Why Should I Quit Smoking?
Make a List of Reasons Why You Want to Quit Smoking
By Terry Martin, About.com Updated: June 25, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Most people who smoke wish they didn't. They live with a hatred for the habit they can't seem to do without. The fear of serious illness is usually there too, lurking in the background, and always that awful feeling of being powerless to quit.
Smoker's Denial
As smokers, we live in denial about what cigarettes are doing to us. We have to, otherwise there would be no comfort in smoking, no relief...no pleasure.
Yes, we know that smoking causes cancer and emphysema - we know smoking kills and that we're playing roulette with our health. However, we also know that most smoking-related diseases take years to develop, so we tell ourselves we have time, that nothing will happen to us. Besides, the bad stuff always happens to other people anyway, right?
Wrong. With upwards of 5 million people dying on this planet every year from tobacco use, chances are more than good that we'll end up a tragic addition to those statistics if we continue smoking.
Every additional year we invest in smoking compromises our chances for survival all the more.
Ready to Quit
Eventually, there comes a time for most smokers when the "smokescreen" starts to wear thin. And when it does, smoking loses its luster; its ability to soothe. Instead, smoking becomes a fearful, anxiety-ridden activity that has little to do with pleasure or relaxation, and we find ourselves thinking about quitting with every cigarette we light.
The fact that you're here reading this article is a good sign. You're probably sick of smoking, and unhappy enough to be seeking out some help. Good for you, because when it comes to overcoming the addiction to nicotine, education is key. The more you understand about how smoking affects you and what to expect as you wean yourself away from it, the better prepared you'll be for success.
Why do you want to quit smoking?
What are the reasons behind your desire to quit smoking? Sit down with paper and pen, and list them out. Include every single thing you can think of, from the largest, most obvious of reasons, to the smallest.
My own 26 year addiction turned me into a person I didn't much like.
* I was fearful that a smoking-related disease would catch up with me before I found a way to quit smoking. I was worried sick, so to speak.
* I hated the smoker's cough and shortness of breath I had developed. I knew it was a sign of lung damage, and would only get worse the longer I smoked.
* I hated the smell, the embarrassment, and the need. I especially resented the need. Nicotine dependency made me feel weak and helpless.
These were some of the first items I put on my own list of reasons, and it didn't take long to add a long line of other things I hated about smoking as well.
Think about the pros and cons of smoking as you compose your list, and when you're done, make a copy to carry with you. Add to it when more reasons come to mind, and read it when your resolve is at a low ebb. It will quickly help you get your priorites back in order and keep you on track with your quit program. Think of your list of reasons as a cornerstone in the foundation you're building for smoking cessation.
Patience!
Much of the process of release from nicotine addiction comes down to plain old practice. We taught ourselves to smoke one day at a time until it was interwoven into just about every activity in our lives. It only makes sense then, that we should allow ourselves the time it takes to retrain old habits into newer, healthier ones that don't involve smoking. Arm yourself with knowledge and support, and be patient. You'll grow stronger by the day.
Success always starts in our minds. Once we get our thoughts moving in the right direction, taking positive action comes more easily.
It's like a snowball rolling downhill. Channel your thoughts onto that sheet of paper, and you'll begin to gain momentum. Once you start the snowball rolling, you'll be amazed at what you can do to change your life for the better.
If you want to change your life, change your mind.
5/05/2009
Your Quit Smoking Toolbox
Your Quit Smoking Toolbox
Tools to Help You Build a Successful Program to Quit Smoking
By Terry Martin, About.com Updated: February 7, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Smokers don't often talk much about it, but we all worry about the damage we inflict on ourselves by smoking, day in and day out. Another thing we don’t talk about is how much time we spend thinking about quitting...but we do, day in and day out.
I should know. I spent a full 16 of my 26 years as a smoker dreaming wistfully of the day I could call myself an exsmoker and really mean it. That’s an awfully long time to continue doing something you hate, but that is the nature of addiction.
Addiction Steals Our Right to Choose
None of us started smoking thinking we'd lose our right to choose, but that's exactly what nicotine addiction does to us. The associations we build up over time slowly weave their way through every activity in our lives until we can't think of doing anything without our cigarettes. This habit is insidious and tenacious, and millions of lives are lost every year worldwide to it.
However, there is good news here, and it is this:
Thousands of people quit smoking successfully every year.
They break the chains of nicotine addiction and they leave smoking behind -- permanently. You can too.
The Quit Smoking Toolbox
The quit smoking toolbox gives you links to information and the support you need to build a solid quit smoking program for yourself. Learn what to expect when you stop smoking, and have some faith and trust in the process. Remember: Countless others have successfully beat the addiction to nicotine, and you can too.
Tools to Help You Build a Successful Program to Quit Smoking
By Terry Martin, About.com Updated: February 7, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Smokers don't often talk much about it, but we all worry about the damage we inflict on ourselves by smoking, day in and day out. Another thing we don’t talk about is how much time we spend thinking about quitting...but we do, day in and day out.
I should know. I spent a full 16 of my 26 years as a smoker dreaming wistfully of the day I could call myself an exsmoker and really mean it. That’s an awfully long time to continue doing something you hate, but that is the nature of addiction.
Addiction Steals Our Right to Choose
None of us started smoking thinking we'd lose our right to choose, but that's exactly what nicotine addiction does to us. The associations we build up over time slowly weave their way through every activity in our lives until we can't think of doing anything without our cigarettes. This habit is insidious and tenacious, and millions of lives are lost every year worldwide to it.
However, there is good news here, and it is this:
Thousands of people quit smoking successfully every year.
They break the chains of nicotine addiction and they leave smoking behind -- permanently. You can too.
The Quit Smoking Toolbox
The quit smoking toolbox gives you links to information and the support you need to build a solid quit smoking program for yourself. Learn what to expect when you stop smoking, and have some faith and trust in the process. Remember: Countless others have successfully beat the addiction to nicotine, and you can too.
5 Key Reasons to Quit Smoking
5 Key Reasons to Quit Smoking
If You Don't Have Your Health, Nothing Else Matters
By Terry Martin, About.com Updated: September 21, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Every smoker knows they face an increased risk for serious health problems from cigarettes and cigars. We know smoking causes heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema. None of this is earth-shattering news.
As smokers, though, we learn to effectively ignore the particulars about smoking-related disease. We gloss over, tune out and otherwise distract ourselves whenever possible. Looking too closely can cause a head-on collision with realities of the damage we're inflicting on our bodies and turns smoking 'enjoyment' into a guilty, fearful experience.
Smoker's Denial
All smokers harbor the secret hope that they will be spared the disease and death that follows nicotine addiction. We tell ourselves we'll quit in time and somehow dodge the bullet that smoking is. But with four million people dying every year due to tobacco use around the world, the odds aren't in our favor. Put another way, a smoking-related death occurs somewhere in the world every eight seconds, 365 days a year.
The sooner we remove the blinders and look carefully at nicotine addiction and the damage it causes, the sooner we can begin pulling away from the lies.
5 Reasons to Quit Smoking
1) Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death caused by smoking. The toxins in cigarette smoke cause plaques to form in the arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries. Smoking is hard on the heart.
2) Stroke
According to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing upwards of 150,000 people each year. For smokers, the risk of stroke is nearly 2-1/2 times that of nonsmokers.
3) Lung Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 213,380 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed - and 160,390 deaths will occur - in 2007 from lung cancer in the United States alone.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, and with 87 percent of all lung cancer cases involving tobacco, it is one form of cancer that is preventable.
4) COPD
Tobacco use is the number one cause of COPD (which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema), and quitting smoking is the best way to halt further damage. It's estimated that as many as 10 million Americans suffer from COPD, with upwards of 14 million others who may have it but are undiagnosed. In the United States, it was the fourth leading cause of death in 2000 and projections place it as the third leading cause by the year 2020.
5) Oral Cancer
Oral cancer (mouth cancer) is included in a specific group of cancers called oral and head and neck cancer. It's estimated that 70 to 80 percent of all cases of OHNC are due to tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption.
here's No Time Like The Present...
If you're thinking about quitting, a good place to start is exactly where you avoided going in the past. Delve into the facts and figures about how destructive tobacco is. Learn exactly what you risk when you light up, day after day, year after year.
Don't be afraid to look at nicotine addiction head-on! It will help you shift your attitude away from thinking of smoking as a friend and allow you to see it for death trap it truly is.
If You Don't Have Your Health, Nothing Else Matters
By Terry Martin, About.com Updated: September 21, 2008
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Every smoker knows they face an increased risk for serious health problems from cigarettes and cigars. We know smoking causes heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema. None of this is earth-shattering news.
As smokers, though, we learn to effectively ignore the particulars about smoking-related disease. We gloss over, tune out and otherwise distract ourselves whenever possible. Looking too closely can cause a head-on collision with realities of the damage we're inflicting on our bodies and turns smoking 'enjoyment' into a guilty, fearful experience.
Smoker's Denial
All smokers harbor the secret hope that they will be spared the disease and death that follows nicotine addiction. We tell ourselves we'll quit in time and somehow dodge the bullet that smoking is. But with four million people dying every year due to tobacco use around the world, the odds aren't in our favor. Put another way, a smoking-related death occurs somewhere in the world every eight seconds, 365 days a year.
The sooner we remove the blinders and look carefully at nicotine addiction and the damage it causes, the sooner we can begin pulling away from the lies.
5 Reasons to Quit Smoking
1) Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death caused by smoking. The toxins in cigarette smoke cause plaques to form in the arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries. Smoking is hard on the heart.
2) Stroke
According to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing upwards of 150,000 people each year. For smokers, the risk of stroke is nearly 2-1/2 times that of nonsmokers.
3) Lung Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 213,380 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed - and 160,390 deaths will occur - in 2007 from lung cancer in the United States alone.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, and with 87 percent of all lung cancer cases involving tobacco, it is one form of cancer that is preventable.
4) COPD
Tobacco use is the number one cause of COPD (which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema), and quitting smoking is the best way to halt further damage. It's estimated that as many as 10 million Americans suffer from COPD, with upwards of 14 million others who may have it but are undiagnosed. In the United States, it was the fourth leading cause of death in 2000 and projections place it as the third leading cause by the year 2020.
5) Oral Cancer
Oral cancer (mouth cancer) is included in a specific group of cancers called oral and head and neck cancer. It's estimated that 70 to 80 percent of all cases of OHNC are due to tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption.
here's No Time Like The Present...
If you're thinking about quitting, a good place to start is exactly where you avoided going in the past. Delve into the facts and figures about how destructive tobacco is. Learn exactly what you risk when you light up, day after day, year after year.
Don't be afraid to look at nicotine addiction head-on! It will help you shift your attitude away from thinking of smoking as a friend and allow you to see it for death trap it truly is.
Important Health Information
Important Health Information
* Because of the variety of health problems that are linked to smoking, the majority of those people would love to be able to quit. But as with any addictive habit, this is often easier said than done. People who quit smoking often experience severe withdrawal symptoms (both physical and mental) - making it hard for them to stick with their goal of quitting completely.
1. Try and pick a good time to quit. Don't try to quit during the holidays, during finals week, right before a big presentation, or any other time where stress levels are heightened. This will decrease your chances of success and give you an excuse to start smoking again.
2. You may gain a small amount of weight when quitting smoking. This is normal. Most people gain between 5 to 10 pounds after quitting due to the decreased metabolism that quitting nicotine can cause. Weight gains of more than 10 pounds are usually caused by people substituting food for cigarettes in their diet.
3. Be prepared to try quitting more than once. Most people are not fully successful the first time they try and need to attempt it a couple of times before they finally quit for good. Don't get discouraged if you aren't successful at first. Like anything worth doing, it may take you a few tries to get it right.
* Because of the variety of health problems that are linked to smoking, the majority of those people would love to be able to quit. But as with any addictive habit, this is often easier said than done. People who quit smoking often experience severe withdrawal symptoms (both physical and mental) - making it hard for them to stick with their goal of quitting completely.
1. Try and pick a good time to quit. Don't try to quit during the holidays, during finals week, right before a big presentation, or any other time where stress levels are heightened. This will decrease your chances of success and give you an excuse to start smoking again.
2. You may gain a small amount of weight when quitting smoking. This is normal. Most people gain between 5 to 10 pounds after quitting due to the decreased metabolism that quitting nicotine can cause. Weight gains of more than 10 pounds are usually caused by people substituting food for cigarettes in their diet.
3. Be prepared to try quitting more than once. Most people are not fully successful the first time they try and need to attempt it a couple of times before they finally quit for good. Don't get discouraged if you aren't successful at first. Like anything worth doing, it may take you a few tries to get it right.
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