This is a review of a fantastic little book on quitting smoking called “Stop Smoking – The Essential Guide” by Simon Daubney.
Simon had a habit of smoking more than 30 cigarettes a day (as I did), and as you may imagine, had struggled a great deal to try and stop. Simon has written down his personal experiences along his journey of quitting cigarettes into words. He has also researched the subject deeply and his hard work will now benefit others who read this book.
Around 100,000 people die each year in the UK alone due to smoking related illnesses like cancer and heart attacks. It is always best to take advice from an expert or someone who has quit smoking cigarettes after seemingly thoroughly addicted. Simon Daubney has experienced the highs and lows of quitting smoking, and his book can help with his own experiences.
I don’t have much faith in the nicotine replacement products marketed by the large pharmaceutical companies. They are mentioned in the publication but he also concentrates on common sense, home-grown experience to guide you through a successful quit.
There is much detail on picking a quit date and a diary and forms for you to fill in to gauge how you’re getting on and your improvement while quitting.
Another interesting section of the book explored the thought processes behind giving up. For example, the arguments for smoking are explored. Statements such as “smoking relives boredom” and “I need to smoke to combat stress”. Daubney forces you to examine these beliefs and challenges you to think about them to see if they are really true.
Similarly, the negative thoughts after quitting are explored. The author impresses upon us to observe our negative thoughts and explore their validity. Usually, if one does this, you can see that the negative thought is not really based in reality and can evaporate after applying logic and seeing how the thought process developed.
There are large sections in the book that explain how to deal with weight gain and increased stress after stopping smoking.
The book is obviously written for the UK market as there are lots of references to the NHS, etc. I hope that the non-UK readers of this site can get hold of a copy easily as the book contains some great facts about smoking addiction as well as some great tips about how to combat it.
