The decision to stop smoking must be taken now than later as addictions are very difficult to stop. If a person has been a frequent smoker over a long time, then how to give up smoking would be a vital issue in cases like that. Smoking is a very tough addiction to break away as cigarettes includes the substance nicotine which is addictive to both the body and mind.

Studies show that once you finish smoking a cigarette, it would denote you have lost at least 5 -10 minutes of your life. Apart from causing your body to become weaker, smoking give rise to bad breath, wrinkles, yellow teeth, decrease bone density, fertility problems that will unavoidably affect the sexual health of both women and men, and the higher chances of being infected with deadly diseases such as throat cancer, lung cancer, etc. Smoking on a regular basis means the decrement of roughly 8 years or more out of your life. Wouldn’t you instead learn how to cease smoking and add those years back?

There are many methods on how to quit smoking that can be obtained easily from various places. Medications are also given as a stop smoking remedy by many doctors today. Some smokers are administered with nicotine replacements such as nicotine gum’s, nicotine patches, lozenges, inhalers, etc. But the problem with nicotine replacements as well as most medications is that they deal with mainly the physical aspect of how smoking affects the body. Solutions on how to quit smoking should be directed more on the mind than the body because this is where the main addiction lies.

Dealing with the mind is the most difficult. This is because a smoker inclines to always believe that his joy and happiness lies inside a cigarette. Figuring out the truth of what the nicotine inside the cigarette can do to the mind and body is one of the most pivotal issues in smoking.

Relieving the mind of such addictions can pave the way for treating the body’s addiction towards smoking. Smokers believe that a cigarette is always needed to relieve them from their daily stresses. If the connection of the mind with smoking is broken, then a person will be able to overcome their smoking habit. Over time, they will understand that their happiness does not depend on a cigarette but in what they really do in life.

Another hint on how to quit smoking would be to attend counselling sessions and get assistance from someone who is an ex-smoker, a person who has learnt the value of life and had stopped smoking. Sharing out your fears in quitting smoking, relieving the doubts in your mind can all be cleared out by participating in such sessions which are good to anyone who is seeking to stop smoking.

By: Chris Roger

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It would be difficult to measure how long we have been associated with herbs and it would be a gross understatement to say “hundreds of years.” It has been said that at some stage in our history herbs and such like played a huge part when it came to medicines and the like.

If that was so, it would have been because learned practitioners were highly knowledgeable on the subject and ‘lived’ 24/7 for the cause. Such a thing, at one time, may very well have existed. This learning would have been passed on to apprentices who in turn would repeat the cycle. Monasteries, I think would have played their part.

A lot of highly skilled trades and practices have been lost over the ages owing to mans progress and in this world we are becoming more and more dependent modern solutions. Industry, food, medicine, engineering, the world, has changed beyond recognition since those days.

My point being, that great wealth of knowledge that man had was not saved on a hard drive. It was lost when that particular knowledge faded away into history. If there was a great tradition, it is no longer. If there was, big pharmaceutical companies would be cashing in and at the very least trying to mimic the qualities of these herbs.

So, if herbs did play a big part in our history and there is a revival with them I don’t think we would have anywhere near the same knowledge as could have been back then. It has been mentioned also that because of our modern life and medicines that perhaps herbs have lost there potency on us. I personally don’t know, I can only go by what hear and read.

Now, we have certain parties approaching us about all sorts of potions and cures that herbs are capable of. The ‘forgotten’ vocation is supposed to be coming back to serve us. Well, I’m always willing to keep an open mind and who knows, it may work for someone who wants to use herbs to stop smoking.

All I know is, tobacco is a plant that is harvested from the soil and is devised by man to produce a highly addictive substance. It would have to be herb on steroids I think to combat that!

By: Daton Caedea

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If you are a smoker, your body has been exposed repeatedly to the highly addictive substance nicotine. And the longer you have smoked, the more difficult it will be for your body to return to a healthier state without those frequent doses of nicotine. This is why most long-term smokers have an extremely hard time kicking the smoking habit. They are addicted to nicotine, and just as it would be with any drug addiction they will need plenty of time to detoxify their system to remove all traces of the substance. People who have recently stopped smoking are always faced with the temptation to have just one more smoke. This overpowering feeling is known as nicotine withdrawal. Withdrawal manifests in a number of ways, and everyone has a different experience with it. For some people, withdrawal causes the following problems:

* Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
* Constant feelings of nervousness and anxiety
* Lack of concentration
* Feelings of depression
* Irritability
* Powerful urges to light up a cigarette and enjoy a smoke
* Increased appetite

So before you actually take that last puff, have a clear understanding of what sorts of withdrawal symptoms you may face; if you don’t, you may relapse and need to go through the substance withdrawal process all over again. Know that those strong urges from the past may come back to haunt you after you’ve stopped smoking. If you know what can happen to you physically and emotionally, you’ll know how to deal with problems if they arise. A number of products are available to help you with nicotine withdrawal as you begin to cut back on your smoking.

You can buy nicotine patches and gums that are made to satisfy nicotine urges and should keep you from reaching for a cigarette. But keep in mind that if you do use products like these, at some point you’ll have to stop using them, too, in order to thoroughly clean out your system. And you can take prescription drugs to deal with the depression that can come on the heels of kicking an addiction. Some of these medications can help relieve other withdrawal symptoms as well as depression issues. Don’t take any of these drugs without talking to your doctor, so that you can get some professional advice for nicotine withdrawal. You may find that withdrawal symptoms emerge unexpectedly throughout the day. All you can do is wait until the feelings subside.

It takes tremendous willpower not to give in to such strong feelings. But after you’ve successfully fought off the urge to smoke several times, you’ll notice that the cravings become more diminished, and in time it will be much easier to stand up to these tendencies altogether. Your physical and mental toughness will be tested, because flushing nicotine from your body is a time-consuming process that you’ll simply have to endure. During your withdrawal period, it’s imperative that you remain strong and focused. Relapse cannot be an option, because it will mean you have just wasted a lot of your time and effort. If you fall back into the habit, you’ll end up on the starting line of withdrawal all over again. You can get involved with other activities that will divert your attention and take your mind off smoking if you get the urge. Remember why you quit in the first place, and hold close to those feelings. It won’t be easy to do what’s necessary to stop smoking for good, but ultimately it’s worth it.

By: Jay Strickland

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