With the increase in the price of cigarettes, smoke-banning in all but a few public places and all the warning labels of how dangerous cigarette smoke is to your health, people are still lighting up every day and every night. And the reason is simple. Cigarette smoking is one of the most addictive habits there is, more addictive that heroin and cocaine.
I ought to know. I was a chain smoker for ten years, until eight years ago when I quit after my 50th attempt. As challenging as it was to withdraw from such a disgusting habit, I attribute my success to a few things:
(1) Quitting first begins in your head. You have to want to quit and you have to want it bad.
(2) Determination and persistence. Though I failed numerous times, I was determined to keep trying until I succeeded.
(3) Nicotine patch. Cravings for nicotine can be quite severe which keeps true smokers lighting up to dissipate the cravings.
(4) A substitute. I needed a substitute in the place of smoking so that I would have something, rather than nothing. I chose hot beverages. I drank teas and coffees in the morning, after a meal, while watching television, before bed, all the time. Whenever, I would normally smoke, I sipped hot beverages.
As good as most of this advice is, it wont count for much if the drive to quit is not intense enough.
Wishing you much success and a long life of not smoking,
Jessie Jamie Coleman
Jessie Jamie Coleman is an author, screenwriter, freelance writer and a self-esteem expert. She is the author of two self-discovery journals, “The Incredible, Awesome You” and “Where Will You Be in Two Years.” For more information, visit her website: http://www.autumngirlpress.com and http://www.jessiejamiecoleman.com