Stop Smoking: What are Your Options?
February 18th, 2009
There are countless techniques that claim to help you quit smoking. But are any of them for real? Here’s a look at a few popular approaches. Find out for yourself if they can live up to their promises.
Pharmaceuticals
Nicotine patches are a popular method for quitting smoking. They work by slowly decreasing the amount of nicotine that you ingest each day. This will lessen the withdrawal symptoms when the nicotine is stopped for good.
A hot new pharmaceutical product is Chantix, a quit smoking pill. This medication causes the release of dopamine, a feel good chemical in your brain. The brain experiences the same effect as if nicotine were present in your bloodstream. Using this form of treatment, withdrawal symptoms are virtually nonexistent.
Keep in mind that pharmaceutical approaches to help you quit smoking aren’t always as successful as you might wish. The reason is that it’s not only the physical addiction that’s the problem. There is also a psychological dependence on smoking that is hard to overcome.
Quitting Cold Turkey
Most people will try this method first when they decide it’s time to stop smoking. Essentially, it involves simply quitting, without any gradual tapering off or pharmaceutical assistance. Even though it’s a favorite technique, it isn’t always the best choice.
Most people who smoke are addicted to the large quantities of nicotine that are contained in cigarettes. It’s an extremely addictive substance, and if you don’t get your fix, you’ll exhibit withdrawal symptoms right away. Quitting cold turkey heightens the withdrawal effect, and your symptoms will go on for at least two weeks.
The challenge is finding ways to distract yourself from these symptoms when they occur. Many people find this too difficult and eventually give in to their cravings.
Substituting
This technique involves replacing smoking with some other activity or behavior. Many 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.
Other people substitute exercise for smoking. When they crave a cigarette, they simply go for a run or get on an exercise bike.
Anyone who has ever been a smoker knows how difficult it is to kick the habit. And anyone who has been successful will probably tell you that it took several attempts to quit smoking for good. But it’s worth it to keep trying. After all, your life is on the line.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Related Posts
Options To Purchase The Best Electronic Cigarette, The First 72 Hours After You Stop Smoking, The Most effective Approaches to Quit Smoking – Five Stop-Smoking Methods That Work Like Wonders!, Stop Smoking: You Have to Really Want It
Posted in Quit Smoking Effects | 
Tags: quit smoking, Quit Smoking Effects, quit smoking pill, stop smoking