Posts by test1:
Be Ready to Quit Smoking
November 22nd, 2008Quitting smoking is not the first thing you should do when you decide to become a non-smoker. Yes, you have read that right – but it’s true. Indeed, quitting is one of the last steps you should take on the road to quitting smoking. It is the end, not the means. If you start with quitting smoking, you are most probably going to fail, and all your efforts will come to naught besides the damage it will do to your personality, your confidence in yourself and much more.
For most smokers the thought of quitting rarely crosses their minds. That is until one factor or another brings the idea to the forefront of their thoughts. Perhaps they have had a health scare. Perhaps they are finally noticing the toll that smoking is taking on their bodies. Whatever the reason is doesn’t matter. What does matter is that in actually taking the steps to quit, education and preparation MUST come before you stop.
You cannot quit smoking before getting ready to quit. This preparedness includes educating yourself on all the steps of the process, the common pitfalls and how to overcome them amongst other things. Just as it would be silly to start sewing your daughter’s wedding dress just because you bought a new sewing machine, in the same way you can’t just quit smoking by just taking a vow that you are going to become a non-smoker. You will make a mess of the dress and as for quitting smoking you will most probably get so discouraged by your lack of will power that you wouldn’t attempt giving it up for a long time to come.
Scour the internet. Look at the available stop smoking programs and really compare them. Don’t just buy the first one you see. And make sure that the program you are buying is grounded in education and preparation about quitting first and supplements or cessation aids second. You should be encouraged to take your time to learn and prepare as opposed to placing your faith in a product that states that there is no effort required on your part.
Nothing is farther from the truth than such a statement. You cannot gain something for nothing. Your effort is most crucial. However, it is important to remember that quitting is the last step. It is the goal, not the path. But the truth is that the path is long and arduous and you need all your strength and determination to travel on it. Your success depends on how well you have prepared for the journey you are going to undertake. Quitting is the easy part – you just stop. So make sure you have all the information you need, before you try to quit smoking, and then there is no way you can fail to achieve your target of becoming a non-smoker.
Happy Quitting,
Darren Warmuth
Quitting Smoking? Be Accountable to Others
November 22nd, 2008It is not easy to break any old habit, least of all smoking, which is more than just a habit. However, if you have reached a point when you really want to quit smoking, you can do that more easily in a group rather than do it alone. But, first things first! You must be honest with yourself whether you truly want to quit smoking or is it just a passing fancy that impels you to give it up for any temporary reason. If you really want to give up smoking, then you must feel accountable to yourself and others. That is why you need a support group around you that can be of at least two or three other people, though five is ideal.
Here the numbers are important because it is that much more difficult to get past five persons to succumb to an overwhelming urge strikes than it is to convince just one person ” yourself.
So how do you hold yourself accountable to others?
It kind of works backwards to just being accountable to yourself. For example, let’s say you’ve been off cigarettes for a week and for whatever silly reason your mind has come up with, you figure you need a smoke. Well, before you can do that, you have to battle your inner demons and then live with the guilt that you have failed. But the nicotine beast, as I said, is very strong and you are only one person. Many people fall down at this point.
But what if you had five loyal soldiers standing between the nicotine demon and you? Ah, now that’s a completely new ball game.
The process
Set up a small support group for yourself whether it be via email, telephone, or a support forum. Tell these people your goal to quit smoking but also ask them not to pester you about it – just to be there when you need help and positive support. Use them for encouragement.
Now, lets see what would be the scene when the overwhelming urge strikes you to have a smoke. Now, you will have to fight not only your own guilty conscience, but also get past five people. You will have to tell them that you have decided to start smoking again.
And that’s all you get to say. No more. Then you just have to sit back and listen without getting angry or upset. If you can make it through all five members of your support team and you still think that their advice and support is misguided and your deep down beliefs that you should quit are suddenly wrong, then by all means have that ‘one’ cigarette. But I warn you now, don’t think that you’ll just have the one – you won’t. It’s always, always, always the first one that will get you.
The support system works so well only because of numbers; it is six times more difficult to convince six people (your support team plus you) against the ‘one’.
As I say, the more you know about quitting, the more successful you will be. So get all the information you need BEFORE you try to quit. It’s much easier, believe me.
Happy quitting,
Darren Warmuth
The critical 72 hours after quitting smoking
November 18th, 2008Feelings of fatigue, irritibility and an extremely persistent headache are all side effects of nicotine withdrawal and are all perfectly normal. Why? Simply because it is in the first 72 hours which nicotine purges itself from your system – regardless of the smoking cessation method you have chosen to use.
Preparation is the key. By knowing what you are in for, you can make plans to deal with the feelings and symptoms and not have to hide away where you won’t bother anyone. However it is also a good idea to inform your family and friends (but only if they are supportive) of your goals. This also gives them the opportunity to stay clear if they think you might be a little bit cranky!
Also keep in mind that you will be going through these trying times and have plans to work through them, should they arise. It can really nip withdrawal symptoms in the bud. It is helpful to have made a list of what you feel you may experience for symptoms of withdrawal. Some of the things that you may want to include on your list are:
Feeling angry or agitated: I will take deep breaths and take a walk outside. I will leave the room or go take a shower.
Feeling overly emotional or sensitive: I will find a few moments for myself.
Feeling tired: I will allow myself to be able to rest and heal from my addiction.
Feeling nauseated: I will go outside and get some fresh air.
After I eat I will: Find something to do so I don’t crave the ‘after-dinner’ cigarette.
By drinking lots of fluids, and most especially water, your body’s stores of nicotine will be rapidly metabolized and flushed from your system. The downside is that you will have to go to the bathroom more often, but the upside is that the nicotine will clear itself from your system that much quicker and alleviate the physical withdrawal symptoms.
Some theorize that drinking beverages with caffeine in them can cause your withdrawal symptoms to worsen. Others find that it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever. Each individual’s situation is unique. If you find that caffeinated drinks are causing you to crave cigarettes, then it would be best to cut back or stop completely.
Just be careful not to overload your willpower by giving up too many things at once. Perhaps just cut back slowly on the caffeine in the beginning and replace those types of drinks with things that will help rid your body of the nicotine, like fruit juices and water.
Another common side effect of quitting smoking is the inability to fall asleep or to stay soundly asleep. Regardless of how tired you might have been throughout the day, it seems like your mind won’t shut down for the evening and comfort is nowhere to be found.
To help alleviate this, I recommend a hot shower before heading off to bed to help you relax. Usually the sleep deprivation only lasts for a night or two. However if it persists, I would suggest a visit to the pharmacy to pick up a sleeping aid until the restlessness passes. It won’t last forever.
Handling Relapses in the Quit Smoking Process
November 16th, 2008Writing about this topic, for me at least, is a double edged sword, so please allow me to clearly state my personal opinion on this very controversial matter before I go on:
If you are thinking about quitting smoking, do not make plans for, nor allow for any ‘slips’, ‘just ones’ or any ‘accidents’ for that matter. The old saying goes – ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ but I would also like to add to that the advice of ‘If you plan for slips or accidents, you are more likely to have one as opposed to if you adamantly tell yourself that there will be no allowance for moments of weakness.’
Having said that, it does happen, so here is what I recommend you do. Chastise yourself until you feel completely guilty. Realistically I don’t have to tell you this part because you will automatically do it to yourself anyway. Then once you have raked yourself over the coals, contact your support group (you do have a support group, don’t you?) and let them know what has happened. Use their strength to rebuild your resolve.
Most importantly, be honest with yourself, especially if you have had more than one ‘slip’. Look at the problem straight in the eye; don’t fool yourself that these occasional slips are fine and are just part of the normal quitting process because they aren’t. A slip is a slip and has to be handled as one. Reprimand yourself for a moment’s weakness that leads to hours, if not days, of guilt. Let it sink in deep enough so that it crops up when you feel tempted again.
If you are continually ‘slipping’ you are doing yourself more harm than good because the ‘just ones’ are eventually going to turn into what you used to smoke or more. Believe me, it happens every time.
Don’t try to sweep the slips under the carpet. Look them straight in the eye. If you allow them to happen time and again, you will end up smoking more than you used to smoke This is the sad truth, like it or not.
It is much better to realize that you have missed your target this time around and get back on a new and better course than to continue smoking and that too with a guilty conscience. It will shatter your spirit completely.
Darren Warmuth
Really want to quit smoking? Then Quit Making Excuses
November 10th, 2008If you’ve been a smoker for any length of time, you’ve given thought to quitting. Why haven’t you? Because you keep making excuses like “Now’s not a good time for me” or “I need to lose some weight first.” You know exactly what I mean because if you haven’t said these words, you know someone who has.
So here’s what you need to do. You need to put down in writing the things you want to accomplish (quitting smoking) and come up with the reasons why. And while you are doing this, write down all the reasons why you can’t (your excuses).
Just putting excuses down on paper so that they are something solid you can see is enough to make some people look at how silly they really are. For others, they may have to analyze their list of excuses and figure out why they believe these reasons to be true. Usually it is due to repetition. You’ve been telling yourselves for years that these are the reasons why you smoke, and if you tell yourself something enough times, eventually it will become an ingrained belief, whether it is the truth or not.
I’ve listed some of the more common excuses here, but ultimately it is your responsiblity to list EVERY reason you think keeps you smoking.
“Smoking helps to keep me thin.”
Yes, it is possible that you may gain a little weight when stopping smoking. However it is usually less than 20 pounds (which, by the way is WAYYYY better for you than continuing to smoke would be). But if you take proactive steps to assure that when quitting, the only snacks available to you are healthy rather than high calorie comfort foods, this should not become an issue.
“Smoking makes me happy.”
If that’s the case, then why are you reading an article on quitting smoking? Truth is that I also said this exact same thing. It’s purely a defense mechanism so you can justify why you smoke to other people. The problem is that as I said before, if you say something enough times, eventually you will come to believe it. This is no different. So it’s time to be completely honest with yourself. Do you really enjoy smoking or is it just a lie you’ve come to believe? What do you love about it? Is it the coughing, the breathlessness, the stale smell in your hair, clothes, car and home? What is it that you truly appreciate about what smoking does for you? When you look at it that way and actually write the answers down, I think you’ll find that you really don’t like smoking very much at all.
Now don’t take those statements as viscious or cruel. In no way are they meant to be that way. What they are meant to be is a wake up call – and one that I needed as well. If, as smokers, we keep making excuses as to why we continue the habit, the outcome is that we will remain addicted to the nicotine. And the sooner we realize this reality, the easier quitting will be.
You have what it takes to beat those lies, once and for all.
Tennis elbow – But I don’t even play tennis!
October 15th, 2008Medically known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is the inflammation of the ouside of the elbow.
The muscles of the back of the forearm run from the wrist to the elbow, where they attach to the upper arm bone (the humerus). It is this tendon, and the surrounding outer layer of bone that become inflamed in tennis elbow. Any movement of the muscle, which puts stress on the tendon, will then cause the characteristic pain of tennis elbow.
It is not just tennis backhands that put a stress on the muscles of the forearm and their attached tendon. Activities such as using a screwdriver, typing, or writing can all cause the typical tennis elbow pain.
How do you know if you have tennis elbow? Try lifting a book with your palm facing down to the floor. If it causes pain on the outside of the elbow, you probably have tennis elbow.
As you can see, tennis elbow is ultimately caused by overuse of the wrist extensor (straightening) muscles which, by means of the tendons, connect to the elbow. Classically this is caused by the tennis backhand but, as we have seen, can also be caused by other types of repetitive activity.
Too much tension in the muscle group can also cause a decrease in the joint space in the elbow and actual inflammation of the joint. In time this can cause not just the typical pain from the epicondylitis, but also from the elbow joint itself.
Conventional treatment of this condition may involve the use of anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants along with temporary lifestyle modification. Physiotherapy modalities that may be employed include laser therapy, TENS, interferential current, or ultrasound.
Since the elbow joint can get involved, chiropractic manipulation of the joint, for instance using Graston, active release, cross-fiber massage or other soft-tissue therapies, can be very helpful.
By doing a chiropractic adjustment, pressure is taken of the joint by briefly separarting the joint surfaces by just a couple of millimeters. Easing that pressure eases the pain. Sometimes some manipulation of the wrist can also help.
This is because the muscles that cause the elbow pain operate through the wrist. If the wrist tightens up, more muscular activity is needed to move it, thus causing more tension and more pain. So making sure that wrist motion is maintained should help to ease the whole situation.
Another therapy that can be very helpful is the use of an elbow band. This works by transferring the tendon’s tension from its attachment to the bone (where it causes the pain) to the band instead.
Also, though rest would be ideal, there may be times when lifting is needed to be done. In this case, one should only attempt to lift with the palm of the hand turned upward. This uses the wrist flexors more than the wrist extensors.
Limiting salt intake may be beneficial as well as it will help to reduce water resorption in the body. Supplementing with vitamin B6 has also been found to be helpful in some cases.
In closing, if you feel that you may have this ailment, the best course of action is to have it looked at by your medical doctor or chiropractor so that the best treatment plans can be started to assist in recovery.
How to Quit Smoking: The Magic Stop Smoking Pill
September 23rd, 2008If you are a smoker and have come to the point that you want to quit smoking, you will need to put in some effort on your part, because there is no such thing that can work without your willing assistance. So, stop looking for the All New Recently Improved Super-Duper Stop Smoking Miracle Cure that 99% of smoking cessation products promise.
Well, I am afraid I have some bad news for you. It doesn’t exist yet. You still have to want to quit and put some effort in of your own. Yes, you read that right. You need to make the change and implement it of your own accord.
First, some statistics for you on the ‘magic pills’.
* Quitting cold turkey is successful for approximately 3% of people (keep in mind that those 3% may not have quit on their first attempt).
* Many off-the-shelf pharmaceuticals claim to double your chances (6%) and increase them fivefold (15%) at best.
* Other newly released products claim nearly twenty times the effectiveness of cold turkey. However, this rate of success was achieved by giving huge incentives. There was a fully supportive group and a team of team of doctors and counselors watching over them and testing each phase, and to top it all, they were paid for their efforts as well. Any one would quit smoking if someone else is willing to spend thousands of dollars and dozens of hours to help them do it! But, this is not the ground reality. How many people would be fortunate to get into this select group? In the ultimate analysis, this improved wonder drug will ultimately fall into the same percentages as every other pharmaceutical offering.
So the magic 100% success rate is a total myth. It is wishful thinking on the part of pharmaceutical companies that try to captivate the desperate smokers desperately trying to give up smoking without making any effort. This is not to say that smoking cessation does not help at all; it does aid sometimes. But, as the good old saying goes, God helps those who help themselves. These wonder drugs also help more if you place your faith in yourself and your ability to achieve your stop smoking goal rather than place all your bets on a pill or a patch.
You may argue that if you had the willpower, you wouldn’t seek such measures in the first place. True, will power has to be built slowly and steadily. But the first step here is education and information. You should be aware of the real truths about your smoking habit and what it really takes to rid yourself of it. Since you cannot grasp all the information from an article or even a series of articles, you need to take a fully developed program that leads you step-by-step to your goal. There are several fully encompassing information programs to help you meet this goal.
So, to begin with, you must seek out all the information you can find about smoking, nicotine, quitting and the benefits of quitting. You need to spend a few days or weeks to find the information that will help you quit without relying on a ‘magic pill’ to do it for you. After all, you’ve spent years or decades developing your smoking habit, so now it is but natural that you should spend some time to get rid of it.
You’ll find that the more you know, the more successful you will be. This advice doesn’t just apply to quitting smoking, but in everything you do in life.
To your very best in future,
Darren Warmuth