QUIT SMOKING
Are YOU are SMOKER?
You are aware of the harm you are doing to yourself & others affected by your smoking BUT you just don’t know how to give it up?
When you smoke your heart rate soars and your whole nervous system is stimulated into greater agitation. A cigarette gives you a two minute fix of dopamine (brain chemical that feels good) combined with 48 hours of an agitated nervous system.
You keep going back for that good feeling to counteract the agitation.... only to increase the agitation. Cigarettes hold out a promise of relaxation that they NEVER deliver!
“If you must smoke, take your butt outside.” ~Author Unknown
Give Up Smoking
When you smoke your heart rate soars and your whole nervous system is stimulated into greater agitation.
A cigarette gives you a two minute fix of dopamine (brain chemical that feels good) combined with 48 hours of an agitated nervous system.
You keep going back for that good feeling to counteract the agitation.... only to increase the agitation. Cigarettes hold out a promise of relaxation that they NEVER deliver!
Why do You Smoke?
Why do You Smoke?
Do You think of a cigarette as …
1. A Boost
Does it feel like it gives you more energy? Do you smoke when you have to keep on the go, to wake up in the morning, or when you need a ‘pick-me-up’?
The nicotine in tobacco is a stimulant, and it can make you feel temporarily more alert. In the long-term, though, smoking drains your energy. It makes ordinary physical tasks like housework or climbing stairs tiring.
2. A security blanket.
Does it "feel right" to have a cigarette in your hand or mouth? Do you feel more at ease socially when you’ve got something to do with your hands? Do you enjoy the whole process: taking a cigarette out of the pack, lighting it, watching the smoke when you exhale?
Many people find the rituals involved with smoking calming and satisfying, and handle cigarettes as a way to feel less self-conscious in public. But of course, there are many alternative rituals and ‘things to do with your hands’.
3. A fix.
Are you addicted; do you constantly crave cigarettes? When you run out, are you not able to concentrate on anything properly until you get more? Are you very aware of not smoking when you don't have a cigarette in your hand?
Like many smokers, you may be addicted to the nicotine in tobacco, and when you give up, you’re likely to go through a withdrawal period. This typically involves both physical symptoms (tiredness, irritability, headaches, anxiety) and an emotional need for a cigarette.
It isn't easy to get over an addiction to tobacco, but many people have succeeded.
The longer you stay nicotine-free, the less of a hold it will have over you.
4. A treat, like chocolate.
Do you smoke because it’s pleasurable? Do you associate it with good times, and that’s when you really feel like a cigarette – when you feeling comfortable and relaxed? Does a smoke just seem to make the moment better?
Almost two out of three smokers say they just plain enjoy smoking. When you associate smoking with ‘good times’, it can strengthen your habit further. Keep reminding yourself about the benefits of NOT smoking, and practise enjoying yourself without tobacco.
5. A tranquilliser.
Do you use smoking to help you relax if you tense or upset? When you stressed out, angry or depressed, does a cigarette make you feel better?
The irony of using cigarettes to calm down is that the way they act on your body makes you more tense. Nicotine, far from helping relieve stress, may actually cause it. Smokers start to go into withdrawal between cigarettes, which gives them false perception that smoking helps with stress-relief. The result is that smokers often find themselves in a vicious circle of smoking to relax because the previous cigarette has made them tense. If you've used cigarettes as a crutch to get you through bad times, you need to find other ways to cope with stress. Otherwise, you’ll likely want to smoke again whenever problems arise.
6. An extension of my own body.
Is Smoking a habit, something you do more or less automatically without being fully aware of it a lot of the time? Do you sometimes light up a cigarette without realising you’ve got one burning in an ashtray, or you find a cigarette in your mouth and don't remember putting it there?
If you’re this kind of smoker, you’re probably no longer getting much satisfaction from your habit. Unlike people who smoke for pleasure, you might not miss it too much if you stopped.
Smoking, what it does to your body:
Starving for oxygen
The decrease in blood flowing through the body means there is less oxygen going to its tissues, and oxygen is key for maintaining body health. Worsening the situation is the carbon monoxide that is inhaled from burning cigarette papers. The carbon monoxide replaces oxygen that's supposed to be plentiful in red blood cells. Tissues don't get enough oxygen as they would ordinarily and muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones are all weakened over time.And that time may be shorter that you think.
Bone loss
Untimely bone loss seems to be another consequence of cigarette smoking. Non-smoking women at age 65 have an average bone loss of 33.5 percent, while women of the same age who have smoked for five years or more suffer a loss of bone density at a rate from 40 percent to 60 percent.
In addition, a study found in a three-year review that older men and women smokers were losing three-quarters of a percent more bone mass per year than non-smokers.
The threat of impotence
Even sexual satisfaction can be compromised by nicotine use. A recent study found that a group of more than 500 male smokers between the ages of 40 and 70 had a 24 percent rate of impotence, compared to 14 percent for non-smokers. In smokers also exposed to passive smoke, the impotence rate rose to 33 percent.
The penis needs about an eight-fold increase in blood to become engorged for an erection, which is the equivalent of the amount of blood used in heavy exercise. So when the arteries are constricted because of nicotine in the blood, it is suggested that "the blood can't flow fast enough to build up."
Smoking is the major cause of coronary heart disease
Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis - a buildup of fatty substances in the arteries. Atherosclerosis occurs when the normal lining of the arteries deteriorates, the walls of the arteries thicken and deposits of fat and plaque block the flow of blood through the arteries. In coronary artery disease, the arteries that supply blood to the heart become severely narrowed, decreasing the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, especially during times of increased activity. When one or more of the coronary arteries are completely blocked, a heart attack may occur.
In peripheral artery disease, atherosclerosis affects the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs.
Why Use Hypnosis to Quit Smoking
As a smoking cessation aid, hypnosis has one very important benefit that other quit smoking tools aren't able to offer. Because it uses the power of positive suggestion to help you stop smoking, it actually has the ability to help you develop and strengthen your will and determination to succeed.
Positive Effects of Giving up Smoking
20 minutes - Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal.
8 hours - Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels reduce by half, oxygen levels return to normal.
After 24 hours - Carbon monoxide is completely eliminated from your body and your lungs start to clear mucus and other smoking related debris.
After 48 hours - There is no nicotine left inside your body and your senses of taste and smell are greatly improved.
After 72 hours - Your breathing becomes easier as your bronchial tubes begin to relax. Your energy levels increase dramatically.
2-12 weeks later - Your circulation improves greatly.
3-9 months later - Your lung function improves by up to 10%, improving coughs, wheezes and breathing problems.
1 year later - Your risk of having a heart attack falls to about half of that of a smoker.
10 years later - Your risk of lung cancer falls to half of that of a smoker. 15 years later - Your risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.
When you smoke your heart rate soars and your whole nervous system is stimulated into greater agitation.
A cigarette gives you a two minute fix of dopamine (brain chemical that feels good) combined with 48 hours of an agitated nervous system.
You keep going back for that good feeling to counteract the agitation.... only to increase the agitation. Cigarettes hold out a promise of relaxation that they NEVER deliver!
Why do You Smoke?
Why do You Smoke?
Do You think of a cigarette as …
1. A Boost
Does it feel like it gives you more energy? Do you smoke when you have to keep on the go, to wake up in the morning, or when you need a ‘pick-me-up’?
The nicotine in tobacco is a stimulant, and it can make you feel temporarily more alert. In the long-term, though, smoking drains your energy. It makes ordinary physical tasks like housework or climbing stairs tiring.
2. A security blanket.
Does it "feel right" to have a cigarette in your hand or mouth? Do you feel more at ease socially when you’ve got something to do with your hands? Do you enjoy the whole process: taking a cigarette out of the pack, lighting it, watching the smoke when you exhale?
Many people find the rituals involved with smoking calming and satisfying, and handle cigarettes as a way to feel less self-conscious in public. But of course, there are many alternative rituals and ‘things to do with your hands’.
3. A fix.
Are you addicted; do you constantly crave cigarettes? When you run out, are you not able to concentrate on anything properly until you get more? Are you very aware of not smoking when you don't have a cigarette in your hand?
Like many smokers, you may be addicted to the nicotine in tobacco, and when you give up, you’re likely to go through a withdrawal period. This typically involves both physical symptoms (tiredness, irritability, headaches, anxiety) and an emotional need for a cigarette.
It isn't easy to get over an addiction to tobacco, but many people have succeeded.
The longer you stay nicotine-free, the less of a hold it will have over you.
4. A treat, like chocolate.
Do you smoke because it’s pleasurable? Do you associate it with good times, and that’s when you really feel like a cigarette – when you feeling comfortable and relaxed? Does a smoke just seem to make the moment better?
Almost two out of three smokers say they just plain enjoy smoking. When you associate smoking with ‘good times’, it can strengthen your habit further. Keep reminding yourself about the benefits of NOT smoking, and practise enjoying yourself without tobacco.
5. A tranquilliser.
Do you use smoking to help you relax if you tense or upset? When you stressed out, angry or depressed, does a cigarette make you feel better?
The irony of using cigarettes to calm down is that the way they act on your body makes you more tense. Nicotine, far from helping relieve stress, may actually cause it. Smokers start to go into withdrawal between cigarettes, which gives them false perception that smoking helps with stress-relief. The result is that smokers often find themselves in a vicious circle of smoking to relax because the previous cigarette has made them tense. If you've used cigarettes as a crutch to get you through bad times, you need to find other ways to cope with stress. Otherwise, you’ll likely want to smoke again whenever problems arise.
6. An extension of my own body.
Is Smoking a habit, something you do more or less automatically without being fully aware of it a lot of the time? Do you sometimes light up a cigarette without realising you’ve got one burning in an ashtray, or you find a cigarette in your mouth and don't remember putting it there?
If you’re this kind of smoker, you’re probably no longer getting much satisfaction from your habit. Unlike people who smoke for pleasure, you might not miss it too much if you stopped.
Smoking, what it does to your body:
Starving for oxygen
The decrease in blood flowing through the body means there is less oxygen going to its tissues, and oxygen is key for maintaining body health. Worsening the situation is the carbon monoxide that is inhaled from burning cigarette papers. The carbon monoxide replaces oxygen that's supposed to be plentiful in red blood cells. Tissues don't get enough oxygen as they would ordinarily and muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones are all weakened over time.And that time may be shorter that you think.
Bone loss
Untimely bone loss seems to be another consequence of cigarette smoking. Non-smoking women at age 65 have an average bone loss of 33.5 percent, while women of the same age who have smoked for five years or more suffer a loss of bone density at a rate from 40 percent to 60 percent.
In addition, a study found in a three-year review that older men and women smokers were losing three-quarters of a percent more bone mass per year than non-smokers.
The threat of impotence
Even sexual satisfaction can be compromised by nicotine use. A recent study found that a group of more than 500 male smokers between the ages of 40 and 70 had a 24 percent rate of impotence, compared to 14 percent for non-smokers. In smokers also exposed to passive smoke, the impotence rate rose to 33 percent.
The penis needs about an eight-fold increase in blood to become engorged for an erection, which is the equivalent of the amount of blood used in heavy exercise. So when the arteries are constricted because of nicotine in the blood, it is suggested that "the blood can't flow fast enough to build up."
Smoking is the major cause of coronary heart disease
Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis - a buildup of fatty substances in the arteries. Atherosclerosis occurs when the normal lining of the arteries deteriorates, the walls of the arteries thicken and deposits of fat and plaque block the flow of blood through the arteries. In coronary artery disease, the arteries that supply blood to the heart become severely narrowed, decreasing the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, especially during times of increased activity. When one or more of the coronary arteries are completely blocked, a heart attack may occur.
In peripheral artery disease, atherosclerosis affects the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs.
Why Use Hypnosis to Quit Smoking
As a smoking cessation aid, hypnosis has one very important benefit that other quit smoking tools aren't able to offer. Because it uses the power of positive suggestion to help you stop smoking, it actually has the ability to help you develop and strengthen your will and determination to succeed.
Positive Effects of Giving up Smoking
20 minutes - Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal.
8 hours - Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels reduce by half, oxygen levels return to normal.
After 24 hours - Carbon monoxide is completely eliminated from your body and your lungs start to clear mucus and other smoking related debris.
After 48 hours - There is no nicotine left inside your body and your senses of taste and smell are greatly improved.
After 72 hours - Your breathing becomes easier as your bronchial tubes begin to relax. Your energy levels increase dramatically.
2-12 weeks later - Your circulation improves greatly.
3-9 months later - Your lung function improves by up to 10%, improving coughs, wheezes and breathing problems.
1 year later - Your risk of having a heart attack falls to about half of that of a smoker.
10 years later - Your risk of lung cancer falls to half of that of a smoker. 15 years later - Your risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.
No comments:
Post a Comment