Cigarette Quitting: Coping with Cravings

Cigarette quitting can be one of the hardest things a smoker ever has to do. This is largely due to the cravings that they can experience. When it comes to cigarette quitting, people can use a variety of techniques and devices for beating the cravings and giving up for good.

The first thing to remember when giving up is that you can beat the cravings. One way of doing so is using the “3 Rs:”

• REMIND yourself why you are cigarette quitting in the first place. Write them down and read them back to yourself
• REHEARSE what you will do when a high risk situation arises, and you would normally reach for the box of cigarettes
• REWARD yourself each time you overcome the urge to smoke

Don’t worry if you do get cravings and these don’t work; try the “4 Ds:”

• DELAY acting on your craving
• Breathe DEEPLY to relax yourself
• DRINK a glass of water slowly, holding each sip in the mouth for about a minute
• DISTRACT yourself in some way, e.g. doing a puzzle, having a light snack, going for a walk

When willpower isn’t enough, there are a number of devices to use, including:

• nicotine patches
• nicotine gum
• inhalers

These shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for willing yourself to do it, but they can ease the psychological addiction to nicotine and allow you to wean off it gradually.

Other ways of successful cigarette quitting involve distraction techniques and replacement exercises.

In some cases, chewing regular gum when you would normally want a cigarette can work. Other times, “smoking” on a wooden cigarette (unlit, of course!) can help.

Coping with Nicotine Withdrawal

Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes, and cigars are all made with dried tobacco leaves, which naturally contain the drug nicotine. Manufacturers of these products add additional nicotine, as well as a whole host of other chemicals and additives, to make smoking more enjoyable. One report suggests there are as many as 4,000 different chemicals in one cigarette. These additives can have disastrous effects on your health.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

Nicotine dependence causes an addiction to these tobacco products. If and when you try to quit, you may face any number of nicotine withdrawal symptoms; most people who try to quit deal with at least one. These symptoms can include:

• fatigue
• headache
• dry mouth
• cough
• irritability
• cravings to smoke
• constipation
• anxiety

As a rule, people who have smoked for a longer period of time and those who smoke at a higher volume (a larger number of cigarettes in a day) will have the greatest likelihood of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms may also be made worse at certain times of day or in certain places. Your mind may unconsciously associate a variety of places, people, or times with smoking and set off a trigger to smoke.

The Problem with “Cold Turkey”

The physical withdrawal from nicotine is only temporary, but it can be difficult to cope with your body’s reaction. If you choose to quit without the assistance of a smoking-cessation aid (sometimes known as quitting “cold turkey”), withdrawal usually begins two to three hours after you last smoke, and the symptoms are likely to get worse for several days. Peak withdrawal occurs about three days after your last smoke. Then, as your body becomes accustomed to not having the nicotine, symptoms of withdrawal will subside.

Some smokers are fearful of these withdrawal symptoms and choose to quit nicotine in a milder manner with the help of low-nicotine cigarettes or smoking-cessation aids (like gums, patches, and prescription medicine).

Managing Nicotine Withdrawal

No matter how you do it, you will likely encounter one or more withdrawal symptoms at some point in your quit-smoking journey. You do not have to give in to these symptoms and give up your quest to be smoke free. Here are a few tips for coping with your withdrawal symptoms.

Exercise

Nicotine can improve mood and may give you a false sense of well-being. Without the drug, you may begin to feel slightly depressed. Thirty minutes of exercise each day can help beat the sagging feeling of fatigue and depression by naturally boosting endorphins in your body. Exercise may also help you sleep better. For the best results, avoid exercising right before you turn in; give yourself three to four hours of downtime before you go to bed.

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Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation

Acupuncture for smoking cessation has been successful when other methods have failed. The method entails placing small needles into pressure points in the body. Acupuncture has been practiced by the Chinese for thousands of years, but its use to cure people of addictions did not begin until the 1970s according to the Acupuncture Massage College. The system is individualized, helping to reduce cravings that are associated with a person's trigger points.

As a result of using acupuncture, jitters, irritability, smoking cravings, may be reduced. Smokers who are trying to quit experience other withdrawal symptoms that include irritability, anxiety, hunger, and restlessness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Because the first several weeks of withdrawal are particularly difficult, acupuncture may effectively be used to increase the success rate of people who are trying to stop smoking. Acupuncture is more effective when it is used with patches, gum, therapy, and other smoking cessation methods.

Acupuncturists choose points in the body that remove obstructions in the lungs. This practice helps patients experience calmness, which replaces feelings, associated with smoking. At the same time, pressure points on the ears and other areas throughout the body regulate endorphins that are stimulated when people smoke. Acupuncture for smoking cessation can also help patients improve breathing, circulation and stabilize the blood pressure. For people who are trying to stop smoking and alleviate flu symptoms. People who use acupuncture also have a reduced chance of contracting bronchitis or pneumonia.

Although acupuncture may be a safe way for people to stop smoking, there are no scientific studies available on the topic. A study on the influence of acupuncture for smoking cessation is being conducted, the New York College of Health Professions reports.

Adult Smoking Cessation

Quitting smoking can greatly reduce the chances of a person developing several different diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Adult smoking cessation can be difficult, and most adults attempt to quit smoking several times before succeeding.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawing from nicotine can result in the following:

• irritability
• lack of concentration
• weight gain
• anxiety

Counseling

For many smokers, counseling can help with smoking cessation. Several nonprofit organizations provide free telephone counseling for people trying to quit. Individual and group therapy may also be beneficial.

Counseling can help encourage a person to stay away from nicotine and help him or her to develop tools to deal with the physical and mental withdrawal from tobacco products.

OTC Medications & Products

Adult smoking cessation can also be achieved through the use of over-the-counter, or prescription nicotine replacement products commonly in the form of:

• gums
• lozenges
• patches
• nasal sprays

These products can help relieve some of the physical symptoms of quitting smoking. In most cases, these products slowly wean a person off of nicotine over a period of several weeks. Due to the fact that they do contain nicotine, a person should not smoke while using them.

Prescription Medications

Some prescription medications have been shown to aid in quitting smoking. The most common of these are bupropion and varenicline tartrate.

While these drugs do not actually contain nicotine, they have been shown to reduce a person's cravings for nicotine by blocking nicotine receptors in the brain. They have also been found to slightly reduce withdrawal symptoms, although this is not always the case.

These drugs are typically started when a person is still smoking and continued for a short amount of time after quitting.

Side Effects

These drugs for adult smoking cessation can cause side effects including:

• insomnia
• vivid dreams
• nausea
• headaches

In some people, these drugs have caused depression and behavioral changes.

10 Reasons to Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Although not everyone will share reasons to quit smoking cigarettes, the 10 listed here are most commonly cited by ex-smokers and health care professionals.

1. Health: Smoking is linked to lung cancer, heart attack, stroke, emphysema and numerous other diseases.
2. Life Expectancy: Research shows that the life expectancy of a non-smoker is 14 years greater than that of a smoker.
3. Appearance: A smoker’s skin will age more rapidly and develop wrinkles at a younger age than non-smokers. Other reasons to quit smoking cigarettes that effect appearance are that the teeth and fingers will not be stained by nicotine.
4. Energy: As the pulmonary system repairs itself, physical exercise won’t cause gasping for air. The circulatory system improves, providing ample blood flow to the brain and muscles and increase mental and physical energy.
5. Financial: Cigarettes are a costly addiction. A pack-a-day smoker can spend $3,000 to $4,000 a year on his or her habit.
6. Public Health: Effects of second-hand smoke are a growing public health concern. The smoker’s immediate family is more prone to bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma. Workers in locations that allow smoking incur a similar increase in risk factors.
7. Reproductive: Smoking is a major cause of impotence among males. Females who smoke have more difficulty getting pregnant and in carrying the baby to term.
8. Social: Smoking is tolerated in fewer and fewer places. Work, dining, leisure activities, and cultural events have to be interrupted in order to get a cigarette.
9. Sensory: As delicate membranes heal ex-smokers sense of smell and taste improve. They enjoy dining and aromas more.
10. Quality of Life: Among the reasons to quit smoking cigarettes, the improved quality of life could easily rank at the top. Clothes, furniture, drapery, and car interiors won’t smell of cigarettes. Clothes and upholstery won’t have cigarette burns.

List of cheap domain registrars

I've compiled a list (correct as of Jan 2008), of cheap registrars. All are believed to be reputable, but as always it is best to ask around and seek advice from others. If you would like to suggest adding a new site to the list, or notice any errors/out of date prices/features feel free to reply with your suggestion, or to send me a private message.

These are the guideline I've used for the list:
List using the registrar's trading name.
Registrars should charge less then $10/.com domain.
Registrars cannot have a minimum purchase amount.
The service must include full DNS control (CNAME, A, MX, MXE).
The service must also include domain locking.
List the permanent non-sale price of .com renewals for 1 year.
List the details following the same format as the ones I've added.
Do not list introductory features (like Private Whois for 1 year, etc).
List ICANN-accreditation status.

Some registrars do not include all charges in their advertised price - this practise is misleading, so all mandatory fees & charges associated with registering a .com are included with the price listed here. If a registrar charges additional fees not included in the advertised price, then it should be noted in red so that viewers know prior to clicking that the advertised price on the site is not the full price of the domain.

This list is alphabetical.


1&1
$6.99.
ICANN accredited.
Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover or Paypal.
Private Whois.
Email Forwarding.
1GB Email IMAP/POP3.
URL Forwarding.
5-page mini-website.

domainsite.com
$7.99, or $6.99 for "basic registration" which doesn't include full dns control, fowarding or email.
ICANN accredited.
Visa, Mastercard, AMEX or Paypal.
Email Forwarding.
Email by Google.
URL Forwarding.
Webpage by Google (100MB/500pages max).
Code always displayed in CP
Sister site to name.com.

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