Learn How to Quit Smoking Today
August 24th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Young people do all sorts of stupid things in their lives, and I was no exception. The worst thing I ever did to myself was accept a cigarette that was offered to me by a friend. Before I knew it, that one-time experiment led to a pack-a-day habit that burdened me for 15 years. Then one day, I smartened up and realized that compromising my health wasn’t worth the few minutes of pleasure that a cigarette gave me. I wanted to learn how to quit smoking once and for all in order to rid myself of the disgusting habit.
There are lots of different cessation methods out there, but I was able to eliminate a few right from the start. For instance, many people have reported success with hypnosis. Apparently, just having a therapist talk about how to quit smoking while they’re in a highly suggestible state is enough to get some folks to stop cold turkey. But hypnotherapy is not something I could get into, so I’m not even going to bother. If it’s up your alley, though, then by all means go for it!
Another method that has been successful for smokers is gradually reducing their nicotine intake with the help of patches and gum. These aids have been around for a long time now, and are ideal for those who are scared at the prospect of going through nicotine withdrawals. Read any book on how to quit smoking and you’ll see numerous warnings about the likely withdrawal symptoms you’ll experience. But with patches and gums, you can still get your daily dose of nicotine without having to smoke. This gives you a chance to wean yourself from the rituals of lighting up and handling a cigarette without having to deal with withdrawal right away.
If you ask your doctor about how to quit smoking, he or she might recommend a prescription drug. There are a few on the market, including Zyban or Wellbutrin. This is essentially an antidepressant that has been effective at reducing nicotine cravings in people interested in figuring out how to quit smoking. This is actually the method that I chose, and despite being extremely skeptical of the pill’s efficacy, it truly worked for me!
But I know many smokers don’t want to use any drugs at all, and would prefer an all-natural method instead. This is understandable, as patches, gums, and prescription pills are quite a bit more expensive than natural techniques. If you want to try going the all-natural route, then stock up on St. John’s wort or make an appointment with a hypnotherapist.
Discovering the different options available to you is the first step in the quitting process. From here, you have to figure out how to quit smoking in a way that fits your personality and lifestyle so that you have the best chance at long-term success.
Tags: how to quit smoking, quit smoking today, quit smoking
Does Anyone Really Know How to Quit Smoking ?
March 9th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Anyone who has ever been a smoker knows how difficult it is to kick the habit. Furthermore, anyone who has successfully quit smoking will probably tell you that it took several attempts. There are innumerable resources and methods available that claim to have the secrets of how to quit smoking, but are any of them for real? Let’s take a look at a few of them and see if we can really figure out how to quit smoking for good.
Cold Turkey
This is one of the most popular methods for how to quit smoking. Basically, it involves just quitting, without any weaning or chemical aids of any kind. Although it is popular, it’s not necessarily the most successful method. Most people who smoke are addicted to the nicotine that is contained in cigarettes.
This is a highly addictive drug, and like any other drug, there are withdrawal symptoms that occur when your body is no longer getting it. When trying to quit “cold turkey”, these symptoms are quite severe, and last about two weeks. The challenge is finding ways to distract yourself from these symptoms when they occur. Many people find this very difficult and eventually give in to their cravings.
Substitution
Some people will tell you that substitution is how to quit smoking. This simply means that they replace smoking with some other activity or behavior. May people have found success by sucking on hard candy or chewing gum when the urge to smoke hits. Sometimes this will help to satisfy the oral fixation by giving your mouth something else to do. Others have substituted certain activities such as exercise in place of smoking. When they crave a cigarette, they simply go for a run or get on an exercise bike.
Patches And Medication
If you’re trying to figure out how to quit smoking, sometimes it’s helpful to consult your doctor. In many cases he or she will be able to prescribe medications that will lessen the effects of the withdrawal symptoms. This method is not always successful, though, as there is also a psychological dependence that comes with smoking, as well as the chemical dependency.
Nicotine patches are also a popular method for quitting smoking. These usually allow you to step down the amount of nicotine that goes into your system after you quit smoking. This will lessen the withdrawal symptoms when the nicotine is stopped for good.
How to quit smoking is a question that has no definite answer. The method that works for one person may be totally wrong for someone else. In the end, it depends on each individual and their specific circumstances that will determine the best option for how to quit smoking.
Tags: how to quit smoking, quit smoking, stop smoking
