Quit Smoking Advisory

The drug companies and the multi-billion dollar medical establishment want you to believe that the best stop smoking tips are to chew nicotine gum or throw out all the ashtrays or similar. I used to smoke 25 cigarettes a day but I’ve been clean for 8 years - my advice is completely different.

Tip 1 - open your mind. When it comes to stopping smoking, question everything around you. Look at the drug companies, they are making as much money from cigarette addiction as the tobacco companies and yet no one attacks them. Now look at the numbers of people addicted. It may have gone down a little but it’s still huge. Ask yourself if there is more than meets the eye.

Tip 2 - don’t just accept your smoking for what it is. You have probably never sat back and decided to actually look into your addiction, have you? Next time you smoke a cigarette, think to yourself “what is cigarette addiction?” and “why an I addicted to cigarettes?”. If it’s really just down to the nicotine then how come so many people can smoke just 4 or 5 cigars a year and yet they never feel the urge to smoke cigarettes in between?

Tip 3 - throw out the nicotine replacement products. I’m talking about the patches and gum that contain nicotine. In the long term, these methods are no better than willpower alone. If you buy them then you will still be hooked on something - wouldn’t it be better to free yourself of your addiction rather than simply replace it with another one?

Tip 4 - think about how you think. Let’s consider a crack or a heroin addict. Have you ever met one or seen one on TV? Then you will know that they will do bad things in the name of feeding their addiction and yet they won’t realise they are wrong. Stealing from and lying to friends or anything else to feed their addiction. Now think about your own cigarette addiction. You may think that you have the same powers of logic as when you were a non-smoker. Think again and be big enough to admit that you could be wrong. Cigarettes DO influence the way a smoker thinks. They did when I was a smoker, even though I did not believe it at the time. Don’t let cigarettes get the better of you.

Have these tips given you food for thought? If they haven’t, then carry on using what the establishment tell you and hope that your willpower is strong enough that you can maybe become one of the 10% or so that give up smoking forever using this method. Or, trust in what I am saying as an ex-smoker of 8 years now, and if you want to find out more about the methods that I used to stop smoking, click here.

One new answer to the age old problem of cigarette addiction that continues to baffle the medical establishment, is the stop smoking laser. It works using similar principles to accupuncture as found in Eastern medicine.

This is supposed to be a far superior method to using willpower alone or especially nicotine replacement therapy, the latter being simply a substitute for cigarettes.

How Does It Work?

Stop smoking laser treatments does not involve the use of medications, patches or other traditional means. It works by directing a low level laser on parts of the body and uses the same principles as accupressure or accupuncture.

Accupressure and accupuncture were for many years derided by the West due to a lack of understanding of how they work. However, as clinical trials have shown the success of what the East has known for centuries, even government health services will now fund many such treatments.

Although the laser is relatively new, it uses very similar concepts. What happens is that when the laser is focussed on the skin, it provokes a response in the body. One of these responses is to create endorphins which are the body’s “pleasure chemicals”. They have a calming and relaxing effect and some people even report euphoric feelings after leaving treatment.

No one truly understands how the laser works on the body to produce the response but the endorphins and other physical responses result in cravings disappearing for the smoker. Hence, after a few sessions, they can make a decision to quit smoking and not have to deal with the really bad cravings that usually happen in the first few days.

Does The Laser Work?

So, what do I think of this so-called revolutionary stop smoking laser? First of all, there have been alternatives such as accupressure and accupuncture available for centuries. If I were to use this method then I would probably prefer to use the “real deal” and go direct to a Chinese specialist in accupuncture/accupressure. The stop smoking laser seems to be to be a 21st century marketing gimmick designed to make this old practice more acceptable by consumers.

Secondly, I decided to look into some studies to judge the value of lasers in helping people to quit smoking. Here is one such study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16437420) where smokers were followed up after a year of trying lasers. If you look at the authors’ conclusions then you will be able to read:

“There is no consistent evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy or electrostimulation are effective for smoking cessation, but methodological problems mean that no firm conclusions can be drawn. Further research using frequent or continuous stimulation is justified.”

This is just as I thought. You see, in a similar way to hypnosis, lasers can help you with the cravings when you quit, but ultimately over time, your mind will ask - “how can I have suddenly lost the cravings?”. It will not make sense to you that your experience tells you that you want a cigarette but a couple of laser sessions tell you otherwise.

Eventually, your powers of logic will value your experience more than any sessions of therapy and you will start smoking again. The effect of these therapies on killing the cravings is only temporary. So, you will be back at square one again within a few weeks to months.

Stop smoking programs are very helpful for the smoker who has long decided to quit or at least have been thinking about it for some time. The reason that they exist is that the typical method of willpower simply does not work, and many people therefore need the extra help of a real program designed to help them quit.

So, what should you look for in a good stop smoking program? What will give you the greatest chance of quitting? Let’s take a look at some of the typical programs that are found today on the market.

Hypnosis Programs

There are a number of hypnosis programs out there which are quite popular. Of course, you could just go and visit your local hypnotist and get the same result but it would probably cost you more and be just as effective.

These programs are usually in the form of an mp3 download so you can listen to them in the privacy and convenience of your own home. Several years ago you would rely on a CD or even a tape being sent to you in the mail which would take several days to arrive. However, these days, an mp3 download will allow you to start the program as soon as you have paid for it!

These programs use a form of self-hypnosis which does not place you into as deep a trance as regular hypnosis. Nevertheless, they are purported to be effective.

NRT Programs

These are also a very popular way to quit smoking. With these, you buy gum or patches to replace cigarettes. They work as a substitute for cigarettes because they contain nicotine so the idea is that you can stop smoking and switch to these nicotine replacement products.

The manufacturers provide a program that you can follow or you can speak with your doctor who will advise you. Typically, most people will cut down little by little over a period of around 8 weeks. By the end, your nicotine intake will be equivalent to less than very low tar cigarettes and quitting is supposed to be much easier and less stressful, with less cravings and willpower needed.

Other Programs

There are other programs that are less well known but available to you. For instance, a Chinese herbalist should be able to recommend someone who can perform accupressure to help you lose the cravings. Antidepressant drugs such as Zyban are also known to help reduce cravings, especially if combined with therapies such as NRT.

Do They Work?

Whilst the manufacturers and the lobbyists would have you believe that these methods work, this is sadly far from the truth. Independent studies have shown that methods that prevent cravings such as hypnosis, accupressure and the quit smoking laser only work temporarily. These methods are not intended to be used for the long term so, while the cravings will disappear at first and make quitting easier, within a few months their effects will disappear and the cravings will come back. You might think that they are still worth it anyway - I would advise you to look at the independent research and look at some of the other articles on this site where I have done this - the facts are that after 6 months of quitting, these methods of preventing cravings temporary are no better than willpower alone. I advise that you don’t waste your times on these programs.

As for NRT, this is a huge business and moneyspinner for the drug companies - often NRT costs more than cigarettes do! If you are addicted to nicotine then do you think it makes sense to switch one form of nicotine to another? Sure, NRT might not contain the tar of cigarettes but you are still hooked, albeit on something even more expensive!

Is There Another Way?

I used to smoke myself over a pack a day but have not smoked a cigarette now in 8 years. And what’s more, I did it using a lesser known method that does not require pills, patches, injections or lasers AND does not require willpower or give you cravings. If you think this sounds too good to be true then keep using the traditional methods that the establishment wants you to and stay hooked forever. But if you’re interested in my offer of help, then click here to find out more.

Just what is the stop smoking injection? When we think of jabs and hypodermic needles, slightly painful as they are, we know that they do a lot of good - they are associated with vaccinations and the saving of millions of lives, especially children. So, could an shot actually help you to quit smoking and vaccinate yourself from it?

The stop smoking injection is effectively a vaccine against the effect of nicotine. Nicotine is thought my most people to be the addictive chemical that is responsible for the cravings of cigarette smokers and the need to use willpower to quit. But if there were some way to block the effects of nicotine in a convenient injection form then it could be the ideal medication for a lot of smokers.

How Does It Work?

The jab works by blocking nicotine from reaching the brain and central nervous system. And because nicotine therefore has no effect on the brain, then there is simply no point in smoking cigarettes. When the vaccine kicks in, the smoker will realise that there is simply no point in smoking a cigarette.

Where Can I Get It?

So where can you get your hands on this vaccine? Unfortunately it is not available yet but a number of drug companies are racing to rush a solution to market. Currently there are several vaccines under development and well into trial phases. Probably in around 5 years time you can expect there to be a well tested injection that you can ask your doctor to administer.

Any Drawbacks?

So, are there any drawbacks or alternatives to a stop smoking injection? Well, any method that kills cravings is only a temporary measure. Like hypnosis or accupuncture, these methods stop the cravings in smokers and allow them to quit more easily. They can quit without going through the terrible phase that most smokers go through.

However, it’s well known that cravings for ex-smokers usually never go away. They are strongest immediately after quitting and after this they rapidly decrease. But most ex-smokers will tell you, even 10 years down the line, that they still miss cigarettes and some of them even start smoking again after years of being cigarette free - for most people, there is always the risk of starting smoking again.

So, these methods that stop cravings are excellent for the initial period but they are not intended to be used for life. When they wear off then the ex-smoker is left vulnerable to starting smoking again. Many studies of hypnosis and accupunture have shown that the 6-month success rate of these smokers is no better than using willpower alone. It is way to early to see the results of any independent studies into stop smoking injections but I would expect similar results.

Is There Another Way?

In my opinion, there is only one way to stop smoking - and I have been clean now for 8 years. I stopped smoking by using a little known method that does not require pills or patches but instead is about truly understanding your addiction. Most people listen to their doctor’s advice to use patches and other therapies but has he or she ever successfully stopped smoking and, even if they have, can they categorically tell you that they no longer get any cravings? Probably not.

In comparison, I used to smoke 25 high tar cigarettes for many years but have now been clean for 8. I stopped without willpower and I do not get any cravings whatsoever. Now compare that to the stop smoking injection and tell me which is better?

If you want to know more about how I quit, then click here to check out the guide that I wrote about it.

So what exactly are the symptoms of quitting smoking? More commonly, people call these “withdrawal symptoms”.

First of, most people will get feelings of irritability. What does this mean? This means that they will have an almost constant feeling, a bit like an itch. It is not just a feeling of missing smoking but a feeling of being incomplete without it.

Secondly, some people will get more severe symptoms after stopping smoking although these are much less common. Some people may get shakes, nausea and cramps. It’s extremely rare and usually passes within a couple of days.

Third, some people get hungry and feel the need to feed that hunger. No one really knows why - it is theorised that nicotine can be an appetite suppressant but the truth is far from clear.

So, What Can Be Done About These Symptoms?

Personally, I think these needs to be tackled in a number of ways.

When a person is irritable or has hunger pangs, then they are still addicted to cigarettes. They may be cutting down or eliminating them from their lifestyle but they are still addicted. Many ex-smokers report that the passage of time will help in reducing the symptoms of quitting smoking and that one needs to battle through the first few days especially.

Concerning feeding the hunger, I have no idea whether nicotine really is an appetite suppressant. What I can say is that people who gain weight after stopping smoking have simply replaced one addiction with another. They have replaced their addiction to cigarettes with another addiction - eating food for comfort and eating food beyond the amount that a person needs to live healthily. Would you trade cigarette addiction for obesity?

In fact, does nicotine really have such a grip on the human body as some people would have us believe? How about people who get the extreme withdrawal symptoms? Is there any credible explanation for this? Why do only a minority of people get those symptoms and most don’t? Or, why is there a minority of ex-smokers who didn’t suffer from any withdrawal symptoms at all? Can this really be explained as being down to a person’s susceptibility to nicotine and its absence?

Quit smoking symptoms can give us a lot of food for thought when it comes to addiction. Rather than seeing the symptoms as large and almost insurmountable obstacles, it may be better for you to look at them more closely.

Smoking is the biggest of all addictions. Not only is it more widespread than, say, heroin addiction but some claim that it is also more difficult to shake off. Now, when it comes to injections, we have all become used to the wonder of immunisations and the millions of lives that it has saved. Could the power of the injection actually cure you of cigarette addiction in the form of a quit smoking shot?

Despite medical science having looked for a cure for smoking for decades, very little more than the usual nicotine replacement therapies has even been produced. But an anti-nicotine vaccine is currently undergoing development and trials.

NicVAX is a drug that is injected into the arm which then stimulates the immune system into producing antibodies which bond with nicotine and hence stop it from entering the brain.

There have been some studies conducted but the results are from from conclusive of patients being cured of their cigarette addiction in the long term. In one such study, most of the test subjects continued to smoke cigarettes afterwards, despite a series of NicVAX injections. However, it did conclude that NicVAX was “safe and well tolerated” and these are still very early stages.

So, the reality of a quit smoking shot solving all the problems of a smoker are still not here yet. So what do I think of using an injection to block nicotine entering the brain?

Well, in my opinion, this won’t necessarilly solve the problem. I think that you have to look at people who occasionally smoke other nicotine/tobacco containing products like pipes, cigars or even the Scandinavian “snus”. Would you call a guy who smokes a cigar maybe 3 times a year, say at a party, would you call him an addict? And do you think that he craves tobacco really badly during the rest of the year that he thinks of turning to cigarettes?

In fact, show me a single person who has turned to cigarettes as a cheaper form of nicotine after smoking the odd cigar? I think you’ll be hard pushed.

So, I think that there is more to cigarette addiction and quitting smoking than just nicotine. Could it be a habit, could social conditioning be involved? Whatever, there is more than meets the eye, in my opinion.

Quit smoking patches are one of a range of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) devices and are perhaps the most popular type that you can buy today.

What Is NRT?

NRT products are manufactured by a number of drug companies and are some of the most popular stop smoking aids aids in terms of the amount spent globally each year. They are a substitute product for cigarettes. The theory is that, because they contain nicotine, people can switch from cigarettes to NRT and they will not immediately get a craving for cigarettes.

Then, over a period of time - usually between 3 and 6 months - they can gradually cut down on the amount of nicotine they receive from these NRT products. Eventually, their dose of nicotine will be so low that they should find it quite easy to stop using these NRT products and will finally be free of addiction.

How Do Patches Work?

Patches, along with chewing gum, are perhaps the most popular NRT product that you can buy. The reasoning is simple - they are very convenient to use. They look much like a band-aid (plaster in the UK) and you place them on an area of the body containing fatty tissue and where they are unlikely to fall off. Although many people choose to use the upper arm, they can another recommended place to use a patch is on the buttocks!

Patches deliver a slow release of nicotine through the skin and into the bloodstream over time. They normally need to be changed every day and it is recommended that they only be worn during your waking hours so you should remember to take them off before bedtime.

Can You Quit Smoking With Patches?

Although patches are incredibly popular, they are also notoriously ineffective, as are all NRT products. Success rates for giving up smoking in the long term (greater than 6 months) are notoriously low using willpower alone anyway. Using patches, a few studies have barely been able to show an extremely minor improvement in the percentage of people who are not smoking after 6 months. The figure is still extremely low anyway.

Why Don’t Patches Work?

Patches take away many of the health risks from smoking immediately. No longer are you inhaling the tar, noxious chemicals and radioactive material present in cigarettes (by the way, nicotine can still have harmful effects on your health). But all you are doing is substituting one addiction for another. So how about cutting down on NRT? Really, this is no different to cutting down on cigarettes. Have you ever successfully stopped smoking for over 6 months by cutting down on cigarettes before quitting? Probably not, as is well known.

Is There A Better Solution To Quitting Smoking?

There most definitely is. I used to be a smoker myself. I used to smoke 25 high tar cigarettes a day but I have been clean for 8 years now. I also tried the patches - in fact, they made me feel ill and I tore one off after a few hours and started to smoke again straight away.

I now know that patches are useless if you want to quit smoking for good. They do nothing to stop your cravings for cigarettes and it still becomes a willpower exercise.

So how did I do it? I came across a little known secret to stopping smoking that is 100% natural and uses no pills, patches, magnets, injections, hypnosis or any other of the traditional “cures”. What’s more, I did not need any willpower and I have never craved for a cigarette since I stopped smoking. If you want to learn more about how I did it, click here.

Quit smoking hypnosis is a type of hypnotherapy that is a popular method for giving up cigarettes. But how does it work and, more importantly, does it actually work in the long term?

How Does It Work?

First we need to understand exactly what hypnosis is. Hypnosis is the science of putting someone into a trance where they are extremely open to suggestion. You’ve probably seen the stage shows where people act all goofy but hypnosis can also be used to help people with phobias and even to perform surgery without the need for anesthetic. But remember, although hypnosis is claimed to be a medical science, it is not approved or monitored by any medical regulatory bodies - instead most countries have their own association for the “trade”, much like other freelance trades such as chiropracters.

So how does quit smoking hypnosis work? Typically it works in either one or both of the following ways. Whilst in a trance, the hypnotist will suggest to the patient that they have a much stronger willpower than normal. That they will actually find it very easy to resist any cravings when they give up smoking.

The other suggestion is that the person will have little or no cravings. They will no longer feel addicted to cigarettes and they won’t desire one.

Successful Or Not?

In the short term, hypnosis appears to be an extremely successful method to treat and cure smokers of their addiction. With some people it will take only one session but most will need at least three. However, after these sessions, nearly all people will stop smoking. Sounds great, right?

The bad news is that in the long term, as many people who use quit smoking hypnosis will start smoking again compared to people who use just willpower alone. Studies by independent organisations have concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest that using hypnosis is any better than willpower, when you look at the key 6-month milestone after stopping.

Why Does It Fail?

Hypnosis fails because there is a conflict between your experience as a smoker and what has been suggested to you. Suggestion during hypnosis is incredibly powerful and it will dominate your inner being for the days and maybe weeks after stopping smoking. But gradually in the weeks and months that follow, your memories and experiences as a smoker who needs a cigarette to satisfy a craving will start to dominate (those feelings never disappeared remember) and eventually the effect of the hypnosis will wear off.

Is There Anything Better?

The key reason why hypnosis fails is because you are suggested something that you do not understand and, frankly, do not believe. But what if there really was a way to stop smoking without willpower and without any cravings in the days, weeks, months and years ahead?

This is possible without any pills, patches, lasers, accupuncture or hypnosis. I am living proof of this. I used to smoke over a pack a day of cigarettes but stopped and have been smoke free for 8 years. I did not find it difficult at all, I needed no willpower and I never, ever desire a cigarette.

I used a little known secret method which involves learning about what your addiction really is: how it works, how you can conquer it, how you can become better than it. Ask yourself, does the medical profession really understand addiction and how the mind works? All they do is try to control the symptoms - the cravings - but they never tackle the root cause of those cravings in the first place. Only by truly understanding addiction can you become free of cigarettes like I have and many others have. If you’re interested to know more, then click here.

A quit smoking checklist is a popular way to prepare to stop smoking.

Traditionally, most people use the willpower method to stop smoking. Because this will normally involve a very stressful period of irritability and cravings, as well as great mental strength, then it is best to be as prepared as possible to ensure the highest chances of success.

Nicotine replacement therapy is also a popular way of stopping smoking. The theory says that by switching to the gum or patches then this is much less stressful than quitting cold turkey. Also, by cutting down on NRT then eventually quitting the gum or patches is also supposed to be easier.

So a checklist is a kind of framework for good preparation before quitting smoking. What kinds of things are recommended to be on a good quit smoking checklist?

1. Choose and set a future quit date. This will allow you to prepare up until that date when you will be ready.

2. Make a list of reasons to quit. By having many different reasons to quit, this can help with your willpower and mental strength. Otherwise, you might forget why you have quit and decide to start smoking again.

3. Throw out the ashtrays and lighters. Some people just hide them but it is probably better to just throw them out so that you are not reminded anymore of cigarettes.

4. Write a letter entitled “goodbye to cigarettes”. Include in it all the reasons why you want to quit smoking and then put it in an envelope and seal it. Mark the envelope - “open in emergencies only” and then put it somewhere safe.

5. Go public. Tell all your friends that you have quit. You’ll get a great mental boost from the support and the smokers will know not to offer you any cigarettes.

6. Start exercising. Exercising is a great way to distract yourself from thinking about cigarettes. It will also help to clean up your body and some people say that it also reduces the cravings.

A quit smoking checklist can be a valuable way of stopping smoking for people using traditional methods like NRT and willpower alone. Like any goal, being prepared for it will increase your chances of success.

However, when I quit smoking I, personally, did not use a checklist of any kind - not even a mental one. This is because checklists are best used when using willpower methods - where a period of stress is expected and preparation is needed for that.

I have not smoked a cigarette for 8 years and I used a little-known and unique technique to stop smoking that does not require willpower at all and which leaves you with no cravings or desires for cigarettes. If you want to know more about this unique method to quitting smoking for good then click here.