From the almost tidy desk of Anthony Buchalka

Hi there and welcome.

I thought I would write a few words about smoking and share some tips for kicking the habit.

My background as a critical care nurse (well not for the last 3 years or so - but for the 10 years before that), has on many occasions allowed me to see the end result of long term smoking brings. So much suffering and pain from something that is so preventable.

I always found it amazing to see so many of my colleagues smoke and will never forget a 'smoking' experience I had as a student nurse in Sydney, Australia, many years ago now.

I had spent the day on a busy respiratory ward with another student nurse and we had met a long term patient who had suffered throat and lung cancer from smoking. This gentleman in his 60's had a tracheotomy (a small opening into his airway in the front of the throat, with a small plastic tube protruding allowing him to breath and to have the yellow gunk in his lungs removed - sorry if I am being to graphic).

Anyhow, 3 times a day this man was wheeled outside in his wheelchair and given a cigarette! The hospital assistant who wheeled him outside would help him light the cigarette and position it so as the man could inhale the smoke through his tracheotomy.

After our shift, the other student nurse and I walked to the train station and chatted about that man. As we chatted about how we felt about the patient smoking, the student nurse with me lit up a cigarette. I couldn't believe it!

I had thought the vision of what we has seen that day would be enough to help anyone break the habit of smoking..

But I was wrong.

Stop Smoking

Can you remember the first time you smoked a cigarette? Perhaps you were young and you felt as if it would make you feel cool, part of the group. Maybe you were trying to escape some kind of stress in your life. Or perhaps you were one of those people who used smoking as a way to try and you get a little thinner. Either way, let's say you are now at the point where you finally admitted it to yourself that it is a destructive habit. Now you would like to find a way of stopping smoking.

The problem is, once you are hooked, it can be very hard to stop smoking can't it?

The good news is that with the help of various stop smoking aids and stop smoking drugs such as Medica, quitting the habit is a lot easier than it once was.

Getting Help

The first step in how to stop smoking is to find some help or a support group. If you find an expert that will help you get through it and also look for others who have been through it, your success rate will be a lot greater. You can ask your doctor, look online, or even work with your own friends and family. Some people do not thrive on the help of others buy many do.

It is rare, but some people can quit cold turkey without giving it a second thought. Often a sudden scare such as a brush with serious illness or an accident, can be enough for some to all of a sudden quit smoking.

Where to Start

Everyone is different, that is why if you want to stop smoking, you need to take your personality into account. If you are the type of person who can just jump in and try something, you may benefit from quitting cold turkey. However, if you like to do things gradually, cutting back one cigarette at a time may be your best bet. Other will get best results working with a group of other like minded individuals. It is up to you to find the method that works for you. Also, some people really respond to using different tools and aids to help them stop smoking.

You may find setting some clearly defined goals, not just in regard to stopping smoking, but goals for your 'new life' may be of tremendous help. The Goal Achiever by Bob Proctor, featured on the Secret, it was on the best goal achiveing programs I have ever come across.

Stop Smoking Aids

There are several stop smoking aids out there that can be very helpful if you want to stop smoking. These include the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, and even stop smoking drugs such as Medica. If you are wondering how to stop smoking, you may find that any of these aids will be really helpful in the process. Some people have had a lot of success with things like nicotine gum and the patch. This is because it is the nicotine that makes smoking addictive. Other people also find that holding an object such as a pencil in your smoking hand can also help.

If you want to stop smoking there are a few things you can do. You can either quit all at once or do it gradually. Some people find that smoking cessation aids such as a nicotine patch are really helpful. For others, these have no effect.

In a later blog I will mention 'Hypnosis' as this has been successful for many people trying to stop smoking.

It is suggested you seek professional help to break the habit of smoking and there are many bodies out there to help you.

But the most important thing is that you 'make a decision' that you are ready and willing to stop.

Until you make that commitment, nothing will change.

I wish you all the best and know that you can do it!

Take care.

Anthony Buchalka