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Breathing Happy Author

What Psychology Has to Say About It

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If you are trying to quit smoking, there are a few things that Dr. John M. Grohol, PSYD, has to say that may shock you.

So you're trying to quick. Have you picked up a book about it? Although they are a good first step (after all, you are admitting you have a problem and are seeking help to quit your habit)  the truth is not always detailed properly, and is sometimes even hidden in these books. Yes, these books are often the purveyors of white lies.

Even though psychologists agree that certain mental health illnesses don’t require treatment –- such as behavioral disorders (like phobias), some do need assistance in order to be properly eliminated. Smoking isn’t one of them.

First, Dr. Grohol says that if you know that your smoking is behavior-related, (meaning you smoke along with something else, like drinking a beer or right after eating), you cannot quit smoking using something like patches or nicotine gum. The association you built up between the two is stronger than what any form of alternative treatment can do for you.

And unfortunately, science has never really delved much into the matter. Why? Because science doesn’t work that way. What the scientific community (and funders) want, is to prove that a certain medication or assistance device works. But most people who quit didn’t do it using a patch or gum. They do it on their own, often cold turkey.

In fact, it's believed that this cold turkey group composes around 75% of the smokers who manage to quit. Shocking? Not really. They just knew what to do and and they did it.

Monitoring themselves for depressive feelings and/or urges toward the habit has worked better for many smokers, than using books or other aids.

 

 

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Natural Remedies for Quitting

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I’ve already written an article that speaks of the many benefits of using herbal remedies to help you quit smoking, and listed a few. Actually, there are more, and their use is a bit different. Furthermore, the ones I will be listing are natural remedies, not necessarily oils per se, like the last article, so some people may find this type of remedy much easier to work with, and maybe even less expensive as some oils do come with a hefty price – especially the ones meant to be used for oral consumption.

Also, remember that a craving for a cigarette lasts around two to ten minutes only. If you can stay focused on something else during that time and work with these remedies – especially when used as prevention – you can curve your cravings and let go of the habit that you need to stop (these remedies can help with other cravings as well).

So, without further ado, here are the ones I found while browsing the internet.

Cayenne Pepper: this spice works well at desensitizing the respiratory system to tobacco and the chemicals in the cigarette. This, therefore, makes you want it less. Please note cayenne is also good if you have cold.

Lobelia: this is a plant that has been known to help fight the effects of withdrawal and is the active ingredient in several anti-smoking products.

Ginger: this is a root that is used for digestion. People who stop smoking, at times, have stomach and digestion discomforts and issues, and this is used to reduce cramps. It is also good to help alleviate nausea.

St. John’s wort: this is an herb that has been used for a long time to promote a positive way of thinking. This is especially good at the start.

Korean or tiger ginseng: ginseng has long been used to reduce the effects of stress and to help deal with fatigue.

Peppermint: this herb is very relaxing for the digestive system, helps reduce flatulence, and stimulates digestion in general.

 

 

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All You Need is to Exercise… Your Will Power?

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We know that most smokers want to quit. Ii’s nothing new. The same goes for other bad habits. But why is it so difficult to do? Why do people hurt themselves, at times their own friendships, and other relationships, for the sake of addictive and damaging chemical substances?

The truth is, bad habits are hard to break. Okay, so I’m preaching to the choir. But why are they so much work to get rid of? First, we need to understand how we create them. Exchanging them for healthy habits is what we need.

Repetition is typically the way habits are built. We don’t need to get a reward to create routine toward our other daily habits, such as showering or brushing our teeth. However, the bad habits often require an incentive to break them. Why else would we want to?

Remember hearing the word ‘dopamine’ in biology classes in high school? Remember how your health ed teacher used to say that this is why we get hooked on drugs? It’s the same thing for any pleasurable habit, which makes the bad ones hard to get rid of. Dopamine is a naturally addictive substance that our body makes to tell us that what we are doing is fun, and when the feeling stops, our body starts asking for it again, up to the point of craving it. This is why we sometimes crave something, like drugs or food, even if the feeling of hunger or the initial buzz is no longer there.

The most common cure for this sort of dependance, called cravings, is simple. It's called willpower. Yes, this is the main ingredient in your how-to-quit recipe. And, for those who have already tried to quit smoking and lacked this essential part, hope is not lost.

You see, this is a part of our inbred mechanism that needs exercise. If you feel like you currently lack willpower, start small. Self-control, like any other aspect of human psychology, is good only if it’s trained. We all have it–some of us just need to develop it, the same way we can develop self-esteem and courage.

The trick is to start small. If smoking is still much to large task to take on, try reducing the number of cookies you eat after every dinner. Work on that for a few days. Then add to it: get five minutes more exercise tomorrow; eat more vegetables the day after; smoke one cigarette less per day.

Now, some people suggest that you break your nasty habits by trying to replace them with something else. This can work for some people, but psychologists warn to stay away from any nasty habits, such as replacing smoking with sucking on a lollipop. The reason is simple: now you have another bad habit that you need to break. Instead, why not immediately replace it with something healthy, thus avoiding the need to repeat another entire process of reducing your dependancies? Instead of reaching for a candy, pick up a celery stick. Go for a long walk outside, away from any smokers (especially those you know well).

And one more tip: stay away from anyone who tried to tempt you back in, at least for the time it takes you to officially quit and feel like you are over your bad habit. You need twice the resolve to fight against both those individuals, and the tricks your own mind tries to play on you. You might as well not let yourself get sucked in by someone who does not have the same level of will power you do.

 

 

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From Ritualistic Aid To Modern Cancer Stick!

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It may seem very strange to us nowadays, but during the early history of smoking tobacco, it was initially considered to have a lot of health benefits.  Even so, there were some detractors of smoking at the time, but they were mainly in the minority. Read more

Positive Psychology

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Addiction is often considered an actual condition, as though it was a disease or illness of sorts. Others claim that everyone has full control over the addiction they got themselves in, and should all be able to stop – without medical help. Depending on how you see it, there is one Read more