Smoking causes changes in your body and in the way you act. The changes in your body are caused by an addiction to nicotine, while the changes in the way you act developed over time as you bought cigarettes, lit them and smoked them. When you have a smoking habit, many things seem to go along with having a cigarette, such as having a cup of coffee or an alcoholicÊdrink, being stressed or worried, talking on the phone, driving, socializing with friends or wanting something to do with your hands.

You'll have the best chance of stopping if you do the following: get ready, get support and encouragement, learn how to handle stress and the urge to smoke, be prepared for relapse and keep trying.

Set a stop date two-to-four weeks from now so that you'll have time to get ready. Write down your personal reasons for stopping. Be specific! Keep this list with you so you can look at it when you feel the urge to smoke. Just before your stop date, get rid of all of your cigarettes, matches, lighters and ashtrays.

Tell your family and friends what kind of help you need. Their support will make it easier for you to stop smoking.

You may have a habit of using cigarettes to relax during stressful times. Luckily, there are good ways to manage stress without smoking taking a hot bath, going for a walk, or simply breathing slowly and deeply.

There are over-the-counter and prescription medications that are FDA approved for smoking cessation. Over-the-counter nicotine replacement products enable your body to take-in nicotine without smoking. These products come in several forms: gum; patch; nasal spray; inhaler; and lozenge. Nicotine replacement works by lessening your body's craving for nicotine and reducing withdrawal symptoms, which in turn allows you to focus on the changes you need to make in your habits and environment to stop smoking. Once you feel more confident as a nonsmoker, dealing with your nicotine addiction is easier. Prescription medicines such as bupropion SR (one brand name: Zyban) and vermeil (brand name: Chantix) helps some people stop smoking.ÊThese medicines doÊnot contain nicotine, but rather help you resist your urges to smoke. My patients tell me Zyban acts more as a mood stabilizer, which helped them during stressful episodes that normally would have caused them to reach for a cigarette. I have had a couple of patients try Chantix, but it's too early at this point to get their feedback about its success.

Acupuncture is another way some of my patients have successfully quit smoking. Acupuncture inserts thin needles into the skin at various points on the body to stimulate an anatomical response; it has been tried and proven over many years in Eastern Medicine. Acupuncture balances the body's energy or qi to restore equilibrium and is often used to help with addiction and to treat and prevent illness. Acupuncturist Tarah Long, who works with our office, says acupuncture specifically works against the cravings, fatigue, anxiety and irritability that often happens with tobacco withdrawal. Her particular approach to smoking cessation involves a few one-hour acupuncture sessions that need to be done as close together as possible to ensure optimal efficacy.

If all else fails and you start smoking again, do not feel like a failure! Think about why you smoked and what you can do to keep from smoking again, then set a new stop date. Many ex-smokers did not succeed at first, but they kept trying. The average smoker quits an average of eight or nine times before becoming a true non-smoker. The first few days afterÊstopping will probably be the hardest. Just remember that even one puff on a cigarette can cause a relapse, so don't risk it. Good luck!