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.

Grant Cardone's Success Pledge

Success Pledge

"I pledge a commitment to My Success, My Family's Success and to the Successful Survival of the company I represent.

Success is not an option for me but something I insist!

Success is not something others can give to me, that the government or the economy can provide me.

Success is not determined by luck, chance, race, creed, color or religion but hard work, creativity, follow through and persistence.

I refuse to not have My Success. I refuse to quit prior to My Success and I will do everything ethical in claiming my right to My Success.

My Success is My Duty, My Obligation and My Responsibility."

Grant Cardone
 

...Over Your Dead Body...(Death Express Continued)

...Over Your Dead Body...(Death Express Continued) 

Well, it looks like my friend on HubPages went and did it again!  Go take a look at this Hub for a painting with words.  Look at it.  See if you can see your reflection in this mirror.  Even if you don't smoke, you may have a monkey on your back that may very well be looking you straight in the eye?

Let's say you used to smoke...  or drink...  or...  you fill in that blank.  Here's the deal.  In my book, How To Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I challenge you to be a smoker who doesn't smoke.  This smoking thing has become a part of who you are.  It's a piece of your identity now.  Like it or not and this part of your life, that journey and experience of being a smoker made you who you are now.

You can't hide from that and you will never escape it.  What you do now is just that.  Stay in this now and leave the past where it belongs.  In the past.  The choice is yours.

Stay tuned for more...

...Till Death Do Us Part/Death Express...(All Aboard the Quit Smoking Train cont.

The Next Chapter in the Carole Anzolletti series of fictional free verse expressionistic Gothic jive is called appropriately, "...Till Death Do Us Part/Death Express...(All Aboard The Quit Smoking Train Cont.)"

Here we pick up on the tragedy of the previous evening.  Still fresh in the ash of all things avoidable, we encounter a soul struggling to stay out of Death's gaze and pull.  In fact in this segment, we meet many souls.

For most, we never know when Death will come knocking, the question Carol raises here and that I also ask in my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, is why speed up the inevitable here?  I mean, let's not send this cat Death a friggin invitation and meet him half way to the door...  can you dig on that?

Because, really...  and I've said it before and I'll said it again, smoking really is a passive aggressive form of suicide.  I mean c'mon, it's almost 2012, you know this will kill you and you do it any way?  What is that all about?  Do you have some sort of Death Wish?

It's time to rise up, like a Phoenix, from your own ashes and live!

Think about it...  and stay tuned for more!

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!

Don't Quit Smoking and Don't Even Stop Smoking For That Matter...

But buy my book anyway.  How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone What?  Yes.  That's right.  I just went there.  But it's not what you think.  I wrote this book because I know I'm not the only one who has stopped and I know that the ordeal of stopping is not a pleasant experience and I also know that quitting is near impossible.  I wrote this book now because I truly want to help the PNS (potential non-smoker - more on this later so keep reading) to finally kick the habit. In the book you'll find out why I never bothered to quit, I simply stopped. 

You too can stop, but only when you make the commitment to do so.  Commitment is a magical thing.  True commitment is what removes the "I" and the "M" from the word impossible.  It's that one thing that flips a switch in your brain and suddenly you focus on something with laser precision.  Can you think of a moment in your life where your own high level of commitment produced a result?  What about an amazing, incredible result?  What was that like for you?  What was the difference between your level of commitment when you really knocked it out of the park verses the time you just got on base or even struck out?

So here's where I'm going with this, because I know you're wondering.  Just because you purchase my book it does not mean you're going to have to quit smoking.  In fact I will encourage you to not quit but instead learn how to stop.  Big difference.  Stranger yet, I will encourage you to smoke while reading it.

I got to thinking about this after an exchange I had on-line with a potential non-smoker (PNS):

PNS on 4/3:  "I'm so scared of not smoking. WTF is that about??  Don't have a clue how to live without it...23yrs. anyway...clearly i need the book. when I get off the ancient phone and to my computer I will order. THANK YOU!"

This prompted my last blog post and then a few days later I get this...

PNS on 4/6:  "Had to postpone my purchase. Biz is slow, but I WILL be buying it!"

ME:  "How much are you "investing" in cigarettes weekly/daily?  Is biz slow enough to where cigarettes are on the budget chopping block?  Think about how much you'll save once you stop..."

PNS:  "....no.  :(   I got nothing else...  No excuse or even anything to rebut with.  You have a huge point." 

So here's what I asked myself.  Is the idea of not smoking so terrifying that it's actually preventing you, the PNS from actually committing the time and money to hit Amazon or my website and hook up on the book?

A pack of cigarettes in Los Angeles is about 5 bucks.  That's .25 cents a cigarette.  My book is 92 pages of whit and wisdom for $15.89.  That's .17 cents a page.  My book costs less then a cigarette!  My book will also help you increase your time on this planet where as a cigarette is more money and also re-leaves you of quality time spent here on Tera Firma.

But then I say to myself, "Self, it's clearly not about the money.  You've been in sales long enough to know it's almost always never price.  Hell, maybe I'm not charging enough!  Maybe people are wondering how $15.89 spent can reverse how ever many thousands of dollars spent on tobacco!  Is my book too cheap?  Maybe I should raise my price...  hmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

Well, don't worry, I'm not going to raise my price just yet...  but what I will do is give you, the PNS, full permission to buy and read my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone and not have to quit or even stop smoking.

Sooner or later you're going to stop.  I hear it all the time.  "I'll quit when I'm ready."  Granted for some, by the time they're ready it's too late, but for many, being ready to quit/stop is something that arrives in due time.  Reading this book will plant a few seeds that will make stopping (in due time) not only easier, but it will solidify the commitment I mentioned earlier.  If you're waiting for the switch to flip, then having read this book prior to the flip will only help keep the switch flipped!  Savvy?

Or perhaps reading the book will flip the switch.  If that happens then the fear is gone.  Commitment, true commitment will over power fear any day of the week. In addition success will become your only option.

Let me know what you think!

Mind Over Matter & Conquering The Fear of Quitting Smoking

Are you afraid to quit smoking?  Recently someone told me that they're scared of not smoking.  So that got me thinking, if there's one, then there's got to be at least a few more gazillion smokers out there who (whether they know it or not) have some fear about quitting. 

So, if you don't have time right now to read this blog in it's entirety, let me give it to you in a nut shell:  being afraid of not smoking is a normal and perfectly reasonable response by your body and your brain who is currently chemically dependent on nicotine.  At this point in time, nicotine is considered and looked upon by your body in the same way as water.  Meaning you got to have it.  That's scary!

Now into the nitty-gritty.  The beauty of your humanity is that we humans have the ability to have a 3rd person experience of ourselves.  Meaning we can "take a look at our self."  Looking at yourself from an outsiders point of view is great because even though our instinct and ego are now convinced that we need cigarettes and nicotine like we need water, we can look at ourselves from a third person perspective and realize that it is not true.  With that knowledge from our higher awareness we can now start to transition our mind into a place of thinking and believing that we don't need to smoke to survive.

Another aspect of smoking is that the cigarette becomes a friend and part of the family.  Smoking very quickly gets ritualized into our daily life.  Cigarette with morning coffee, after work, after a good meal, after good sex, after bad sex, while driving, etc.  You've got your own little smoking rituals that enhance a moment or brings peace to chaos.  The cigarette is your friend and always there when you need it.

The relationship you have with you and your cigarette is also unfortunately an incredibly dysfunctional relationship.  Clearly, this relationship will not end well.  You're slowly killing yourself.  It's an abusive relationship.  Odds are pretty freaking good, you're NOT going to make it to 100 like granny over here.  If you're going to hit 100, you're literally going to have to "break up" with cigarettes. 

So you'll have some common fears.  Fears of being alone, fears of being looked at weird by your peers, fears of failure, etc.  What are your fears?  There are plenty and they are unique to you but they are there none the less.

 

Be strong and go anyway!  How????????????  Simple.  Mind over matter.  Keep in mind, simple does not mean easy.  Case in point, look at Benedikt Magnusson here.  He's going to deadlift 1015 pounds.  Let me say that again, One Thousand And Fifteen Pounds.  How??????  Mind over matter.  Yes, he's competed in  The Worlds Strongest Man and is a professional strong man and power lifter so he is very strong.  But watch how he gets ready for this pull.  See his determination, commitment, focus?  Look at the "crazy" in his eyes.  And then look how gently and smoothly the weight rises off the ground.  He had to conquer the weight in his mind before he could conquer it with his body. 

So goes it for you, the soon to be "smoker who doesn't smoke."  In my book How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, you will see how it is far better to just stop than to try to quit.  You'll begin to understand how to talk yourself into it and then right on through it.  You'll find out how to kick the habit and not loose one ounce of your identity. 

Finally, you'll begin to recognize that you deserve more and you deserve better. 

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?

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/

Words of Wisdom from Napoleon Hill

"When the going is hardest, just keep on keeping on, and you’ll get there sooner than someone who finds the going easy.

If you think achieving great heights of success will be easy, you either don't understand at all how the process works or you have your sights set too low. Reaching the top of any field is difficult, time-consuming, and often tedious. The reason it isn't crowded at the top is that most people won't do the things that are necessary to achieve success. They are all too willing to give up when the going gets tough. If you need inspiration to persevere, read the biographies of men and women who have achieved greatness in their lives. You will find that they prevailed because they refused to quit. They continued to toil alone long after the masses had given up and gone home."

This one was in my in-box this morning.  It comes from The Napoleon Hill Foundation's Thought for the Day.  Clearly, I don't need to explain how this applies to kicking the habit...  I'm also, as you'll find out when you read my book, a huge proponent of going cold turkey which makes this quote about success even more relevant.  This also show's how, even though the topic of the book is how to stop smoking, success in ANY endeavor will require you to dig deeper than you thought you'd have to and go farther than you thought you could go.

So, smokers and non-smokers alike, how does this apply to you today?

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!

What Kind of Smoker Are You: The Reply

 As you know this blog is the spin off/continuation of my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone.  The other day, I get an email with an opening paragraph that said this:

Hey... so I wrote a reply to your article but apparently it's too long LOL... The system won't post it because I have too many characters. I figured instead of rewriting it or scratching it altogether I'd just send it to you direct, do with it what you will.  :-)

The article/blog was called What Kind of Smoker Are You?  In it is an examination of smoker types.  I sent this one out to a few friends who I know to be smokers and non-smokers, looking for additional insight.  One reply that followed was worthy of a blog of it's own...  and apparently too long to be just a "comment."  So without further to-do, allow me to present the "comment" in it's entirety.



In the spirit of this article I decided to make a list of typical smoking times/places to see if I could find my own patterns.

-Doing homework
-Reading
-After a movie
-After a TV show
-With coffee
-With alcohol
-While on the phone
-During lunch- in fact, my lunch break became an hour long smoke break where I could usually get between 3-4 of them in and I’d just run through Del Taco on my way home in the evening instead of actually eating lunch on my break.
-The drive into work
-The drive home from work
-Watching the sunset/rise
-While at the beach- I was deeply offended by the no smoking laws on the beach that were enforced recently…
-If I was sad, if I was angry, if I was happy…

I was never afraid to quit but the honest truth of it is I like to smoke. I like the feeling of it, the heat, the fire of it, the draw and the weight deep in the hidden corners of my lungs being filled with a long drawn breath, the resistance of it and the essential quiet that comes with it- taking that moment to breathe deeply, exhale deeply… there’s nothing like it.

I didn't really have a pattern and I don't think I'm really a 'type'. I found all sorts of excuses in positive situations and negative. Mostly negative, though because smoking veiled all the bad things, glorified them in a fog, turned horrible situations into romantic ones. A break up- once a bitter angry moment suddenly becomes a scene right out of a movie. The death of a loved one- horrible and shocking, becomes a quiet moment of reflection where once again, you can cut and paste it directly into any number of films. Smoking becomes an extension of the personality, it becomes a gesture, a facial expression, it’s own words and sentences. Sometimes smokers don’t even need to speak, it’s all in the way you hold it, the way you take the drag, the way you exhale is a conversation and only those in your private world can understand you.

As far as the list goes, I was a recreational smoker, an emotional smoker, a coffee and cigarettes diet smoker, a situational smoker and well, the alcoholic smoker was omnipresent throughout all those others. I was also a spiritual smoker- after tarot readings, using it instead of food to “come down” afterward, hell I have even been known to use the smoke from my clove instead of sage to cleanse a space for readings from time to time. 

Because I only smoked cloves, I felt sort of… above the influence. I didn’t smoke “regular” cigarettes so I felt that I was immune to the issues of smokers. I didn’t think I was addicted. Yeah, I know how that sounds. I really didn’t. I thought, I smoke because I like to, not because I have to. I thought that until I decided to “quit.” Only then did I learn how much of a smoker I actually was.

I am a smoker. About 10 years before I started smoking, someone once told me I was destined to smoke because I was a pyro. So yeah, I had a thing for the flame, candles, incense, and firelight on an open hearth, a camp fire with burning coals shining like priceless jewels in some lost Arabian treasure. The idea that something so gentle and brilliant could also in the same instant be painfully destructive and deadly was fascinating to me. So yeah, I love the romanticism of firelight in any form, the historical, time travelling, deliciously romantic feeling of it in any form. It only made sense to want to consume it, to become it and smoking is as close as anyone can get to fire without it burning.
Such a romantic, aren’t I? Except it does burn. That was sort of what I liked about it. When I was depressed, the burn of the smoke in my body felt like a cleansing veil, consuming the pain, consuming me… then you add Mr Daniels to that little party and its self-destruction on cloud nine, all the time, baby.

A clove and a mocha, sunset and a book and it’s a picture worthy of recording. Or with a glass of red wine, with a Jack and coke or just the Jack… there are a thousand ways to pair it I could write a book on ways to make your cigarette more tasty! LOL… 

The point is, I didn’t quit. 

I came to terms with the fact that I am a smoker. Through a long history of falling for smokers and drinkers, those damn romantic boys with the silver tongues, scotch in one hand and a smoke in the other… heh… yeah, I’m always gonna be a smoker and a special place in my heart will always exist for the persona that just as you said, lives and glorifies the romanticism of the act. 

I stopped smoking because I wanted kids. I wanted them to be healthy and live in a home that was healthy. I won’t hide the fact that I used to smoke to them, in fact I’m sure I’ll be blatantly honest with them about it in hopes that they can learn from it. I can’t call it a mistake, but I can call it a lesson.
It’s been almost a year now- January 8th, in fact… And yeah, there are moments I want it, oooh man do I want it… I still have two sealed cartons of smuggled in cloves (after they were banned from the US I ordered them online) in my freezer. Will I ever take them out? Heh, I have no idea.

I completely agree with the chemical aspect, the psychology is hands down irrefutable. I read an article during my studies in psychology about children with ADHD growing up to become smokers and how this correlation is highly understated. Nicotine calms the brain, even as it stimulates it. We are self medicating even when we don’t realize it. The basic idea was backed up in my bio-psych class where it stated the part of the brain affected by nicotine is the same part that is stimulated while with loved ones. If we’re depressed or otherwise psychologically damaged, we are replacing real love with cigarettes. It’s a pretty easy concept but you’d be surprised how many people think I’m nuts when I tell them… 

Anyway, a lot of truth exists in the concept of these many types of smoker, but ultimately if we don’t deal with our demons, we will never allow ourselves to move away from smoking. Also, on the subject of demons… people try to give the cigarette a personality. It’s a demon, pressing on our will power. It’s got a grip on us. No, silly.. you have a grip on your will power and you’re not ready to make the move. When we can admit that, we’re one step closer to putting them down.

Ok that’s all I have to say. LOL… sorry for the rant and thanks for the article!

And thank you for the reply!  If you enjoyed this comment/rant and would like more, please check out Ishtar's Web.  And if you too have a comment that is too long for posting, please email it to me at thepuravidacompany@gmail.com and I will see to it that your thoughts are made known.  As always, this blog is also a forum for you the reader and smoker to clear the air (so to speak) and over come addictions, fight compulsion, and eliminate the bad habits that keep us from our dreams and goals.

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

Stop Smoking with Oysters

Stop Smoking with Oysters

This is a Hub I wrote that goes with my book, How to Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone .  In it I'm going to take a look at handling the withdrawal phases and I'll also examine the value of growing pains.

 I found a CD set on Mantra's that I mention in the Hub and in this CD on Mantra's lies some very powerful and simple wisdom that became the chief inspiration and motivation for this Hub.

Take a look at it and let me know what you think...

Stop Smoking with Oysters