As Individuals, people who smoke are targeted frequently in a manor that offends, and when a person overcomes the habit, and rejoices and tells the world, what kind of comments are likely to come their way?

-That's great, now your house will smell a lot better!
-That's great, now you'll have a bit more money to spend on your kids!
-That's great, how long will it last this time!

MY VIEWS ON HOW TO STOP ARE OPPOSITE TO MOST OTHERS!

-Don't tell anyone of your plan to stop smoking; talking about it can make it worse.
-Achieve it quietly and successfully, and enjoy your success quietly!
-Don't look for support from friends and family, it often is not what you expect, or need!
-Look for the strength to change your habit, because the addiction is over in a flash!

WHY YOU START, AND HOW YOU STOP IS A VERY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE, AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TROUBLE STAYING STOPPED, I BELIEVE THERE IS AN ANSWER.

Health information abounds, but it all boils down to;

• Nicotine is an addiction.
• The habit is worse than the addiction!

The relief from tension that a smoker feels at the first puff, and the compulsion to smoke when under stress, is I believe, the worst thing I had to address.

Because we train ourselves to have that hit of Nicotine to cope with stress, it is a very powerful mix.

When we have that hit of Nicotine, it scrambles the emotions. We still feel the stress, but it is mixed with pleasure signals. A powerful blend of emotions!

Understand that, and we can see our way out!

Every smoker stops smoking every day, and many times a day! When we go to sleep; do we worry about being without nicotine when we sleep?
Do we panic when we have slept in and haven't had a smoke for hours?

Grab a packet of smokes, make a cup of your favorite beverage, and go out in the sun. Find a quiet spot, and let your subconscious roam free.

Do you remember your first smoke? How old were you?
Why did you have that smoke.
Did you ever think about smoking for-ever?
What happened when you tried to stop for the first time?
What situations led you to start again?
Why do you want to stop now?
When would you like to stop if you were guaranteed it would be painless?

For me, I started smoking when I had to attend lectures after working night shift. I could not stay awake during the lectures, and I joined the smokers outside in a break, and smoked for the stimulation the nicotine gave. 22 years later, I was smoking for a whole different variety of reasons, and I was still trying to stop!

I did not intend to keep smoking forever, but it had become my little rebellion, my way of flipping my finger at the world, and even realizing this was not enough to give me "will power" to stop!

After so many years smoking, I have many strong associations and triggers to have a smoke. So many, that every thing I do in a day was associated with a smoke.

Coffee and a smoke? Tired or in pain, and the first thing I reached for was a smoke!

In general we are frequently told to avoid triggers!

Avoiding triggers? Avoiding triggers for me would be avoiding life; my favorite chair; and my husband!

One person told me that for him one cup of coffee would bring on a desire to smoke that he could not overcome, so he denied himself coffee for the three years he has been smoke free.

In general we are also told to avoid stressful situations.

A deserted Island would be nice, but who has the luxury, and we still need to deal with reality when we return!

There is no "good time" to stop smoking. The "right time" never happens. Years pass in a blink, and smokes still live in the pocket!

SO HOW DO YOU COPE WITH TRIGGERS?

Plan to stop, and prepare to stop by giving your liver some advance messages, and the triggers fade rapidly! Do a little reading on being kind to your liver. Have a plan for those times you know you will feel fragile. The plan will depend on you, your choices, and what you have found works so far. Whether you use a Nicotine substitute, and what type of product is a personal choice, and you may even find you need a mixture of substitutes for the first day or so, to feel comfortable and reassured.

-Increase your water and fresh juices.
-Increase the raw food you eat.

TECHNOLOGICAL STUFF

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants predominantly in tobacco. It is also found in coca, and in lower quantities in tomato, potato, eggplant and green peppers.

As nicotine enters the body, it is distributed quickly through the bloodstream and can cross the blood-brain barrier. On average it takes about seven seconds for the substance to reach the brain when inhaled.

The half life of nicotine in the body is around two hours.

Nicotine acts on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, specifically the ganglion type nicotine receptor and one CNS type nicotinic receptor. The former is present e.g. in the adrenal medulla and the latter in the CNS. In small concentrations it increases the activity of these receptors.