Quitting Smoking - My Journey - Support, Stragities and Help for those who want to quit for good.

First thing that we must remember whether you are trying to quit smoking or a partner/loved on is is that quitting is a process, it wont 'happen' over night and we must remember to take our time. Firstly quitting is recognizing that smoking is an addiction and you or your loved on is addicted once you can admit this then you must recognize that you need to let this addiction go start by setting a quit date and actually stop on that day. It is totally fine to slip up and trust me I sleep up heaps of times before I finally just stopped.

Next is dealing with the urges to smoke and of course the dreaded nicotine withdrawals, it is important to remember that these withdrawals only peak for the first 72hours and get easier to deal with after this time frame.

The next step in the process is dealing with situations in which you ust to smoke in. My big one is the car or even out drinking. Usually I tend to avoid going outside of venues with my smoking friends and remaining indoors. I have also made my car a smoke-free zone this helps with that situation as I drive 20minutes to and from work each day. I also have a packet of gum in my glove box in case traffic becomes an issue, instead of dealing with a nicotine withdrawal or 'urge' I just pull out a piece of gum and chew on that instead.

The final step of the process and must I add that this is the best part of the process is beginning to start thinking like a non smoker. You will see the benefits and fine it easy to relax and enjoy life as a non-smoker knowing that you are decreasing so many deadly health risks.

Quitting is a journey that creates a lot of bumps along the road, NRT is basically products that help smooth out those bumps and can really give you the push to quit for good. They say that most smokers have tried NRT and have had some type of success with them. Personally I have tried the inhaler, gum, patch, mints and lozenges. All in which did ease my cravings however also gave me a horrible tingly tounge that I could not stand.

Unfortunately after a two week period with NRT products I relapsed and began smoking as soon as I stopped taking them. This method didn't work for me but has worked for millions of people :) Each on of us is unique and different, each quitting method may work for you or someone else, the only way to find out if NRT works for you is to try. So go ahead.

I have also tried the E-Cig, this little device is so nifty and amazing its just water vapour and works to control the hand to mouth habit. An average smoker makes 300 hand motions a day, that's a lot and just kicking that habit sucks. However the E-Cig didn't control the cravings and didn't help to stop the desire of smoking.

I have tried Prescription tablets such as Chantix and have to say that for me they worked to a degree however with all the negative talk about the depression rates I decided to stop the treatment and go with something else. I have tried hypnosis after walking past a stall with a sign that said '$20 hypnosis quit the stick for good' - yes I did get sucked in and no it didn't work.

The only other prescription only way I tried was the nasal spray which sends a signal to your brain and inturn stops a craving. This worked exactly like NRT and gave me that horrible taste in the back of my throat. None of these straigities worked for me.

The app that I used to help quit smoking was called My QuitBuddy this was the best app that I could find and it really helped me on my journey to quitting smoking for good. On the screen you will first be asked for details on your age, time smoking, how many a day and how much a packet. After you set your quit date and stick to the date it then calculates how many mg or tar you have avoided and how many dollars are saved.

The app also tells you how many smoke free days, tips, how many dangerous chemicals are in each cigarette and gives you a section on your goals so when you have a craving you can open the app select the distract me button or review your goals to remind yourself why you are giving up smoking. QuitBuddy also displays games and gives you a counter on how many days smoke free. Quitbuddy also contains a photo of the human body and gives you new click icons to see how many health benefits a part of your body has received. I have tried many other quit smoking apps but nothing compares to this app. This app overall helped me to kick the habit and I hope you download it to so it can help you.

Herbal Teas - Tasted disgusting I couldn't stand the smell either it gave me headaches. I defiantly think this was more of a ploy to steal my money. I found a little stall in my local shopping complex and decided why not give it a try. Never do I want to see that stuff or smell it again.

Acupuncture- The tiny needles they arnt painful I found it more relaxing however it didn't work for me (See video below to learn more about the new acupuncture to help quit smoking.

Quit Line - 13 78 38, this handy little number is extremely helpful when trying to control a craving and you need to speak to someone. The help in so many ways they are qualified and can help you with advice or just talk to you to give you a distraction when you have a craving. Its worth the call and its all anonymous so the person on the other line doesn't know who you are. Visit - http://www.quitnow.gov.au/ to find out more information.

I eventually decided that NRT, Natural Remedies didn't work for me, the thing that worked for me was pure Will Power. I know not what you want to hear but in the end the only thing that stopped me from smoking was my pure refusal not to buy any more cigarettes and understanding that each day gets better. The QuitBuddy app on my Iphone also helped me out a great deal and the encouragement from my family, partner and friends also assisted me in the process. Another great tip I have for all you quitters to be is forums, there are thousands and thousands of people out their on this amazing internet willing to help you quit, so open up your local forum and start typing if you ever need help getting through a craving or just need some encouragement and support.

Good luck and remember if you need support just comment below my page and I will try to help in anyway possible :) The cravings are only very temporary and the health benefits last a lifetime. So what are you waiting for - You have to quit oneday why not make that oneday today?