Another year is ending and the night of the great decisions is slowly approaching. The 31st of December has always been, and will always be the best time to start making plans for the better and brighter future. Without exception, every January, those who smoke are determined to give up on this filthy habit. However, as most of them have failed to go through with this decision countless times, why not take into consideration a slightly different approach? (more…)

I've decided to try something different. I always thought of quitting as such a difficult and negative process. Well, who would want to do that when you're constantly thinking of it in such a hateful way? So I've decided to think of it in a positive manner. I mean, after all, it's a good thing I'm quitting right? (more…)

Just like having a membership at a gym that keeps you to a fitness schedule, using a calendar and trying new things every week will work to help you quit smoking. It may be just for you. You’re used to schedules, right? (more…)

One of the best things to help a person quit smoking is to begin to understand what the triggers are, that make you want to have a cigarette. It's a good idea to start a log. Some like to do more of a journal. It's up to you. When do I smoke? Why? Where? Do you smoke first thing in the morning? After you eat? In the car? At work? Keep a log of these times and why for about two weeks. Your body (brain) is either craving some nicotine or urges come at other times when you are angry, tired, hungry, etc. Get to know when it happens and why. (more…)

Experts say that the number of teens that have tried an e-cigarette has more than doubled from 2011 to 2012. A sad finding when there was actually a decline in teen smoking after 1997 and now with the introduction of e-cigarettes there is a big increase. E-cigarette smoking with teens has doubled from 3.3% in 2011 to 6.8% in 2012.

The attraction seems to be the flavored cartridges with options from fruit to mint. Called "vaping" by users it is a $5 million market last year and is expected to atleast double that this year. The e-cigarettes is a battery-operated product made to look like a regular cigarette or cigar that can contain varying amounts of nicotine, or none at all. This then turns the nicotine or other chemicals into a vapor that users inhale and keeps them from being exposured to the smoke of regular tobacco burning cigarettes which can release carcinogens into the lungs. It is hard to say whether the e-cigarette is actually safer than the regular cigarettes because no studies have given any conclusions as yet. One recent study found that e-cigarettes can cause increased resistance in the airways, making it harder to breathe, within minutes of inhalation of the vapors, while other studies have suggested the products can help smokers to quit. (more…)

As a freelance writer, one of the things I do these days involves writing short stories for ShortStoryGuy.com. Everybody’s got a dream and right now the biggest one that I have is to write a full blown novel. Writing short stories is a refreshing start and having someone go over and challenge your work is something I really enjoy. BreathingHappy.com and the rest of the Goodblogs network keeps me afloat as I have five kids that I need to provide for. For that I’m really thankful. I used to think that I won’t be able to quit smoking because I have to write.

The circuitous dilemma that this creates in writing for a website about quitting smoking is not lost on me. What’s worse is that I used to think that I needed cigarettes to bestow upon me that creative capability like it was some sort of magical amulet. The quintessential notion of a haggard looking smoke belching man on a keyboard has made a very strong impression on me. But in reality, smoking has just weakened my mental and creative faculties. Thankfully, e-cigarettes have broken that powerful spell.

As a longtime smoker and I’m pretty sure FireWife86 and the other smokers here could attest to what I’m saying, craving for something helplessly is very much akin to Romeo slobbering and slaving beneath Juliet’s heels. It’s like having that paramour that you’ve been bewitched with. Not that I know how that feels of course. I used to do anything to grab a cigarette. Now the mere acrid and putrid stench of tobacco smoke just peeves me. The triggers have changed. I am slowly but surely having more control over my thoughts and words.

Unlike before when I was compulsive with the things that I write, I’m beginning to see the pristine value of the right word and the ‘right’ sequence of events. Whereas I used to view words as stones that one throws up in the air, I now see them as keys that have the power to unlock something beautiful, something great and something undiscovered. There’s a lot I need to work on and I’m raring for a duel with myself, with words and with the rabid thoughts that are raring to come out.

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Step one is admitting you have a problem right? Well I've succeeded in doing that as from previous posts. But, I lied.

I said I was quitting this past Friday, and well, I couldn't do it. I totally and completely chickened out. Now, not to make (more…)

Divorce is very stressful on all involved. Kids suffer in many ways when their parents divorce, even though there may be some things about their lives that improve from having parents separate who are not getting along. Unfortunately, a new study shows some additional negative outcomes for children going through these trying times. A study from the University of Toronto found a strong correlation between people whose parents divorced when they were children, and smoking. (more…)

Beyond a habit for most smokers, smoking it is an addiction. Nicotine changes the functioning and structure of the brain. Over the years, the amount of nicotine put in cigarettes has increased. Some cigarettes now contain up to thirty-five times more free-base nicotine than other cigarettes. This type of nicotine is obsorbed quicker by the lungs and brains than the nicotine that's in the average cigarette. It has even been referred to as "crack nicotine" because of how quickly it reaches its destination, much like heroin or cocaine.

If you've used these specific cigarettes, it's likely a true addiction has been born. And if you go to quit, you must be ready for the powerful mood swings and temporary anxiety you will typically feel. To sucessfully recover from this addiction, you must have the patience to let your mind adjust to functioning normally. You will feel heavy cravings, and it is normal to think that this is because you want a cigarette, but actually your brain wants nicotine.

After several puffs of a cigarette, the smoker begins to relax and feel more alert. We have another puff and another because it makes us feel good. Nicotine reachs the brain in about ten seconds, and a chemical named Dopamine is released, which gives the smoker a feeling of pleasure. Heroin and "crack" effect us in much the same way. When you cut down or go cold turkey on smoking, your boby will begin to experience withdrawal. The most common symptoms of withdrawal are: restlessness, increased appetite, weight gain, depressed mood, insomnia, anxiety, frustration, irritablity, decreased heart rate, and, of course, the urge to smoke. These feelings will lessen over time.

About half of the body's nicotine reserves decline every two hours. For the smoker who wants to quit, this is the time when the brain begins being bathed in a nicotine-free blood serum. This is when the true quitting begins. It can take up to 72 hours for the blood serum to become free of nicotine. Anxieties associated with the readjustment your body is going through, normally peak in intensity now and begin to gradually decline. Now, if you have one more puff and put nicotine into your system now, you will have to face this 72 hour detox anxiety again. But this is just a chemical, and we can have power overcome it if we really want to.

Just like other addictions, once you have quit you must stay away from them for good. For a while, stay away from others who smoke, the smells associate with smoking, and your known triggers. All of these can make the urge  too much to bare. Just one puff and you could be right back smoking again. Some 'social smokers' are able to stop and leave it alone, but most cannot. Experts feel this may have something to do with genetics.

A nicotine addiction is much harder to quit than most may think. With about thirteen million smokers each year trying to quit cold turkey, only less than 5% will be smoke free in six to twelve months. Be sure to keep in communication with your doctor or smoke coach, as these symptoms come on. Each one can and should be addressed as it comes up.

Weaning yourself off of cigarettes by using gums, enhalers, or pills is giving yourself a six month relapse rate 93% of the time. And almost 100% of second time nicotine patch users relapse in six onths. Some smokers even become nicotine gum addicts. On average, a smoker may try at least five times to quit. But, if you learn from each past trial, soon it will become second nature, and you will be able to stop once and for all.

As we all know, so many smokers are addicted to the habit, which is why it is so hard for them to quit. It is worth remembering however, that when you stop smoking, the physically addictive part only lasts for a couple of days after your last cigarette. Anything after that is a psychological craving. These types of cravings are (more…)