Smoking Cessation
First off, congratulations on your choice to live a healthier, smoke-free life. Quitting is never easy, but there are always people willing to help.
Quitting is hard. It's a habit that we get used to, enjoy, and in some cases fee like we need. By developing quitting strategies, we can do more to help ourselves than ever before. But we don't have to do this alone. There are a large number of resources out there that can help us. We just have to know where to look.
Aside from these sites there are meetings with nicotine anonymous, and phone numbers that you can call. You may be thinking that smoking is such a small habit, why call a number or go to a meeting? The answer is that no matter how small or large, if you feel that it has power over you, these things can be great tools to help you get your life back under your own control.
Here are some of the numbers:
US Department of Health and Human Services
1-800-784-8669 (24 hours a day)
TTY 1-800-332-8615 (24 hours a day)
The toll-free number is a single access point to the National Network o fTobacco Cessation Quitlines. Callers are automatically routed to a state-run quitline, if one exists in their area. if there is no state-run quitline, callers are routed to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) quitline, where they may receive help with quitting smoking, informational materials via mail, or referral to other resources.
The Great Start Quitline
1-866-667-8278 (24 hours a day)
Offers free help for pregnant smokers from the American Cancer Society and the American Legacy Foundatation.
American Cancer Society National Quitline
1-877-937-7848 (24 hours a day)
Order resources and get information on your local quitline.
National Cancer Institute National Quitline
1-877-448-7848 (Mon-Fri)
National quitline in English and spanish provides information on how to quit.
National Cancer Institute National TTY Quitline
1-800-332-8615 (Mon-Fri)
National quitline with telecommunications device for the deaf or hearing impaired.
Legacy Learn to Quit Line
1-800-399-5589 (Mon-Fri 8AM-8PM, Sat 9AM-4PM)
Maryland's quitline.
Pennsylvania Free Quitline
1-877-724-1090 (Mon-Thur 7AM-11PM, Fri 7AM-9PM, Sat and Sun 9AM-7PM)
Pennsylvania's quitline.
National Cancer Institute Smoking Quitline
1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848) (9:30AM-4:30PM local time)
1-800-QUIT-NOW
Washington DC and Virginia's quitline.
Delaware QuitLine
866-409-1858 (24/7)
Delaware's quitline.
Other stop smoking techniques might be helpful as well. Here are a few ideas:
Ask someone close to you to become your designated support person. Let them know you need lots of encouragement.
Affirmations may help as well. Repeating phrases like, "I am a non-smoker and I make healthy choices in my life," can give you a good focus.
Tell other smokers you know that you are quitting, and ask them not to smoke around you. When you're in public and someone lights-up, ask them not to, or try to find a new place to socialize for the time being.
Drink lots of water.
Avoid coffee.
Eat more fresh veggies.
Consider patches or gum.
Acupuncture can help with your choice to live smoke-free as well. Most acupuncture treatments for smoking addiction involve the ear or a combination or the ear and the body. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) has developed a protocol for detoxifying the body from addictive substances using ear acupuncture. The stage of smoking cessation when the body is still under the influence of the toxic chemicals in cigarettes can be very difficult, but ear acupuncture can help.
It is important, however, that you realize what you are choosing is difficult, and that there is no "magic bullet," to kill your desire to smoke. The phone numbers and acupuncture treatments are there to help you as tools, but in the end it's up to you to decide to quit.