addiction

Tips for Breaking Bad Habits ~ 3 Suggestions Which Can Help

December 2, 2017 by Luckily Leave a Comment

3 Tips for Success

We all have habits that we would like to kick. It might be an obsession with eating chocolate or that you bite your fingernails when you get anxious.
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It doesn’t matter what it is. You want to learn how to break those habits. Doing so will improve your mental health and help make you a better person.

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1. Avoid Triggers to Bad Habits; Replace with Better Habits

One of the best ways to try and break a bad habit is to avoid situations where you would normally do the bad thing.
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If you are trying to break an unhealthy eating habit, then you need to stop visiting fast food restaurants. You could even change your route to work so that you don’t pass a KFC or McDonalds. In such a way, you aren’t constantly reminded of these temptations.
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If you have friends who try to get you to visit these kinds of unhealthy places, consider spending less time with them. Another tactic would be to try to get them on your side of the healthy eating fence.

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If TV adverts come on the screen and they give you hunger pangs or cravings, turn off the telly.
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If you constantly avoid things which trigger your bad habit, it will be easier for you to ignore them.
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2. Replace Bad Habits With Healthier Ones

Tips for Breaking Bad Habits — Photo by Jony Ariadi on Unsplash

Another way to help whenever you start to get a craving for something like sugar, reach out for a healthier option. Always have an apple or several carrot sticks on hand and eat those instead. These will help fill you up.
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This healthier habit will gradually help stop the association of your chocolate craving with chocolate. Instead, it will help instill an enjoyment of eating your apple. If you persist, this craving will stop altogether, and you’ll just be enjoying your apple.
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If you can try and get into the good habit of eating healthy food whenever you feel like bad food, eventually it will replace the need for bad food altogether.

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However, you might not want to go cold turkey in your habit switching. Gradually reduce the amount of chocolate you eat; don’t immediately cut yourself off from them totally.
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At the very least, replace an unhealthy option like smoking tobacco with hypnosis or nicotine patches. These will still allow you to slowly reduce your dependence on nicotine.
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3. Get Professional Help

If you are still struggling with a bad habit and this same habit is negatively affecting your life, then consider seeking professional help.
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If you are struggling with diet issues, then visiting a nutritionist or dietitian. They can help you find great food alternatives and set up a diet plan that will work for you.
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The same is true for other bad habits or addictions. If a professional can help you get over them, then you should consult them.

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Share with us your tips for breaking bad habits! Also share any challenges you faced.
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Break Your Addiction Once and for All ~ 5 Surefire Ways to do this

September 9, 2017 by Luckily 1 Comment

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5 Surefire Ways to Break Your Addiction Once and for All

Since it’s nearly impossible to overcome addiction using willpower alone, getting help is critical.
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No matter what form your addiction takes, you’ll find that many others have had the same problem and help and support are available. But recovery is never easy.
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Here are 5 proven methods you can count on.

1. Treatment Programs

Addiction programs usually focus on ridding yourself of addiction and preventing relapses through support. Mentors, group sessions, and family sessions may be part of a program so you realize the consequences of your problem and find encouragement.
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Depending on the level of severity, programs could take place in restricted facilities, as an outpatient, or regular meetings.
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2. Psychotherapy

This typically involves face-to-face sessions with a psychologist or other qualified therapist. They help you to control cravings, anger, and discover the source of addictive behaviors while forming a recovery plan and adhering to it. Often family members are encouraged to get involved.
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For milder or post-addiction problems, you can also find hypnotic or audio tapes to reinforce healthy behaviors at an unconscious level.
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3. Self-help Groups

Alcoholic Anonymous is a good example of such a group. By listening in on the experiences and challenges of others, and sharing your own, you can learn tips and tricks to fight addiction, and find sympathetic ears.
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Hearing someone else’s story of disaster and recovery helps you to put your own problem in perspective, and offers hope for making progress.
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There are groups of one kind or another in most major towns and cities, and they’re often free.
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4. Fighting Withdrawal Symptoms

Detoxifying the body may lead to frightening symptoms such as high heart rates, nausea, and even seizures and hallucinations. Gradually symptoms taper off, but it’s important to have medical treatment available.
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You’ll find many modern facilities are staffed with Nurse Practitioners who have specialized training and experience.
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5. Social Workers

Your local social services department can put you in touch with good programs or facilities to detox your body and get counseling. Curb your pride and get the help you need.
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Many people who recover go on to programs like an online masters of social work so that they can help others. This is an excellent means of helping to stay sober while giving back to the community.
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Even if you feel your addiction is mild or harmless, you should stop and ask yourself how it has impacted your health, relationships, and career. If you see a need for improvement, it’s time to find the best treatment options.

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Dixie Somers
dixiesomers@gmail.com
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Your Stop-Smoking Journey ~ 3 Wrong Criticisms from Human Obstacles in Your Way!

July 27, 2017 by Luckily Leave a Comment

Your Stop Smoking Journey

3 Erroneous Criticisms from your Peers and Family

Your stop smoking journey may have many challenges. And every smoker has to put up with pressure from others. Anytime they go out for a cigarette, family members urge them to quit and remind them of the risks. As if they had forgotten!
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But, it’s possible those warnings, given with the best of intentions, don’t help. If anything, it makes your stop smoking journey more stressful. And, what happens when smokers are stressed? They smoke!
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And, it’s not only pressure during the smoking process which can become a problem. If an individual does take the leap to quit, pressure can still haunt them and ruin their efforts. This can lead them to smoke even more and feel really guilty and a failure at the same time!
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Everybody will have an opinion about how they should quit in the ‘right way.’ Yet, in your stop smoking journey, quitting smoking is one of the most personal journeys you can ever choose to undertake. Everyone has to find their way through.
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If you’re in the process of quitting, it’s important you don’t let criticisms from others throw you.
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To give you some support, we’re going to look at 3 common criticisms (mostly from your friends and family) and discuss why they’re wrong.
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Criticism #1: Cutting down doesn’t count

The going cold turkey vs. cutting down debate is ever on-going. Nobody knows which is best because, again, this is a personal thing.
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But people who do choose to cut down are often disregarded. While others may not realise it, criticisms can cause significant damage to a quitter’s attempts.
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For many, cutting down is the first step. So, if they manage to half the amount they smoke, it’ll feel like a huge achievement. Until they share that progress, they may get a response like ‘But you are still smoking!‘ and get totally deflated and demotivated.
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The important thing to do is not take such comments to heart. As much as this is a personal journey, your achievements are also personal. Other people may not understand, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t valid.
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Cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke is positive.
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Criticism #2: You may as well still be smoking if you turn to quit-smoking aids

There are many quit-smoking aids available today.
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There are vape products which still produce smoke. As such, they’re simulators to help you through. Whether there are secondary problems later, like ‘popcorn lungs’, on remains to be seen.
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Some people say that since you’re still puffing smoke with these devices, you really have not stopped smoking!
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Criticism #3: You’ve had one, does that mean you’re smoking again?

Despite your best efforts, you may slip up somewhere along the line. If this happens, it’s important to try again.
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One cigarette does not mean failure, no matter what the non-smokers in your life tell you. You’ve got this far. Don’t let that one smoke ruin everything.

Addiction Going Cold Turkey vs Cutting Down – Which Is Better For You?

April 13, 2017 by Luckily 1 Comment

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Addiction: Going Cold Turkey vs Cutting Down ~

Addiction: Going Cold Turkey vs Cutting Down All of us would admit that we have certain habits we’d rather not have.
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Maybe we started smoking in high school thinking it looked ‘cool’ and now we’re hooked on ten a day.
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Or, perhaps we know that we over-indulge on the booze a little bit, or even on sweet treats and takeaways.
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Addiction comes in many forms, and it can vary from person to person regarding severity and how much it affects them. That is why the process of quitting will also be different for each person.
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What worked for a friend may not necessarily work for you. So, often, it can be difficult to offer advice on how to give up your bad habits, especially if they are many years in the making!
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However, the two most common methods are as follows: gradual reduction and ‘cold turkey.’ Not sure which one is right for you? Read on for 2 pros and cons of both.

Cold turkey is hard…

… if you already know you are likely to relapse.
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Have you already tried to quit your habit before by simply giving it up and swearing you’ll never do it again? For many of us, this sounds like a familiar story.
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Relapse is common for first-time quitters, and it can lead to a lot of distress as people tend to think they have ‘failed.’ Sure, on paper that may well be the case.
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But try not to be too hard on yourself. Giving up a bad habit or an addiction takes time and effort. It’s fairly unlikely that you are going to get it right straight away.
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Show yourself some love and don’t waste time beating yourself up about the relapse. Try again, or try the other method of cutting down gradually.

Gradual is better when…

Addiction: Going Cold Turkey vs Cutting Down … you know that temptation is all around you.
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Take smoking, for example, one of the world’s favourite bad habits (so it would seem). You may have decided you are giving up for good and thrown all your cigarettes out in the trash. Then you meet your friends out at the bar and find that they are ALL smoking!
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Having your habit right in front of your face like this can break even the most determined of quitters. So, come prepared. Consider using vaporizers instead, for a kind of middle-ground between your long-standing habit and your desire to quit.
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Additionally, if you are going down the gradual road with giving up alcohol, take just enough money out for one or two drinks. This will hold you accountable and is much better than flashing the plastic and buying rounds all night.

Both methods…

… require a support system.
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No matter which one you go for, it’s going to be a reasonably bumpy ride, especially if you have had this habit for many years.
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It is, however, more than possible for you to knock it for good. Surround yourself with people who support you in your plight, not those who will try to lead you astray. Some friends may try to offer you advice about how THEY quit but only do what you feel comfortable within.
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Whether you quit in one year or five, it’s all progress – so make sure you do what’s best for you.
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3 Ways to Boost Your Mental Health

February 1, 2017 by Luckily Leave a Comment

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Boost Your Mental Health

3 Top Ways to Do This

When people talk about being healthy, they often only have their physical health in mind.
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This is a big problem, as mental health can often be the thing holding you back and making you suffer the most.
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Our article today is all about ways in which you can boost your mental health. Feel free to take a look at all the ideas below:
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Boost Your Mental Health Tip #1
Gain Control Of Your Thoughts With Meditation

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Most people often think that medication is the best way to deal with mental health.
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But no… meditation is much, much better. It’s a natural way of feeling more relaxed and dealing with a key cause of mental health issues; stress. By working on stress relief, you can feel more at peace and be more mindful too.
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Meditation helps you slow things down and start thinking more clearly. You gain control of your thoughts and start to clear your mind of any negative things.
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By practising meditation daily, you will see big changes to your mentality. It’s amazing how much of a difference sitting still for a few minutes and breathing deeply can have on a person.
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It’s something a lot of us forget to do, as life passes us by in a blur. Take 30 minutes out of your day to meditate, gain control of your thoughts, and give your mental health a boost.
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Boost Your Mental Health Tip #2
Avoid Addictive Substances

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Addictions can have a very negative effect on your mental health. The very nature of addiction makes it something which eats away at your mind and cause you a lot of mental discomfort.
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Anyone with an addiction will tell you the suffering they deal with as their mind is constantly in a battle with itself.
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You’re telling yourself you need something, and depend on it to live your life. As a consequence, you can’t function without it and experience many highs and lows.
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An addictive substance can be anything from alcohol to caffeine. Addictions lead to extreme mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
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Alcohol is arguably the easiest thing to get addicted to as there are no real regulations surrounding its sale and consumption. It’s best to quit drinking if you suffer from mild mental health issues, as drinking will only aggravate the condition.
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Boost Your Mental Health Tip #3
Talk To Someone

The best thing you can do for your mental health is to talk to someone. This person doesn’t have to be a psychologist. He /she can easily be a family member or friend.
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The reason many people suffer so much is that they keep all of their thoughts and feelings bottled up inside. They’re too afraid to speak out, and it worsens their mental health.
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Please, if you’re suffering, don’t be afraid to say something to someone. Don’t be afraid to see your doctor who can refer you to a mental health expert. This person can set you on the right path.
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After all, if you want to improve your physical health, you’ll go and see someone about it, right? So, don’t be afraid to do the same for your mental health.

The secret to being a healthy person is also to have a healthy mind. Get your mental health in check. Then you’ll find it much easier to become physically healthy too.
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Our readers also enjoyed and benefited from the following articles related to maintaining physical and mental health. Click to read:
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Mental & Physical Health – Their Relationship
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Share us below your challenges, successes and tips to boost your mental health.
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Fighting Addiction ~ Helpful Tips

December 31, 2016 by Luckily 1 Comment

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Fight Addiction

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Addiction can be one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. It can destroy lives and ruin people’s health.
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And, if you, or someone you know, has had to deal with addiction you’ll know how bad it can be.
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So, that’s why it’s important to make sure you understand some of the ways that you can combat addiction. This has become a lot simpler these days with the amount of options available.
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It’s important that you do as much as possible to consider how you can combat addiction, and that you don’t try to do it alone.
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The more ideas and techniques you can come up with, the better it will be for you. So, make sure you come up with as many ideas as you can. Use the suggestions on this post as a good starting point.
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Support Groups

You have to make sure you seek support from other people who are going through the same thing. This means you need to join support groups which you can go to on a regular basis.
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There are so many things which are required to get through a battle with addiction. And you might not come through this process unscathed.
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One thing is certain, though, you need to have the help and support of others. That’s why so many people join support groups. You need support and input away from friends and family, and a support group offers you this.
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Rehabilitation Centres

The classic option for those wanting to battle against a debilitating addiction is to check into rehab. A rehabilitation centre provides a controlled environment with experts and surroundings. These are focused on making you feel better and to recover.
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If there are rehab centers around the area where you live, do a bit of research and choose the best one you can. This is a big step in the process, and it’s important to get it right.
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You’ve got to understand how much you can benefit from checking into a rehab center for a few months. So this is certainly one of the options you need to weigh up if you’re fighting addiction. The process will become much easier by using a rehab center than it would otherwise.
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Treatment

Another option would be to get treatment for the addiction you’re struggling with. There are a lot of things you will need to do to make sure you get better. And having treatment in a detox clinic is one of the newer methods, but it’s still really effective.
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The wonderful thing about this sort of rapid detox is that it allows you to get clean in a faster way. And it allows you to deal with the issues brought about by withdrawal. This is certainly something you’re going to want to make sure you suss out as much as possible.
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If you can get detox treatment as well, you will be on the road to recovery in no time. Make sure you take your addiction problem seriously and work toward trying to combat it.
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If you’re dealing with problems like addiction, you have to be decisive and take action. There are so many things to seriously consider when it comes to fighting off addiction. The more options you have, the better it will be for you in the long run.
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addiction

.Tips For Breaking Bad Habits

3 Tips for Success

1. Avoid Triggers to Bad Habits; Replace with Better Habits

2. Replace Bad Habits With Healthier Ones

3. Get Professional Help

. Share with us your tips for breaking bad habits! Also share any challenges you faced. . . .

, 5 Surefire Ways to Break Your Addiction Once and for All

1. Treatment Programs

2. Psychotherapy

3. Self-help Groups

4. Fighting Withdrawal Symptoms

5. Social Workers

Your Stop Smoking Journey

3 Erroneous Criticisms from your Peers and Family

Criticism #1: Cutting down doesn’t count

Criticism #2: You may as well still be smoking if you turn to quit-smoking aids

Criticism #3: You’ve had one, does that mean you’re smoking again?

. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Subscribe & Read My eHealth Letters *Click Here . Our readers also enjoyed and benefited from these articles. Click to read!

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Share with us below your challenges, successes and tips from your STOP SMOKING JOURNEY 🙂 .

. Addiction: Going Cold Turkey vs Cutting Down ~

Cold turkey is hard…

Gradual is better when…

Both methods…

. Boost Your Mental Health

3 Top Ways to Do This

Boost Your Mental Health Tip #1 Gain Control Of Your Thoughts With Meditation

Boost Your Mental Health Tip #2 Avoid Addictive Substances

Boost Your Mental Health Tip #3 Talk To Someone

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Subscribe & Read My eHealth Letters *Click Here . Our readers also enjoyed and benefited from the following articles related to maintaining physical and mental health. Click to read: .

Mental & Physical Health – Their Relationship .

Share us below your challenges, successes and tips to boost your mental health. . .

. Fight Addiction