Be knowledgeable and prepared to stop burning your money!

Here are some tips and information that are extremely important for those who want to quit after years of smoking.

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Know your enemy: Nicotine

Never use euphemism for "addiction" to nicotine from tobacco products. Never make an excuse that it's "OK because it's legal" or it's just a notch more addictive than caffeine. It's a matter of perspective. If your standard has been set and you want to remain smoke-free, you have to admit that it's just an addiction and your body doesn't benefit from it by any means.

Nicotine molecules are tiny and move easily through the blood-brain barrier, where they bind to nicotine receptors that activate reward pathways in the brain, increasing the level of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure, well-being, and dependence. It is this process that is thought to be at the root of physical addiction.

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Know your failure points.

Now that you know that nicotine from cigarettes chemically 'cheats' the brain's reward-system to release dopamine and make you feel good, it will probably help to consider it as just a devil's trap. Cheating is bad, isn't it? A grade-school pupil knows that. Don't let nicotine ever 'cheat' you again!

We were designed to survive without nicotine. Our brains naturally release dopamine in certain circumstances that are important for survival. If you carry "hunters' genes", you're designed for hunting and gathering. That means you'd better be excited in order to forget smoking. Go for a walk or jog, then reward yourself with your favorite fruit (simulating a hunting/gathering experience).

Whenever you crave for smoke, just remember this acronym: H.A.L.T.(1)

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Hungry

Cravings for food can be easily mistaken for cravings for a smoke since eating and smoking both help our brains release dopamine. In fact, without dopamine, we are more than likely to die. Lab rats deprived of the brain function of producing this chemical stopped eating and died. -It's a survival mechanism, only that smoking 'hacks into' or cheats it so it becomes a craving like hunger, though nicotine is poison(2) (even used as an insecticide) and not in any way beneficial for our physical well-being, unlike food. If you want to smoke, remember when you last ate. It might have been more than three hours ago. If you just ate and you just miss your after-meal smoke, it might be just the force of a long-term habit which is still possible to break. It can be as easy as taking a new route home and sticking to it because you know it's a better way for you.

Angry

Anger is an emotion which is part of being human. It makes us spring into action in order to protect ourselves or our loved ones from perceived threats. I know it's more complex than that but undoubtedly, anger is not a quitter's best friend. You need to find an alternative way to release stress. Prayer and meditation can be helpful. Physical activities like sports can also trigger dopamine release. The mere experience of learning something new also helps. The little things add up. Instead of thinking about finding relief through smoking, try to divert your attention to something more exciting or interesting to you.

Lonely

If most of your friends smoke, it can be difficult to escape temptations but think about it for a moment: Consider staying away from them for some time. You may need to talk to them about quitting but be firm. They should understand that you need to reduce your exposure to smoking peers and environments to make it easier for you. You need to sort things out and make sure you're surrounded by supportive people who know you quit smoking for good. If you're sure you miss your friends (not smoking with them), go ahead and meet them again, but politely refuse or shy away if they invite you to smoke. Quitting is a personal choice and assuming that you have made the decision, nobody should ever force you to smoke again. Take responsibility and never prepare an excuse in mind for a relapse. It's unfair to blame friends or any other person for failing to quit because normally, we can make our own choices.

Tired

If caffeine keeps you awake and interferes with fatigue, more so smoking. Nicotine, as well as caffeine, is a stimulant and can make you feel "refreshed" and ready to do more. You might want to reduce your workload and make sure you get plenty of sleep. Make sure you don't have sleep disorders like Sleep Apnea and find time to take naps during the hours when you feel sleepy.

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Don't give in.

Going cold turkey, research says has a low success rate(3). -But the way I look at it, it's the most effective way, even 100% effective! Why? Because If you give in, even once, it should no longer be called 'cold turkey'. If you smoked again, you'd just changed your method into something else. Going cold turkey is always effective because that means you will never smoke again. Taking it further, you shouldn't ever deliberately allow nicotine to enter your body through quit-smoking aids. If you will use any, make sure it's nicotine-free. Use regular chewing gum, not nicotine gum, for example. Gradual cessation or cigarette replacements (with the same poisonous, addictive substance through another delivery method) just allows you to restart the addiction cycle. Simply put, if you chose to quit 'cold turkey', don't change your method to 'gradual' by smoking another stick of cigarette. Using e-cigarettes, gum or patches with nicotine only feeds your addiction through another delivery method. That's why you might hear some e-cig/vape smokers say that they're not satisfied with electronic cigarettes or they're not nearly as 'strong' as traditional cigarettes so they still smoke the real thing when outdoors.

Unfortunately, vaccines for nicotine addiction haven't been invented(4) so it requires individual efforts and faith to quit and stay smoke-free. -But believe that you can do it and your brain will produce the necessary chemicals to sustain mental and emotional stability.

Our Designer equipped us with everything we need to survive and be happy, smoke-free.

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The first image is my original work. No real money was burned in the process.