Cold Turkey: How To Stop Smoking Now (but don't quit)

Cold Turkey: Stop Smoking Now

Is Cold Turkey the most effective method to stop smoking? What is the meaning of cold turkey anyway? We're going to look at that and a few other things as well pertaining to your addiction to nicotine.

Do you need to stop smoking like yesterday? Look, now that you know It's time to finally stop smoking, let me ask you seriously, what exactly are you waiting for anyway? I'll bet it's safe to say that it's been "time" to stop for a while now? Wouldn't you agree? And yet somehow you still find yourself walking into 7-11 and as you open the door and hear the 'a customer just came in' chime say to your self, "OK, last pack..."

But then tomorrow comes or 48 hours pass and guess what? You're arguing with yourself again. How many mornings do you need to wake up with a tight chest and a cough? Are you getting a full night's sleep or do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to pee and then since you're up, might as well have a smoke before going to back to bed.

Or better yet, do you simply roll over at 3:30 AM and light one up? You're literally so addicted you have to interrupt a full night's sleep...

Wow.

So when you've finally gotten over it... when you finally click... as if someone turned on a light switch for you... you decide for yourself and actually finally realize "I have to knock this crap off..." What do you do? Now what?

Let's start by examining the value of mild suffering now vs major suffering later while also looking at earning the right to sit in the non-smoking section. The most effective and powerful way to have at it is with a cold turkey smack down of harsh reality and tough love...

Quick Detour First

Let's take a little sidebar while I pitch my book using a little wisdom from Grant Cardone. Grant has been helping sales people elevate their game and has quite literally revolutionized how business is transacted across multiple verticals of business. "Selling" as Grant teaches in his most recent book Sell or Be Sold, "is a prerequisite for life." Right now, I need to not just sell you on not smoking, but you too, must sell yourself on it. You will also need to go back and re-close yourself multiple times. One of the first things I learned from Grant was an acronym called "A3." Or "A-cubed." This stands for Attitude, Approach and Action.

A3 is quite literally the formula for success. If one of these elements is out of sync, the whole thing falls apart. You can't achieve success with a bad attitude. If you approach success with the wrong approach, success is doomed. If you don't take the appropriate levels of action necessary to achieve success, you can forget about it happening.

Success for you right now means getting in the non-smoking section. You will need to have the right attitude, approach and action to succeed here. My book will help you attain all 3 and empower you to finally stop.

Question for the audience:

What is the value of suffering now vs later and earning it with a cold turkey smack of harsh reality and tough love?

Somewhere in my life I heard the phrase, anything worth having must be earned. Frankly, I don't specifically know or remember where I heard that, but I think Dr. Laura had something to do with it. Either way, it's a powerful concept, wouldn't you agree?

Look here's the deal. How did you learn to walk and ride a bike? You had to fall down. A lot. Falling down is painful, pain is an indicator. Pain typically results in learning and growth. Assuming you use it.

So far, you haven't used it. You've medicated it with cigarettes. Now you are going to decide to stop and that too, like learning to walk or ride a bike will be painful.

You will need to earn being a non-smoker. You have this amazing opportunity that people who never smoked have. You get to learn how to handle your s#!7 without cigarettes. This will make you stronger because people who never smoked, turn to ice-cream and chocolate, where you turned to cigarettes and now, will be able to handle it free and clear.

One of my personal chief motivators to stop smoking was I eventually came to loathe dependency on a foreign substance to "get by."

NOTE: If you personally had any denial or thoughts like "well that ain't me" then stop reading this hub right now and read this one: The Five Stages of Grief In The Non-Smoking Section then come back here and pick this one back up.

Picking up here, the media and pharmaceutical companies want you to believe that you can't do it alone. The want you to believe that you need to chew nicotine laced gum, wear a patch, take a pill or smoke nicotine infused water vapor in order to "quit" smoking.

Pharmaceutical companies are nick named "Big Pharma." What other multinational conglomerate group of companies also start with "Big?"

Is there any difference between Big Tobacco and Big Pharma? Not really. This is really a perfect example of frying pan to fire type of marketing, because here's the reality at the end of the day; you will eventually either chew Nicorette for the rest of your life (think crutch) or you eventually will have to put down your crutch and learn to walk again.

Personally, I have tremendous pride knowing that I suffered through all fun stuff that comes from nicotine withdrawal and come out much stronger on the other side.

It is an opportunity to conquer addiction, your self, and take charge of your emotional well being without having to rely on a chemical substance, like nicotine, to function in the world.

The Origin of Cold Turkey

By way of the good ol' Wikipedia, the term "Cold Turkey" has multiple origins.

"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication. (IMO, the easy way out, not that there's anything wrong with that... except you didn't pay any dues and there by won't fully respect it)

There are several explanations of the phrase's origin:

• A narrowing of the meaning "suddenly or without preparation," from cold turkey being a dish that requires little preparation; originally used for heroin addicts.
• From the American phrase talk turkey meaning "to speak bluntly with little preparation".
• Some believe the derivation is from the comparison of a cold turkey carcass and the state of a withdrawing addict — most notably, the cold sweats and goose bumps.
• Reference to the periods after Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays where cold (leftover) turkey was likely to be eaten, coinciding with the end of those holidays' characteristically high alcohol consumption.

What's the real origin or is it a combo of them all? Who knows? The main thing is that, when it's time to kick the habit, you can do it by yourself. You do not need more drugs... or ANY drugs for that matter.

All you really need to stop smoking is A-cubed with a side of moment to moment commitment to not smoke right now.

Bad Advice From A Good Doctor - What IS The Best Way To Stop Smoking?

Minneapolis, MN - "What is the most effective way right now for patients who really want to stop smoking?"  This was the question asked to Dr. John Hallberg from Tom Crann of All Things Considered on NPR.

Let's look at Hallberg's answer.

HALLBERG: I wish there was "the way" -- that there was a single way to make this happen. I think that over and over again, the thing that comes up is the importance of setting a quit date; that looking out ahead, something significant on the calendar that becomes the date that that person kind of wraps their mind around that they will quit. And then starting to decrease the nicotine and getting up to that point, considering using a nicotine replacement substance when the time comes, such as a patch or a spray or an inhaler, possibly medication. But there is no single way, I'm afraid.

My two cents on the matter...  here we go...

WEAK ANSWER!

C'mon Dr. Hallberg!  People look to you for more than advice.  They look to you for strength and motivation.  Give it to them and take a stand on something.  Say it load and proud and mean it.

#1.  There is a way to make this happen!  The human brain is so powerful.  We put a man on the moon and created this internet that I'm communicating with potentially millions of people.  Cliche as it may be, where there is a will there is a way.  The power of decision and choice is the most powerful human element   If you can decide to start something then you can decide to stop something.

#2.  Weaning off may not be the best solution.  For some it has worked, but I know for me, it didn't.  What worked was deciding to stop.  When a person makes a real decision to stop smoking, they suddenly find the ability and strength to stop.  Once a person fully, truly and sincerely commits to something the whole world will move to aid in the quest.  If you're truly committed, you'll do it.  Be responsible for your choices.  Yes, smoking, even after it has become an addiction is still a choice.  You are not helpless.

"You are powerful beyond measure."  -Marianne Williamson

#3.  Setting a date and making a big deal out of quitting only adds to the anxiety of the situation and for some just delays the taking of action.  Yoda-ism #1, "Do or do not.  There is no try."  Action is the final key.  Smokers need to go beyond, "this is bad for me" if that was all it took, no one would smoke.  We all know it's bad and we decide to do it anyway.  That's insane.  Period.  If you're going to stop, you need to find a reason bigger than you, commit to that reason and then re-commit every time you feel the urge.  That's all it is you know.  It's just an urge.  With the advent of caller-ID, how many times do you deny the urge to answer the phone?  Just hit the ignore button when nicotine calls.  Simple?  Yes.  Easy?  HELL NO!  Do it anyway...

"But there is no single way, I'm afraid."

He's afraid.  Afraid to speak the truth.  That you, a human being, can stop.  Addiction is powerful.  But it's not all powerful.

Smokers, you're not helpless.  Here's the way - change a couple of mind sets here:

#1 - The time to stop smoking was yesterday.  Take action, decide to stop and commit to it.  Commit to it for a purpose greater than you.

#2 - Addiction is not a reason to keep smoking, it's an excuse to keep smoking.  It's a powerless place to be.  Take the power back.  Every time you light up moving forward, acknowledge that you are choosing to smoke and that you can equally choose NOT to smoke.

#3 - Every time you say "can't" replace it in your mind with "won't"  I can't stop smoking!  I won't stop smoking.  Why won't you stop?  Because I'm addicted to it!

Remember #2, that's just an excuse.  I'm choosing to smoke and I can choose to stop.  I have the power to stop.

Leave quitting out of it.  Quitting may be too big a concept for your addicted brain.  For now, just stop; don't quit.

FDA Sells Out Addicts By Loosening Restrictions On Nicotine

From Reuters:  "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is relaxing its restrictions on the use of over-the-counter nicotine patches, gum and lozenges."

As it sits, you get 12 weeks to get off cigarettes and nicotine.  After that you're expected to stop both.

Now, they're thinking this isn't enough time.

Right, I get it it...  I'll quit tomorrow....

Look, let's keep this simple - nicotine crosses the blood brain barrier intact.  It can be as addictive as heroin for many.  If you smoke, that's how you get your nicotine.  Cigarettes, as Jeffrey Wigand put it, are a "delivery devise for nicotine."  What other delivery devices for nicotine are there?  eCigarettes, Chew, Snuff, Pipes, Cigars, Patches, Gum, Lozenges.

Heroin can be smoked, snorted, shot up.

How would you like your nicotine?  Straight up or on the rocks?   Phillip Morris is evil for selling nicotine in the form of a cigarette and GlaxoSmithKline are heroes?

Or, like any good cartel, looking for a better, more efficient way to deliver the drug into the body.

Don't fall for it people.  Sooner or later you will have to do battle with your addiction to nicotine.  How do take a band aid off?  How do you dive in a pool?  How do you conquer a fear?  How much longer will you allow yourself to be a slave to chemical that is fatal at 30 - 60 mg?

From Wikipedia:  "Historically, most cases of nicotine poisoning have been the result of use of nicotine as an insecticide."

That's real.  You're smoking, chewing, sucking on, patching an insecticide.  Enjoy that!

Here's why I stopped.  I was tired of giving control of my state to a chemical known to cause...  you know the rest.

Take back control of your life and take control of your addiction.  Do not allow a so called legitimate drug dealer to convince you that you need nicotine replacement therapy to get off cigarettes.  You know what you need - you need you.   You can do it on your own.  That's the purpose of my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  To help people take back control.  NOT transfer it over from Big Tobacco to a pharmaceutical giant instead.  You don't need more nicotine.  You need to stop the cycle.