| For anyone who has been smoking for a number of | | | | you enjoy into something you dislike. Okay that sounds |
| years there comes a point when you think to yourself: | | | | hugely simplistic so bear with me a moment while I try |
| "I really don't enjoy this anymore!" | | | | to explain. |
| There is not one person I know who has never felt | | | | It works on the opposite principle that parents over the |
| that way. I can speak from personal experience and | | | | years have endeavoured to do in trying to get their |
| know that I felt it when sport became rather | | | | children to eat their vegetables. They would use |
| challenging. Running after a soccer ball, once an | | | | "bribery" in the form of some really tasty dessert such |
| enjoyable pleasure on Saturday afternoons, began to | | | | as ice cream to ensure that all the vegetables were |
| become more a test of endurance. The legs were fine | | | | eaten. |
| but the breathing was becoming less and less | | | | Now imagine if this was turned on its head. What if the |
| comfortable. I was gasping for air. | | | | children were told that if they wanted to eat ice cream |
| Having started smoking at 18 years old and | | | | then they would have to eat their vegetables |
| progressed to 20 cigarettes a day I was at 25 feeling | | | | afterwards! How many children do you think would |
| the downside effects of all that self-inflicted lung | | | | take up that offer? |
| abuse. That was back in 1981 and it took another 22 | | | | So let's apply this same kind of reasoning and method |
| years before I finally kicked the habit for good. In fact I | | | | to giving up smoking. |
| last smoked a cigarette on 14th February 2003. | | | | In fact I should warn you that this method positively |
| So what has that got to do with everything? | | | | encourages you to smoke! Bizarre I know but read on |
| Everything. | | | | to see why. |
| You see back in those days there just wasn't the | | | | The next time you need to buy a packet of cigarettes |
| information available for people to easily pick up and | | | | you need to make a couple of different decisions. |
| act upon it. There was no website that anyone could | | | | The first is that you need to buy this packet from an |
| go to for advice. No forums. No newsletters. Nothing. If | | | | outlet that you have never used before. Why? You |
| you wanted to give up smoking back in 1981 the single | | | | should know by now that smoking cigarettes is heavily |
| most often given piece advice was "use your will | | | | tied around routine. You get up in the morning and |
| power". Well that's all fine and dandy but when you | | | | have a cigarette. You have breakfast and then have |
| are surrounded by all your friends and family who | | | | a cigarette. You walk to the station and you always |
| smoke, as well your work colleagues (and this was in | | | | have a cigarette. And so on. |
| the day when you could smoke at your desk) then | | | | And the second thing you need to do is to buy a |
| relying on will power alone was always going to be | | | | brand of cigarettes that you know you are positively |
| somewhat problematical. | | | | going to loathe! |
| How times have changed. | | | | That's right. You are still going to buy a packet of |
| Now there is almost information overload in how to | | | | cigarettes. You are still going to smoke. But you are |
| give up the dreaded habit. Adverts within magazines | | | | going to hate every inhalation. Every smell. Every taste. |
| and on the television extol how their product is "the | | | | So for example if you smoke a low tar smooth |
| one" to break you from the unrelenting grip of nicotine. | | | | cigarette then move onto a coarser cigarette such as |
| It's a never ending barrage of hype and counter-hype | | | | one of the French brands. Or even a menthol |
| all with the single purpose of fleecing the smoker for | | | | cigarette. The important point to remember here is that |
| more money as they are encouraged to go from one | | | | you must select a brand that you know you will not |
| method to the next and then onto the next. | | | | enjoy otherwise it defeats the whole point. |
| The result being that the poor old smoker becomes | | | | This method is real "out of the box" thinking. It doesn't |
| confused as to what product might actually stop them | | | | rely on any purchased cessation products. It doesn't |
| from smoking. They never actually stick long enough | | | | try to remove the crutch of smoking. It doesn't rely on |
| on one method before they are enticed into trying | | | | only willpower to fight the craving for nicotine. No, it's |
| another. In the end they give up trying and fall back into | | | | the exact opposite. It relies on your need to satisfy the |
| the clutches of the cigarette, bitterly aggrieved that | | | | nicotine craving and your "love" to be able to do that. |
| they had failed and convinced that they will never, | | | | The theory then goes that by trying to satisfy that |
| ever, break free. | | | | craving with something that you hate the taste of, then |
| But of course it doesn't have to be like this. | | | | the demand for that craving will reduce overtime |
| There is an interesting method that I have discovered | | | | because you will be smoking less and less. After all |
| which has had some success that doesn't make use | | | | why would want to keep tasting something that you |
| of any particular cessation product and certainly | | | | strongly disliked? You would want to lessen the |
| doesn't use will power. It's not what I used to | | | | occurrences wouldn't you? |
| successfully give up smoking but had I thought about it | | | | So there you have it. A simple, straightforward method, |
| at the time I would have definitely given it a go | | | | that's been seen to have worked in many cases. Will it |
| because I think it's just so strikingly obvious. | | | | work for you? There's only one way of finding out. But |
| The basis behind this technique or method or | | | | if you do try it then do it honestly because if you don't |
| whatever you would like to call it is to turn something | | | | then you are only fooling yourself. |