Happy New Year! Now Don't Go And Do Something Stupid Like...

Tell all your friends your gonna quit smoking this year only to wind up smoking again 3 weeks later.  If you New Years Resolution is to quit smoking this year...

then I made this video just for you.  Not only the habitual smoker, but the habitual quitter...  Happy New Year!!!

How To Stop Cigarette Cravings

How To Stop Cigarette Cravings

In this most recent Hub, David Bradley, author of How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, examines three powerful and effective techniques to handle cigarette craving anytime and anywhere.

Give it a look over and feel free to comment on the Hub itself.  Always appreciate the feedback!

Stop Smoking with Self Discipline

Self Discipline.  How does self discipline apply to not smoking anymore?

Sounds like a stupid question, doesn't it?  Especially since my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, is a recipe for how to successfully stop smoking cold turkey.

Well, I wanted to dissect the word and look at it fully under the mental microscope if you will.



Self: 

• a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality: one's own self. 
• a person's nature, character, etc.: his better self. 
• personal interest. 
• Philosophy.  a.  the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with that known, remembered, etc.  b.  the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience.

Discipline:

• Origin:
  1175–1225; Middle English  < Anglo-French  < Latin disciplīna  instruction, tuition, equivalent to discipul ( us ) 
  • Root word disciple

OK, so what do we have so far?

When you look at the word "self," it is safe to assume that self is, in addition to you, it is also a reflection of who you are and it is also who you believe you are.

Now the word discipline, comes from the word "disciple."  This is an important thing to recognize here because discipline is so often thought of in terms of punishment.  When you look at a dictionary, you'll see words for discipline like:  behavior, order, regimen, and conduct.  These connotations can all have negative undertones.  Discipline usually falls under the category of "I've done something wrong and need to be punished."  Have you ever heard someone say, "I need more discipline in my life."What are they really saying about themselves?

This is where we've been conditioned to look with a word like that.  But what else does discipline mean?

• activity 
• exercise
• improvement of skill 
• training
• a branch of instruction or learning

So when you think about it like that, what is a disciple?  Who has disciples?  Who comes to mind right away?  Jesus, right?  He had 12 disciples.  Meaning these guys followed his teachings and more importantly lived by his teachings.  The key point though is that they were first and foremost, students.

Other people since have had disciples.  Gandhi, for example had/had disciples.  The Dali Lama has disciples.  Bruce Lee has disciples.

What about you?

You need at least one disciple.  You.  You need to be your own disciple.  You should be a student of you.  That is the essence of your humanity.  Self awareness is such a key component to being a human being.  Look at a dog or a cat for example.  They behave as a dog or cat would but lack the ability to truly see themselves through their own eyes.  Have you aver seen a dog ponder their own existence?  In between licking his butt and chasing a car have you ever seen a dog stop and recognize, "I think, therefor I am."  Not going to happen.

The ability to become a disciple of our self is one of the great mysteries that separates from the rest of the animal kingdom.

"KNOW THYSELF"

It appears the Greeks are still debating who's getting credit for this but if I had to pick one personally, I'd like to give it to Socrates.  If for no other reason then I am a fan of Dan Millman.

So for those looking to stop smoking or break any habit, self-discipline is a vital element in achieving the goals you are laying forth.  Since this is a book on how to stop smoking, let's stay on this example.

Let's also stay on the idea that self discipline is more about being a student of yourself then the idea that you need to "discipline" yourself for smoking.

This is what you'll find through out my book.  An opportunity to know yourself well enough to recognize that in your decision to not smoke you will not have to give up any part of who you are.  Deciding to stop smoking is an evolutionary step in your own path of self awareness, self discovery and self actualization.  All synonyms of self discipline.

KNOW THYSELF.

Another good one, this time from Bill.  Shakespeare, that is.

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE.

Do you see the value in knowing yourself well enough to recognize that the habit (smoking in this case) is merely a reflection or an extension of yourself and not actually you?  Now this doesn't mean you get to get away with saying, "But that's not me."  That is irresponsible.  What I am suggesting here is that in order to stop smoking once and for all, you must recognize that the behavior is a reflection (symptom) of your self image and not your actual self.

Once you have a handle on that concept, you then can truly see yourself.  Then you can see yourself not smoking too.  And then once you have that picture in your mind, of you not smoking, you can now wade into the waters of being a smoker who doesn't smoke.  Taking that one day at a time.  Understand you were you before you started smoking and will still be you after you stop.


Yes, there will be a great debate in your body and mind as they have all been tricked into believing that smoking is a part of who you are.  But with real self discipline, you can press on.  I saw an interesting quote while researching this blog and I find it an appropriate way to end this today...  are you ready?  Here you go:

SUFFER THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE OR SUFFER THE PAIN OF REGRET.

Smoke Your Mind and Napoleon Hill Wisdom

In my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I talk about one of the motivating factors for me to stop smoking. It came when I realized I was out of control. There comes a time after about 6 and half hours or so without a cigarette when you realize that if you don't have a cigarette and like right now, someone very well might get hurt. Granted I am slightly exaggerating but the nic-fit is real.

It soon began to bother me to be under Big-Tobacco's spell so powerfully. I got started smoking as a way to separate myself from others, to flaunt and solidify my identity. Or at least so I thought. The reality was in no time instead of being the individual I wanted to be I was just like everyone else... hooked. Smoking lost it's romance for me and it was time to kick the habit.

I thought of this moment in my life in late 2001 when I realized smoking wasn't all it's cracked up to be... or rather, it's more like crack than you think. I thought of this moment when I saw this quote from Napoleon Hill

"Control your own mind, and you may never be controlled by the mind of another.

The mind is the most powerful weapon known to man. It simply cannot be controlled or contained by an outside force, however formidable that force may at first appear. Throughout history, tyrants have tried to control those who opposed them, but eventually these rulers discovered the power of the imagination was far greater than the threat of the sword. As Victor Hugo said, "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come."

Big Tobacco, like any good drug dealer has control of your mind and directs your thoughts towards one more cigarette. It is with this mind, such a powerful weapon indeed, that you will conquer your addiction to nicotine and cigarettes.

Your mind is the best tool for meeting the challenge to stop smoking. You can use a patch, chew the gum, tinker with water vapor cigarettes, and any other nicotine delivery device you can think of, but sooner or later it will boil down to you making a conscious decision with your mind to not light up.


I used my mind to stop smoking and you can to.  In fact, you will have to.  My mission now it to get my book into the hands of 5000 smokers who want to be non smokers.  


So if you found this blog and you're still smoking, or you think you've quit but feel yourself wavering and loosing control, consider this, I, like you, struggled through the process and found a way to not only stop, but stay stopped.  Perhaps destiny or God brought you here and perhaps you should give this book a read.  I will leave it up to you of course, but deciding to finally stop once and for all could very well be the best decision you've ever made...  next to deciding to get a copy of my book!

Smoked Salmon Another Reason to Stop Smoking

Smoked Salmon Another Reason to Stop Smoking

Another Hub from above that I've written to inspire and encourage smokers to knock off the smoking habit once and for all.  I found a way and you can too!  Take a look at the video to promote the Hub too...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vflXTR-EzbQ

Then let me know what you think!

Take possession of your own mind...

"...and you may soon make life pay off on your terms.

Your mind is unquestionably your most valuable possession. You may lose every material thing you own, but knowledge can never be taken from you. With it, you can earn a new fortune, build a new home, and buy anything you truly desire. No one else can control your thoughts; even the cruelest tyrant cannot force you to think about something you refuse to accept. When you make a deliberate decision to take control of your mind and feed it positive, constructive thoughts, you are on your way to taking control of your life. The thoughts you allow to dominate your mind will determine what you will get from life. "

You might even be able to stop smoking!  Once again, applicable wisdom in my in-box from the Napoleon Hill Foundation...

Another Gem From Napoleon Hill

Your Job Will Never Be Any Bigger 

Than Your Imagination Makes It
 
Daniel Burnham, the turn-of-the-century architect and civic planner whose plan for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair had an enormous influence on contemporary civic design, was quoted as saying, "Make no little plans." He knew that to achieve great things we must have grand ideas. If you can imagine it, you can create it. And if you can create in your imagination the job that you would like to have, it is possible to create it in the real world.

OK people, what does this have to do with not sucking on coffin nails?

How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone Arrives at The White House

Label/Receipt Number: 0310 1230 0001 5659 8314
Expected Delivery Date: February 4, 2011
Class: Priority Mail^®
Service(s): Delivery Confirmation^™
Status: Delivered

Your item was delivered at 4:14 am on February 11, 2011 in WASHINGTON, DC 20500

Obama and Boehner ALMOST get copies of my book...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrYv-i6IsnQ

Click here for the update...  more to come.

An open letter to all

BELOW IS AN EMAIL I SENT.  NOW, HERE ON THE BLOG, I ASK YOU TO DO WITH IT AS YOU SEE FIT.

Dear Friends and Family,

I trust most of you know, I have written my first book.  How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  In this book are the tools, tricks, actions, and behaviors that were vital in helping me kick the habit in 2002.  It chronicles my story and experience as a smoker becoming a non-smoker.  How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, then shows how anyone can use the same tools and techniques I used to stop smoking to successfully stop themselves.

Why are you receiving this email?

In a nutshell, I need your help.

As I started 2011, I set a goal for myself to sell 5000 copies of this book by or before 12/31/11.  I picked that number because I read somewhere that most books that get published never sell more than 5000 copies.  "Well, not me" I thought!  "I'll sell 5000 in a year!"  Puffed up chest and all!

As time went on, I started blogging more and more about not smoking.  I continued doing more and more research into smoking, addiction, getting "clean" and seeing the consequences of smoking and smoking addiction.  Suddenly my goal began to change.  Actually, it began to evolve.  I started this book with the intention to share my story, have a few laughs and hopefully make some money.

Things have changed for me.

I still want to share my story and I definitely want to have a few laughs.  But putting all of that aside for a second, what I really want to do is to empower smokers.  5000 to be exact.  5000 this year to be more specific.  I want to empower smokes to stop smoking.  Cigarettes are a cruel bitter sweet dysfunctional relationship that will eventually lead to checking out of this life way sooner than necessary.   Cigarettes in my opinion are a passive aggressive form of suicide and if that's too "heavy" for you than at least acknowledge that if you're smoking daily, you're self medicating for something.

I genuinely want to help others stop.  Smokers need healing, tough love, and motivation.  It's time to kick the habit.  It's time to love yourself a little more than you did yesterday and it's time to pass this email forward.

That's what I need your help with.  You can breathe easy, there will be NO pass this on or else curse!

Do you know a smoker?  Do you know someone who knows a smoker?  Is there a loved one in your life that needs this book? 

I'm looking to get 5000 people this year to make a small investment in the quality of the rest of their lives.  How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, is not preachy.  There will be a few in your face moments, but keep in mind, I bill myself as a smoker who doesn't smoke.  If you're a smoker, know that I speak your language and this book is for you.  Know that you don't have to give up any part of yourself or your identity to stop smoking. 

My father wrote something interesting in the forward of the book that says we all "smoke" something.  So for those of you non-smokers with a habit that needs kicking, this book may come in handy as well...

So, if you're receiving this email, know that all I'm asking you to do is forward this on to the people you know who may benefit from reading this book.  I think it goes without saying you're welcome to get a copy for yourself, but what's most important to me right now is to find a way to get my book between the fingers of 5000 smokers this year.   Then, I want those 5000 smokers to accept my challenge to "stop, but don't quit."

Thank you for taking the time to read this and a double thank you in advance for deciding to help me help others...

Sincerely,

David R. Bradley 
THE WEBSITE:  http://www.stopdontquit.com/

What does this have to do with not smoking?

"Before opportunity crowns you with great success, it usually tests your mettle through adversity.

Adversity provides the resistance necessary to develop the strength to overcome great obstacles. This strength consists of self-confidence, perseverance, and, very importantly, self-knowledge. For if you do encounter a setback, it is a clue to a personal weakness. You may have been hasty in judging a competitor, or you may have been too timid in your vision of what needed to be done. Let adversity be your guide to understanding where you mis-stepped and which qualities you need to cultivate. No one rejoices in disappointment, but if you are success-conscious, you can turn the situation into a chance for improving your character, an opportunity you otherwise would have missed ."

 So this little gem was in my inbox this morning and it came from the Napoleon Hill Foundation.  Napoleon Hill for those of who don't know was a student of success.  He studied and wrote about success.  His book Think And Grow Rich has sold a gazillion copies world wide.  I myself have a pretty beat up copy in my bookcase.  Originally written in 1937 when there was a tremendous need for successful minded people and also the need in this country to take charge of each one's prosperity.

But this is a blog about not smoking.  Where are we going with this?  The challenge to not smoke is your opportunity.  Being smoke free for a given period of time is your success.  You will be tested.  True success comes only to those who are worthy of it, meaning they have earned it.

This is why I support the cold turkey.  Yes, you may have medications, gums, and patches that will help you not smoke, but all you're really doing is exchanging one nicotine delivery device for another.  Sooner or later you will have to go cold turkey.  That is success testing your mettle. 

Other adversities will include daily life.  Jerks on the road, stress at work, relationship issues, money issues, the list of adversities goes on and on.  When you accept the challenge to stop smoking, you will be tested and challenged.  Success will be knowing you powered through it all.

But don't go it alone!  Arm yourself with the equipment you need to succeed.  Try my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  It is loaded with tools, tips, sage advice, stories and wisdom that will give you the motivation and equipment need to finally kick the habit once and for all!

Exercise For The Recent Non-Smoker

Which one is yours?

http://hubpages.com/hub/Exercises-For-The-Recent-Non-Smoker

You Just Stopped Smoking, What are You Going to Do Now?

I'm going to Disneyland!!!  OR, it's time to reclaim your lung capacity!
That's right folks. You've compromised this tender tissue too long. The good news is the body has wonderful regenerative properties that will help you recuperate, repair, and rehabilitate. In addition, exercise will do wonderful things to your brain chemistry, which will be all out of whack in the recent absence of nicotine...


http://hubpages.com/hub/Exercises-For-The-Recent-Non-Smoker

You'll find the rest of this article on Hub Pages.  Please feel free to either leave a comment there or post your opinion here!

Is Smoking a Habit or an Addiction?

Cut that out!

Is smoking cigarettes just a habit or is it truly an addiction?  When you want to stop smoking, why is it so often referred to as "kicking the habit?"  People tell you, "you gotta kick the habit!"  When you google "kick the habit" the results are all about smoking.

The Cliff Clavin in me is always curious about where phrases like this come from!  Answers.com says that the phrase Kick The Habit originated in the late 19th Century as a reference to withdrawals from opiate addiction.  Back in the day you could get Opium, think predecessor to Heroin, and Laudanum, (think liquid opium) legally and easily from the local Chinatown or corner drugstore.  Ah, the good ol' 1800's!  So, for those of you not privy to withdrawal from Opium and Laudanum, myself included, thank God, when you're in the throws of withdrawal, your nervous system is all whacked out and you may have involuntary spasms and seizures which could result in you kicking.  Now the word habit is something else entirely.  Originally habit was used to refer to appearance or dress.  Like a nun, she wears a habit.  Now somewhere in the 1880's the word evolved from something you have "on" in the physical world to something emotionally driven.  Like sipping laudanum or drinking whiskey.  Victorian etiquette never likes to call a spade a spade.  Plus, "addiction" as we know it today really wasn't used until the early 1900's so when you were addicted to something, people would say you have the "habit."  Interesting, no?  Especially when many people believe it is easier to get off the opiates than then cigarettes.

So on to the inspiration behind this blog.  From the Napoleon Hill Thought for the day:  

"Human faults are like garden weeds. They grow without cultivation and soon take over the place if they are not thinned out."

"Habits are formed so slowly that most of us don't realize what is happening until the habits are too strongly entrenched to be broken. Seldom can one pattern of behavior be eliminated without replacing it with another. It has been said that nature abhors a vacuum and will always find something to fill a void. The best way to thin out the "weeds," or faults in your character, is to identify those traits with which you are dissatisfied and replace them with their positive counterparts. If you have a tendency to lose your temper, for example, find a replacement for your anger. Neutralize it with a positive expression or affirmation, such as, "No one can make me angry unless I let them. I will not let anyone else control my emotions." 

What's your habit?

This goes for puffing on small cylindrical objects as well.  While starting out as an occasional activity, smoking very often leads to a habitual behavior and before you know a physical addiction begins to develop.  No, duh!  Right?  So enough of the obvious and on to the more subtle, finer points...

In How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I make a very specific distinction between quitting and stopping.  One is comprehensible to the addict and the other is not.  So with that in mind, what do you think is easier to deal with?  A habit or an addiction?  Psychologically, I'm going to go with habit.  What do you need to do to break a habit?  Well habits have a 30-40 day incubation time.  They also have a trigger.  Something that sets them off.  More often then not, the trigger lies deep in the subconscious.  Your luxury as a human being is the ability to recognize when the trigger is acting up by ways of a craving.  Breaking the habit means riding out the craving.  It does not mean you have to go to therapy to sort out why you've got this bad habit.  Obviously, knowing your history will help in the process and add motivation, but the simple action of decision is the most powerful tool in your arsenal to not smoke.  When you go to the addiction side, it reverts back to a physical need for something.  Not a want.  Wants you can manage.  Needs must be met.  Semantics?  Yes, but words are incredibly powerful.  Try this...  don't think of a pink elephant.  See?  Look what I made you do!  

Let me sum this up by quoting Wayne Dyer.  "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change."  

So now you want to stop smoking.  Are you addicted or do you just have a bad habit.  If you try to quit, you will soon find that you're addicted.  If you just stop, you will find yourself shedding a very bad habit.

For more on semantics, humor and direction, pick up a copy of How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  Available now on Amazon.com or if you'd like to take a look at the Forward and Chapter 1: Stop Trying to Quit, you can do so over on www.stopdontquit.com.

Have a question or comment?  Leave it below!  As always this is your blog too, I welcome the discourse.

What Kind of Smoker Are You?

Smoke free in 30 days.  This is a new book by Daniel F. Seidman.  DOCTOR Daniel F. Seidman, thank you very much.  Doctor Dan (if I may be so bold) is the director of smoking cessation services at Columbia University Medical Center.  He's been in the business of helping folks kick the habit for over 20 years.  He's got a pretty cool motto:  "Nothing feels better than accomplishing something you didn't know you could do."  And speaking of cool, he is, in addition to being a psycho therapist, a jazz musician who credits the skill and art of improvisation as a useful tool for helping others. Dr. Dan's latest book is called Smoke Free in 30 Days:  The Pain Free, Permanent Way to Quit.  The Forward is written by Dr. Mamet Oz.  Dr. Oz is also one cool cat.

I was brought to this book by an article in Yahoo that was emailed to me by my wife.  In the article from Yahoo Shine, the publishers along with Dr. Dan, ask the question, "What kind of smoker are you?"  They then go on to identify the 6 major types of smokers.  I'll list them for you now:

• Recreational or Social Smoker.
• Scared-to-Quit Smoker.
• Emotion-Triggered Smoker.
• Worried-About-Weight Smoker.
• The Alcoholic Smoker.
• The Situational Smoker.

Ironically, in my book How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I  touch on a lot of these points.  Not having read Dr. Dan's book yet, I'm not comfortable voicing a complete opinion of the merit of the book, but from here and so far, all I can say is if Dr. Oz is down with it, so am I.  I figure, take all the help you can get. 

Not every voice is going to be music to year ears.  If my book doesn't get the job done, try this one.  Try everything until you find the thing that works for you.  Perhaps you don't want to get lectured to?  Perhaps you need to get it from a more conversational stand point.  From someone who's actually been there.  Now, 20 plus years of working with people addicted to nicotine and hearing all the reasons one starts smoking is a wealth of knowledge that any person in their right mind who's trying to quit will want to tap into...

And there in lies the rub.  Your brain has been chemically altered and you are now physically addicted to nicotine.  Clearly, you are not in your right mind!  You, like me, are off in some 1940's mentality where opera singers sing the praises of Camel and medical doctors recommend Lucky Strikes.  What?  Well if you're still smoking at this point then you've somehow managed to convince yourself that either 60 years of evidence, research and DEATH doesn't necessarily apply to you or your self esteem is so low that the evidence, research and DEATH doesn't really matter.

Pow!  Right between the eyes.  See I'm not going to pull any punches here.  And since I'm still a smoker (who doesn't smoke) and still in my 1940's mentality (I'm listening to Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters while I write this) I'm gonna give it to you straight, see?

Regardless of your emotional level or paradigm, it's time to kick the habit.

For the Recreational-Social Smoker, you will have the easiest time with this because you're not fully dialed into it yet.  YET, being the key word.  Sooner or later if you don't pass up on the smokey treats you will find yourself passing on other things like; breathing with ease, running, and away.  Get it?  Passing...  away?

The Scared-to-Quit Smoker is actually a big part of my book.  Not that I meant to.  But reading about this type of smoker actually added a little validity to my own efforts.  I fluttered about the title for a long time.  I knew I wanted it to be a little amusing but by chapter 1, you'll see why it's called How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone and not How to Quit Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  You'll also find out why I believe it's impossible to quit so don't even bother.  You can however STOP.  There's a huge difference and that difference can make or break your efforts to drop the smoking habit once and for all.

For The Emotion-Triggered Smoker,  I noticed a piece of the emotion puzzle was missing.  Granted, I haven't read the book, so again, it may be in there.  Currently, I'm commenting on the article and not the book.  So what was missing from the Emotion-Triggered Smoker paragraph?  This paragraph talks about the smoker who reaches for a cigarette when he/she encounters a problem.  Negative emotions are only one side of the Camel-Cash.  What about the positive emotions?  After a great meal?  After great sex?  Actually, even the worst sex I've ever had was still pretty great so...  where was I?  Oh yes, the after sex cigarette!  The good music on the radio while on a road trip cigarette?  Cigarettes are there for you in good times and in bad times and negative emotions are only one trigger.  The happy times can cause just as much of a powerful craving as anything negative. 

The Worried-About-Weight Smoker.  Conveniently, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone has The Stop Smoking Diet!  "But wait a second," you say, "I'm trying to quit smoking here!  Now I gotta watch what I eat too?"  Well you're the one who brought up weight gain, not me!  Look, Dr. Dan's right on the money here.  Let's prioritize things a bit.  Yes, putting on a few pounds might suck in the beginning (pun intended).  Fortunately, if you keep smoking, there's a very powerful weight loss combination called Cancer and Chemotherapy that will virtually guarantee you shed those unwanted pounds...

The Alcoholic-Smoker.  This is my favorite one!  If you're getting off the sauce, still on the sauce, or have been off the sauce for a while but are struggling with knocking off the smoking part take a look at the bigger picture here.  In the article this paragraph slips into a little psychobabble about shame and guilt.  I had to go back and read this paragraph a few times.  Let me translate.  Give yourself the permission you need to love yourself just enough to take your life back.  A craving is just that, a craving.  Nobody says you have to act on it.  But your craving is more like a compulsion.  A compulsion is just a really strong craving.  Look, I've struggled with addiction a good majority of my life and have managed to find a way to come out of the fog.  How?  I decided to.  That's how.  And yes it is that simple.  Please let's not confuse simple with easy.  Addiction is the symptom.  What is the cause?  Have you been self medicating?  I know I was.  I own that now.  I own my addiction too.  That is why I refereed to myself as a smoker who doesn't smoke.  I am also a friend of Bill.  Are you?  12 Steps later and you're still self medicating with nicotine.  Better than drinking yourself into the grave I suppose but once you get a handle on the wagon rains it may very well just be the beginning.  That's one battle.  The war is addiction.

The Situational Smoker!

If you're a Situational Smoker then you're the guy or gal who says things like "I can quit anytime I want!"  And very often you do.  You'll smoke for like a month or three years and then just stop for a couple years or weeks until the mood strikes you and then you light up again and that cycle will last for some other variation of time.  More often than not the breaks you take from smoking are just long enough to convince yourself that you actually are in control of your addiction.  FYI, being in control of your addiction means you don't do it anymore.  Just ask an of the friends of Bill's mentioned earlier.  Frankly that question might get you laughed at in that circle.  They'll laugh at you then embrace you as one of their own because we've all denied it and claimed to be in control when we really were not.  Again, I know I have and I am willing to own that too.  Are you?

So have you figured out which one you are?  If if you don't smoke anymore, where did you fall in this line up?  I don't know about you but when I look closely at my career as a smoke I think at one point I covered everyone of these types.  I started out as a Recreational like most of us and had a very brief stint as a Situational Smoker.   The rest of my career as a smoker was a fine weaving of Emotional Smoker mixed with the Scared to Quit Smoker with a side of Worried About Weight Smoker.  And the whole whack was washed down with a tall glass of Bourbon.

And now here we are 2010.  8+ years sans Camel.  4+ years sans Bourbon.  Today I did Swings with an 88 pound Kettlebell for 10 minutes.  I did 120 repetitions.  That's 10560 pounds lifted in ten minutes.  My lung feels great!  Thank you Dice Clay for that timely gag.

How about you?  Are you ready to kick the habit?  Have you been ready for a while?  Do you know someone that needs to?  This blog is first and foremost a conversation.  Yes I am shamelessly here to plug my book, but the mission of this book and this blog is to empower you the addict (smoker) to have the courage, confidence and sheer f-in' will to just STOP.  If this book, blog or Dr. Dan's book is what it takes, then more power to you!

That's about it for now, leave a comment here and join in the conversation!  Oh, one more thing, if you'd like the first chapter of my book for free, visit www.stopdontquit.com

Anxiety Makes Quitting Smoking Harder

I recently stumbled upon this article:

http://fyiliving.com/depression/anxiety-makes-quitting-smoking-harder/

Sometimes, the blog finds you...

This article covers a study by the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention where 1500 smokers were analyzed.

You can read the study here:  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03173.x/abstract

What grabbed me most was this, "To understand the relations among anxiety disorders and tobacco dependence, withdrawal symptoms, response to smoking cessation pharmacotherapy and ability to quit smoking."

Pharmacothera...  what?

Pharmacotherapy:  the treatment of disease through the administration of drugs.

OH!  That!  When you see big words like that, feel free to get a little anxious.  I know I always do.  In fact, I'm thinking about reaching for a smoke right now I'm so anxious!

But I digress, really.  Here's the deal, some folks went out to answer the question, "If you suffer from anxiety AND smoke cigarettes, will it be harder to quit?"

Their findings:  "Anxiety diagnoses were common among treatment-seeking smokers and were related to increased motivation to smoke, elevated withdrawal, lack of response to pharmacotherapy and impaired ability to quit smoking. These findings could guide treatment assignment algorithms and treatment development for smokers with anxiety diagnoses."

This leaves me with one major question:  Who in the #%&* funded this?  Are you serious?  Is this some kind of joke?  Can you say no brainer?  I can.  If I was 11 years old the phrase "no-duh" would be ringing out load and proud!

So, just so we're clear here, not only is smoking getting put into the disease category instead of the disease CAUSING category, it is now official that if you've been anxious for a while and you smoke, then quitting is going to be a bitch.

Dude, quitting is already a bitch!  As if I wasn't anxious enough, now you're telling me withdrawals will be elevated, no motivation, and what's all this pharmaco-whatever talk? 

Look, I won't hide it, I've suffered from anxiety my whole life.  Why do you think I started smoking?  At least the real reason.  The subtext of it all...  suddenly that nicotine relaxed me.  Evened out my brain chemistry or at least covered up the feelings.  Why do people become alcoholics?  Drug Addicts?  Self-Medication is a prime factor.  Even if the soon to be addict isn't aware of it.  It's quite simple really.  The knots and butterflies, the nausea, the tight chest and diaphragm, the sensation that I might crap myself, all that stuff suddenly goes away when I have a cigarette and I can think clearer.  These thoughts process faster than a light going on so it never has time to fully register, but there it is.  Smoke this, feel better.  Self medication.
 

The article wraps up with this amazing insight:  "The results of this study demonstrate that habitual smoking may be caused by more factors than nicotine addiction."

Speaking of being 11 years old again and excuse the language, but a "no shit Sherlock!" is the only appropriate comment here.

Look folks, especially the ones still making the decision to continue smoking, smoking is a decision you make every time you light up.  In my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I contend that for most people, especially if you, like me, suffer from anxiety disorder, it is impossible to quit.  So don't bother trying.  It is however, VERY possible to stop smoking.

After all that is the name of this blog...  stop, don't quit.  For more on that, you'll have to read the book.  Yes, I am in this for the money!  Not really, I'm kidding...  sort of.  What I am in it for, more than anything,  is to help people make the decision to stop smoking and to give themselves the permission they need to love themselves just enough to finally knock this passive aggressive from of suicide off once and for all.


I find it disturbing that someone needed "scientific evidence" to establish a "treatment algorithm" for smokers with anxiety disorder.  I don't think a word like that should be anywhere near a discussion about treatment for individuals.  It's too sterile for me.  Then again, I'm not a scientist.  I'm too left brain for any of that.


Anyway, there's my 2 cents on that.  This blog was intended to seriously analyze the study and the article but as I kept reading the article and the study I found it near impossible to take it seriously and while smoking cessation is serious and should not be taken lightly, this article to me, gives too much power to nicotine and cigarettes and diminishes the human spirit and human potential to overcome a condition.  Especially a condition (nicotine addiction) one imposed on them self.

Man Calls 911 Reports a False Murder Blames Nicotine

The face of withdrawal!

For Alex Lee Baker, the reality of nicotine addiction and cigarette withdrawals will prove to result in a night that he will never forget.  On the evening of November 28th the 911 line in Clarksville, TN erupted with 3 calls.  The first claiming to have witnessed a murder, the second call claimed he, the victim now, was in the woods after being stabbed and pushed from a car.  Call number three said he was in the woods dying and that he had killed his girlfriend and buried her out near Woodlawn.

All three calls originated from the cell phone of Mr. Baker and spawned a search involving several officers from Clarksville PD, two Deputy Sheriffs and their K-9 unit, a couple Highway Patrol men and one helicopter.

During the search Detective Eric Ewing was able to establish that all three calls were place by Baker and that clearly Baker had lied.  Baker then claimed that he lost his phone.  Eventually he came clean and admitted that...  wait for it...  wait for it...

Baker had placed the calls because he was board, anxious AND had not had a cigarette in two days.

He was charged with 3 counts of false reporting and is being held on a $15,000 bond.

Clearly, there are lots of adjectives that may come to mind here.  Obviously, he didn't read my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  This is a silly story that is not only true but shows the magnitude and effect of nicotine addiction.  Fortunately, he didn't actually murder his girlfriend and no one was hurt, but what kind of state was this poor guy in that he called in 3 fake 911 calls.  For him the emergency of not having a smokey treat was all too real. 

Board, he had nothing to do with his hands.  Anxious, his brain chemistry was all out of whack.  Nicotine fit in full bloom and having been in this position before, I completely empathize with Alex Baker and understand how he must have felt.

Where did he go wrong?  Well, aside from calling 911 and claiming to have been stabbed and killed his girlfriend; where did he go wrong?  A nic-fit comes on like a wave and is not permanent.  It will not last forever.  You need to ride it out.  While in the pains of it, it's necessary to find something to do to keep yourself from climbing the walls or stabbing yourself and your girlfriend.  This kid needs an Xbox and a copy of my book!

FDA to require graphic warnings on cigarette packages, ads

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-sci-1111-cigarette-packages-20101111,0,5986780.story   

Clearly, I gotta chime in here...  I've tried getting through the above article like five times.  The first time was right when it came out last week and since then I've looked at it and then had to look away out of frustration.  I finally was able to sift through half of it and then finished it this morning.

I'm going to commit to a general point of view here that as a non-smoking advocate may seem contradictory but honestly, I just don't get it.

Seriously, it's 2010.  If you legitimately do not know that smoking is bad for you in this day and age, I'm sorry, but you deserve whatever comes your way.  How can you not know smoking is bad for you?

Maybe because the people who make the decision to smoke are fully aware of the dangers, consequesces and the risk and for whatever reason, be it addiction, self-loathing, or a little bit of both, decide to do it anyway...

This article goes on to claim that daily 4000 young people try smoking and 1000 of them continue to smoke.  Here's the exact quote, "Every day, 4,000 young people try cigarettes for the first time and 1,000 continue to smoke."

One key word is left out of that equation.  Decide.  Smoking is a decision.   According to the article that means 365,000 "young people" take on the habit of smoking.  According to the CDC, smoking can be related to 1 in 5 deaths annually.  393,600 full time smokers die each year. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States.  However, when you do the math there's 28,600 more people dying from it than starting it.  Darwinism will eventually solve this problem.  Cruel?  Maybe.  True?  Yes.

So yes, smoking is a bad thing.  But...  C'mon people.  Don't you already know this?  If you're still puffing away at this point, is a picture of a diseased lung or some cat smoking through his trachea really going to change your mind?  I say no.  I say the only person, place or thing that is going to change the mind of the smoker is the mind of the smoker.

Many an addict will not stop shooting smack simply because he/she see's the effects of the drug on someone else.  An addict is simply that, an addict and they are the only one who can actually stop.  Notice I don't say quit.  Quitting is an impossible act for the addict if you ask me.

The American Heart and Lung Association state that "Pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine."

So first off, if tobacco is that strong, why is it even legal?  Secondly, this mean that these 365,000 new smokers aren't just smokers, but addicts with a physical addiction as strong as junk and blow.  

So....  what's the plan?  As a government institution in the United States of America, let's tell an independent company how to package their product in a way that could drastically reduce sales and consequently close their business.  OK, so as Americans we can look the other way (for now) because smoking is bad.  But what happens when this logic gets plugged into video games, music, food?  Let's not set a precedent here.  Not to sound too paranoid (I'll go through an X-Ray at the airport and as long as they're gentle, I'm OK getting my junk brushed for the common good) but keep in mind, there are some civil liberties involved.  

Well so perhaps potential non addicts will get scared off so that's a good thing but what are we doing to address the root causes and issues of smoking addiction.  You can't communicate rationally with an addict.  They're addicted!  There's a chemical imbalance in their brain that is so strong they actually decide to over look the facts and do it anyway.


I know I did.  From 1991 to 2002 I looked the other way and enjoyed every single puff.  Why did I smoke?  Well for that you can read the book.  Same on how I stopped.  Excuse the shameless plug, but the bottom line here is that smoking is a choice.  Every time someone lights up it's a decision.  So how do we communicate to addicts?  

Parent's who smoke?  I say pass a law that puts smoking as a parent in the same category as abuse or neglect.  Sorry but if you smoke and have kids and then smoke in front of your kids, you're an asshole.  How can you do that?  I know how...  addiction!  Addiction is not logical and causes irrational behavior like putting known carcinogens in the direct path of your own flesh and blood!  What the *%$# is a picture of a black and brown lung sitting on the Camel's hump going to do to make that person quit?

Logic will not do the trick.  If you read my book you'll notice that I don't throw a bunch of facts and figures at the potential non-addict.  I show them how I did it and how they can too.  You decided to start smoking, now decide to stop smoking.  Here's How.  That's it.  Peanut Gallery's open...