Getting Help to Quit Smoking Is A Very Good Idea
Never before has there been such a serious interest in breaking the stranglehold of smoking addiction in peoples' lives. You may be one of those who have decided that now is your time to get help to quit smoking once and for all. Of those who currently smoke, almost one-third try to quit without assistance every year and only about 10% of them are successful.
This could be very discouraging, if it were not for the fact that almost 90% of those who prepare themselves and get help are successful. Part of the key to being victorious is to educate yourself about your addiction and the process that you will experience in breaking away from it. The other part is to surround yourself with supporters, preferably ex-smokers who can identify with you each step of the way.
While there are any number of programs, treatments, and drugs available to those who want help to quit smoking, knowledge can be a great friend at this point. For example, a smoking addiction is not a simple habit that anyone can casually drop. Nicotine, found in all forms of tobacco, is an extremely powerful agent. Once your brain is introduced to this chemical and the "rush" that it produces in mere seconds from your first puff.
It will quickly begin building binding receptors, millions of them in 11 different areas of your brain, to welcome this new friend to the family. From then on, the physical urge for another cigarette is a desperate attempt to keep your dopamine/adrenaline levels high. You are in a state of "alert intoxication" that is every bit as addicting as alcohol or heroin.
Once you recognize the seriousness of your battle, you can plan your strategy for winning, and here is where you can benefit from help to quit smoking. Physically, when you take your last puff, it really must be the last one.
Every time you pick up another cigarette you are extending your addiction, and therefore your battle, another 72 hours. While you can become totally nicotine-moking4free in as little as 3 days, it will take as long as three weeks to neutralize those binding receptors in the brain and restore normal levels.
Carrying a motivating list of why you have decided to quit and what your new future will look like can be very helpful during "weak" moments. Also, stay out of smoking areas and avoid your smoker friends while you are in the midst of this life-changing process.
Look out for "triggers," places, events, emotions, or even people that would normally cause you to light up. Start identifying and breaking these patterns even before you stop smoking for good.
Who you surround yourself with during this time is so very important. When you have decided that you need help to quit smoking, your family may love you, but they are not necessarily the best supporters. Professionals trained in the area of addictions can be very helpful.
Another great idea is to find ex-smokers who know exactly what you are experiencing and where the danger areas lie. They have already been through this process successfully, and they can support you as you make your way to that same success. With valuable education and a good support base, you can break free from the harmful control of your smoking addiction, once and for all.
