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[P188]People To Stop Smoking

by Mike Durand, Mik

If you are going to enlist the help of professionals in quitting smoking, it is important to carefully evaluate the credentials and claims of the programs you are considering. You want to ensure a good fit between yourself and the methods used, as well as weed out anything that sounds too good to be true. For instance, no program should claim to be 99% effective. Stopping smoking is a highly individualized process, and it is common to experience failure at least once before you fully succeed at your goal. However, you can decrease the likelihood of failure by choosing your approach carefully.

It is important to choose methods that sound realistic to you, not something you are going to feel dubious about from the start. If you are not a person who has any interest in being hypnotized, you probably won't achieve much success that way. Your full cooperation and commitment is an essential component of any plan to stop smoking. It is therefore best to take into account your own interests and the particulars of your situation, in addition to the recommendations of others.

Some methods of stopping smoking are also more costly than others, so you should decide how much you are able and willing to pay. In some cases there are less costly alternatives, such as books and videos in place of in-person treatment sessions. Other tips do not cost much, for instance, using healthy snacks to help distract you from cravings. In this area you can try a variety, to find out what works best for you.

The best stop smoking plan should involve attention to your behavioral patterns around smoking, the physiological withdrawal, the psychological factors such as your beliefs about smoking and any underlying emotional conditions including stress. Because so many factors can be involved, the most effective program will address your smoking habit from several different angles. In this way, you will be less likely to relapse, and be better able to respond to challenges appropriately.

It is quite possible you may need to try several different approaches before finding the one that is right for you, so don't give up. Enlist the help of friends and family to keep you on track, and be realistic but firm about your goals. Having very clear reasons for quitting will also help you remind yourself of the how important it is to stick with your plan. Give yourself rewards, or treats to share with your loved ones to further motivate you and help maintain your momentum. With persistence, your efforts will be well worthwhile, and the results will last a lifetime.

Therapy, both individually or in groups are included in the best smoking programs, because the therapy is decided on the basis on an individuals health, which in many cases, may vary, so, the smoker is required to undergo a full medical check up.

During a period of 2 weeks, trained counselors conduct a number of sessions, with duration of about 20 - 30 minutes. The duration of the program or the sessions can be modified depending most on the participating group.

Nicotine Anonymous is a group that runs stop smoking programs. To give the best help, the programs are led by people who have considerable experience in this area. Nicotine Anonymous works on the same principles as Alcoholics Anonymous and smokers can attend its meeting without paying anything. Such programs are sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Health Department and The American Lung Association.

To avoid programs that are not ethical, or programs that use only pills as a method of treatment it is important to do some research. Also, surely must be shunned the programs that refuse to disclose the details of, for example the chemicals used in the injections (or pills), as well as programs that promise instant results for high fees.

Because it takes time and patience to give up smoking, it is important to join a program that is well planned, and is willing to help you on a long-term basis.

Stop Smoking Clinic: A stop smoking clinic helps the smoker by advising him on how to give up. Being stuffed by both counselors and therapists helps the smoker, in his several counseling sessions (either one to one, or in groups), twice or thrice a week, by letting him interact with the counselor at any point of time.

In any stage counseling proves useful, but, in the beginning, when all smokers experience great withdrawal symptoms like emotional distress or abnormal weight, proves to be even more useful, because it provides the emotional support that the smoker desperately needs.

Several clinics help the smokers by putting them under different therapies, based on the smokers likes and dislikes, that help effectively control the withdrawal symptoms. Based on those likes, and dislikes, they are advised to use either nicotine patch, nicotine inhaler or nicotine gum or tablets.

Also, a part of the program is taken by regular exercise, because the exercises make the smoker feel healthy, and reduce his urge for a smoke. A good advice given by the clinics is that the smoker to pick a simple new hobby or interest to keep him busy, and taking his mind of the smoking thing.

Because the risk of going back to smoking again exists even if the smokers have finished the program, the clinics stay in touch with the smokers. The patients receive pamphlets by mail, which provide useful information, or are asked to attend seminars. For many reasons, people consider this phase of treatment more important than the actual quitting.

Because the clinics have trained counselors and mix therapy with counseling, most of them enjoy a high success rate.

Article Source : stopping smoking

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Both Mike Durand & George Wood are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Mike Durand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Quit Smoking, Public Speaking and Health. Striving to Create a Happier Healthier Life by helping people make the decision to stop smoking.Copyright 2006 T&M Sales Inc. All Rights Reserved.. Mike Durand's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.

George Wood has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health Care Plan, Pets and Internet Marketing. George Wood is a successful webmaster of many popular sites including and. George Wood's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.