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Ready to quit smoking and stop smoking for good? You need to develop a smoking cessation action plan.

Stop Smoking

I want to stop smoking, how do I quit smoking, I have quit smoking before and I can do it again, what can I do to increase my chances of quitting smoking? Sound familiar to you? If so, remember you can quit, you can stop smoking, but there is one thing you have to do before you stop smoking which will help increase your chances of staying smoke free. You need to be motivated to quit smoking. If you are dedicated to stopping you will greatly increase your chances of quitting. Dedication to stopping smoking requires behavioral changes.

Startling Facts to Help You Quit Smoking

Every year thousands of women try smoking cessation programs to help improve their health and well-being. Almost 70 percent of women who smoke try smoking cessation at least once during their life. Many women try to quit because their doctors advise them to do so. In fact, up to 4 percent of women quit after their doctors advise them to do so.

Here are some startling facts about smoking:

• More and more women start smoking at an earlier age.
• Roughly one in four people smoke.
• Tobacco contributes to lung cancer, cervical cancer, heart disease and many other chronic conditions.
• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

For patients to successfully quit smoking they need encouragement and support from their doctors, family and friends. Cigarette smoking is addictive, thus not a habit easily overcome.

There are many developments in the field of smoking cessation. The leading research suggests that behavioral therapy is most effective for helping women successfully quit smoking.

The behavioral approach involves many steps, the first of which is recognizing the wish to quit.

Recognizing the Desire to Quit Smoking

Women using a behavioral approach need to desire smoking cessation and need to be motivated to quit smoking. If you are working with your doctor to help you quit smoking your doctor should ask you if you are willing to quit. If you are not, you are not motivated and thus are more likely to fail.

Most people can easily change their behavior however once they commit to quitting. Most people go through many stages before deciding to quit and after deciding to stop smoking. These include a period when you may not have yet made up your mind to quit. During this time you may express a need to quit but may not be motivated to quit.

After this stage comes a contemplation stage when you may consider smoking cessation soon. You may speak with your doctor and ask him or her what support may be available to help you do this.

At some point you decide you are going to quit soon. Once you do this you can start taking action. You are motivated to quit. Seek your doctor's advice and help during this stage. Your doctor can help you combat withdrawal symptoms and help keep you positive and motivated. During this phase you might also enlist the help of your friends and family. They can provide much needed support when you find your motivation for quitting wavers.

Most people need some support when they decide to quit. Let your friends and family know they can help you by reinforcing your reasons for quitting and supporting you when you waver. Your doctor will work with you by reminding you of the risks associated with smoking and the rewards of quitting.

Behavioral Techniques to Help You Quit Smoking

When you are ready to quit smoking you need to develop a smoking cessation action plan. This may include any or all the following steps:

• Tell you family and friends that you intend to quit. Ask them for help and encouragement in the next few months.
• Avoid environments where smoking may be easy, like bars.
• Try not to smoke while at home, in your car or at work. These are places you are likely to spend most of your time.
• Consider what behavioral stimulus may have prevented you from successfully quitting in the past.
• Make sure to avoid any triggers that contribute to smoking.
• Have a plan of attack for dealing with withdrawal symptoms.

For most women, dealing with withdrawal symptoms is the most challenging element of smoking cessation. Withdrawal symptoms may include anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, anger and moodiness. If withdrawal symptoms have sabotaged your previous attempts to quit smoking, consider using withdrawal aids like Nicotine replacement therapy. Social support groups can also help you deal with your symptoms and overcome them.

A solid behavioral treatment plan usually includes many different elements. You might for example decide to use Nicotine replacement therapy and join a support group to help you quit. There are also many self-help guides available today that can help guide you through the smoking cessation process and help keep you motivated.

Behavioral Aids to Quit Smoking

Hypnosis
Hypnosis will help you to learn to deeply relax, and allow you to be open to suggestions that will increase your resolve to quit. The use of hypnosis will also allow you to develop increased negative feelings toward cigarettes.

Self-Hypnosis
Self-Hypnosis is used to further develop the calming state developed in a hypnosis session. It allows you to use the resources developed in the deeply relaxed state of the formal hypnosis session.

Guided imagery
Guided imagery is an extension of hypnosis that allows you to develop negative images of cigarette smoking and form positive pictures that reinforce your motivation to quit.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture is believed to help you stop smoking by releasing endorphins that allow the body to relax. Acupuncture has been credited with helping manage the physiological nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Social and Peer Groups Avoidance to Quit Smoking

Smoking is a learned behavior that is tied to the social and peer groups you associate with. Peer pressure is a powerful influence over teen smokers and some adults as well. You will have to avoid social events and situations that may easily coerce you into smoking.

Change the Habitual Behaviors Associated with Smoking

Have you ever realized you are smoking and do not remember lighting your cigarette? Cigarette addiction is related to the habitual behaviors or the rituals that are automatic in nature. You need to change the automatic nature of your smoking behavior. You need to take away the spontaneous ability to have a cigarette when the nicotine urge hits. Be creative, try removing all lighters but one in your home, change your lighter to a book of matches with one match. I am sure you can image may ways to inhibit the spontaneous behavior of lighting a cigarette and smoking. 

Self-Monitoring Helps when Trying to Quit Smoking

Self-monitor your smoking habits by recording the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Smokers that are motivated to reduce or stop smoking find by recording the number of cigarettes you smoke will in itself influence your smoking rate. Self-monitoring works by making you aware of your smoking behavior and patterns of smoking so you can identify situations that increase your desire to smoke, such as seen at social events, stressful situations or while driving in the car.

When you self-monitor your smoking habits you can then schedule a reduction in the number of cigarettes you smoke, by increasing the time between each cigarette. The increase in time between each cigarette will weakening the urge associated to smoke, increase your confidence in the ability to quit and reduce the nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

The Use of Counseling to Quit Smoking

Some women find counseling is helpful when trying to quit smoking. This may prove especially useful if you find yourself an 'emotional' smoker. Much like the emotional eater you may find yourself smoking as a means of escaping some emotional aspects or facets of your life. Counseling can also help you deal with emotions that surface when you quit smoking. Remember that many women go through anxiety or brief depression when they quit.

A trained counselor can also help you identify triggers for smoking and help you deal with triggers in a healthy and productive way.

Problem Solving Training can Help you Quit Smoking

Problem solving can help you work through emotionally charged events that may contribute to your habit of smoking. You may learn lifestyle skills and make changes that help reduce the stress in your life and contribute to your success. Other lifestyle and skills training that may help include adopting a regular exercise program. This can also help you combat any weight gain that may result from overeating after you quit smoking.

For you to successfully quit smoking, you must arm yourself with as much information as possible. This includes any literature your doctor can provide you with that details the risks of smoking, benefits of quitting and information about support groups. You should also consider some self-help material that might help keep you motivated to quit.

Nicotine Replacement Aides to Help you Quit Smoking

There are many nicotine replacement aids available that can help you quit smoking. Most are available over-the-counter. The most popular include nicotine gum and the patch.

Most nicotine replacement therapies work the same way, by delivering a small amount of nicotine to the body to help combat withdrawal. Nicotine therapy helps you gradually withdraw from cigarette smoke. Some people feel that they can simply slap a patch on and magically quit smoking. Unfortunately this often sets people up for failure.

If you do decide to use nicotine replacement therapy keep in mind you must use this in combination with behavioral modification. You have to change the behaviors that lead you to smoke in the first place and remain motivated to quit smoking. By combining nicotine replacement therapy with other tools to help you quit you are more likely to realize long-term success.

Smoking Relapse

Most people that try to quit smoking have at least one relapse. Many people try several times before they successfully quit smoking. A primary reason it is difficult to quit is smoking is so addictive.

Quitting is a challenge. The best thing you can do to help prevent relapse is recognize the triggers or causes that led you to start smoking in the first place. If you are dealing with emotional issues you should seek out support from a qualified practitioner, from friends or family. If your lifestyle subjects you to high stress, consider downsizing so you are less likely to smoke cigarettes.

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Most smokers need consistent encouragement to successfully quit in the long-term. If you combine traditional therapies including nicotine replacement therapy with social support you are far more likely to realize success than if you go it alone. Remember, to be successful you have to have a strong wish to want to quit smoking, then take action.

The Author of this article would like to wish everyone with the courage to quit smoking the very best. Stop Smoking now!