How to Quit Smoking

The problem with quitting smoking is the tremendous hold nicotine addiction has. As any addict can tell you there are various reasons which hinder the quitting process. The initial battle with smoking is willpower, deciding that smoking is harmful for you and that you no longer desire to smoke. Once this is achieved the physical action of stopping must happen, and to do so you must break the mental barriers which provoke the desire to smoke. Finally the physical temptation from the nicotine addiction itself must be over turned. Once all three are achieved then have successfully quit.

One of the hardest aspects of quitting is the crutch factor. Most people do not smoke because they enjoy it or because they like the taste. The majority of smokers are looking for the relaxing feeling of the nicotine high, and the serial smokers are taking part to satisfy the nicotine addiction which only increases over time. We all know smoking is harmful for us, the only question is, "Is it harmful enough to make us stop?" personally I smoke a pipe and I find the process to be very sophisticated and relaxing. Who am I kidding? The process is nothing more than inducing chemicals into the body for temporary stress relief and permanent damage.

Studies have shown that the general time for detoxing, or breaking addiction is 21 days. After 21 days of abstaining from whatever addiction you are trying to break, you should be in the clear, or at least be able to manage your addiction. If you cannot quit smoking on your own for 21 days then you do not have a strong enough hold over your addiction and thus you need to seek alternative help if you truly desire to quit. I would suggest trying patches and gums and merely accepting the fact that you are addicted and that it is out of your control for the time being.