of pleasure. Smoking seems to lessen negative emotions and heightens positive experiences. So when a smoker quits, negative emotions seem to be worse and positive emotions, not quite as fun.

Quitting smoking is like losing a best friend. In the past when experiencing stress or emotional

Shame and Guilt when Quitting Smoking

It takes most smokers several quit attempts before they are finally successful at becoming smoke free. The first time, quitters usually get cocky and can't believe how easy it was to quit and they believe that they can smoke when they want, they think they can control their smoking but the changes in the structures of the brain are so strong that a momentary slip can lead to a full relapse. Often

Quitting Smoking is Not a One Time Event

Every smoker has heard from friends and family, "I don't know why you just don't put that cigarette down and walk away?" What these well meaning people believe is that quitting is a one time event but it's not, it's a process that a smoker moves through. It's like going on a diet. If a person needed to lose 50 pounds, no one would say, "I don't know why you just don't drop those 50 pounds right

Why Smokers Gain Weight When They Quit Smoking and Tips to Quit

there are 7 different reasons why smokers gain weight when they quit, most of it is because of eating more food:1. Change in metabolism accounts for 3-6 pounds. 70% of weight gain is due to increase calorie consumption.- Exercise, 20 minutes per day more than you normally do- Discuss using Zyban™ and Nicotine Replacement Products with your doctor, these medications can help reduce the amount of