There are many reasons why you may want to give up for good your old habit. Heart disease, lung cancer and Emphysema are just some of the most common diseases caused by smoking.

Quitting isn't easy and each time you try to stop smoking and fail, it becomes more and more difficult.

There are physical and psychological reasons because of which quitting gets harder. Physically your body builds up a resistance and psychologically you begin to see yourself as a failure - someone who cannot beat this addiction.

If you need help and support to quit smoking you are not the only one, most people do. While it is possible to go "cold turkey" and quit without assistance, it isn't for everyone and it can be very difficult to do. So difficult in fact, that the number of people who break the habit without help is very small.

There is a misconception spread out in our society that sees asking for help as a sign of weakness and best avoided.

People who are the most successful in life are ready to ask for help. For example, in business, a successful businesswoman or businessman gets a lawyer to write the contracts, an advertising agency to create the ads, a marketing executive to do the marketing, an accountant to do the accounting, people who succeed best get help, and lots of it.

Sadly, eighty percent of smokers who quit do so without any help, and studies show that 95% of these self-reliant quitters fail, and go right back to smoking within 1 year. So you should reall consider getting some help this time!

This is a personal choice, and only you can ultimately find find out what is best for you.

Cold Turkey works best for some people, but other people benefit from a gradual program.

Nicotine Patches and Gums are a common way to curb the cravings, but you at the end of the day you are still putting nicotine into your body.

An alternative way to stop cravings is herbal patches like Zero Nicotine. These contain a natural blend of herbs that help your body overcoming the typical withdrawal effects from nicotine and the cravings associated with them. They are different because they don't contain any nicotine, only natural herbs, so your body is giving up nicotine earlier and more effectively.

Quitting on a workday may help your chances of success than starting your quitting program while on holiday. Work would occupy your thoughts, whereas on on holiday there could be little else to do than to obsess all day long about over having a smoke.

Every time you want a cigarette try the Deep Breathing technique. It is a variation of an ancient Yoga technique from India.

Inhale the deepest breath of air you can, and then, very slowly, exhale. Purse your lips so that the air must come out slowly. Do it three times. As you exhale, close your eyes, and gradually lower your chin over onto your chest. Visualize all the tension leaving your body, slowly draining out of your fingers and toes, just flowing on out.

Remember that the urge to smoke only lasts a few minutes, and will then pass. The urges gradually become farther and farther apart as the days go by.

Everytime a cravings' surprise attack hits you, just tell yourself "Hang on for five minutes – and this urge to smoke will pass."

Then "Okay. Relief is about FOUR minutes away..."

Still dying for a smoke....? Okay, but now it is THREE.... hold on... TWO... Keep reminding yourself that at the end of five minutes the urge will be gone.

Sometimes, in life, we might have to fail a few times before we manage to find our own way to succeed. But you should never be scared to start all over again and keep trying. We mistakenly see the times we don't succeed as failure, but really it's all part of a learning process. Sometimes we need mistakes in order to find out what works and what doesn't.