Looking For A Way How To Quit Smoking?
Ever wondered how to quit smoking? Its not a big secret that by quitting smoking, you will immediately begin to reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Smoking is dangerous and increases the risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer amongst other harmful effects. As hard as it may be to give it up, you can kick this habit. There is no one best way how to quit smoking; the most effective method varies for each individual depending upon various factors such as their willpower and lifestyle. In addition to many supportive therapies, a wide range of smoking cessation products is now widely available. Before you try any of these options, you must want to quit.
Here Are 10 Ways How To Quit Smoking:
1. Go Cold Turkey
How do you define cold turkey? Going cold turkey means stopping smoking without other support such as medicines or nicotine replacement therapy. You need strong willpower to go cold turkey. Less than 10% of people are able to quit smoking this way. It has a low success rate and individuals may experience high withdrawal symptoms.
2. Reduce Gradually
Some people quit smoking cigarettes by cutting back the number of cigarettes they smoke each day. By reducing their habit bit by bit. For example cutting back from 20 cigarettes a day to 10. The idea is to smoke only the cigarettes that they really get a craving for. However, the view of smoking cessation experts is that this is not a good idea, as it only prolongs the inevitable and the chances that a smoker will revert is high. In spite of this, some experts are of the view that if you have set a date in the future as a deadline for when you will quit smoking, this method can help you stop smoking.
3. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).
Nicotine is the primary cause of smoking addiction and dependence. NRT releases small controlled quantities of nicotine. Therefore, NRT in the form of patches, gums, lozenges, nasal spray or inhaler is a common and successful option to reduce cravings since it maintains nicotine levels in the blood. According to the NSW Government, clinical trials showed that NRT increases the chances of successfully quitting smoking by 50-70%.
4. Zyban
This is a prescription medication that comes in a pill form. It is not a form of nicotine replacement but works on the brain to reduce cravings. Zyban works by reducing withdrawal symptoms particularly irritability, frustration, anger, anxiety or difficulty concentrating. The risk of Zyban is that is has side effects such as dry mouth, difficulty sleeping and a risk of seizures. Therefore you need to be under the supervision of a doctor if you are taking this drug to help you quit smoking.
5. Chantix
This is also a prescription medication that is used as a smoking cessation aid. It works on the brain by reducing cravings. However, this drug also has numerous side effects including nausea, vomiting, constipation and even nightmares. As it works by altering brain chemistry it can have an effect on moods and behaviour. Therefore when considering how to quit smoking by treatment with this drug, ensure that you proceed with close medical supervision.
6. Hypnosis
Clinical hypnosis can be used to treat addiction problems such as nicotine dependency. Experts are not in agreement as to how hypnosis actually works, but it is believed that hypnosis puts patients into a state of relaxation where they are more open to the suggestion of giving up smoking. For smoking cessation, the hypnotherapist will try to get the patient to associate unpleasant outcomes with smoking. For example that smoking will leave the mouth feeling dry or that smoking poisons the body.
7. Accupuncture
This technique balances the energy within your body, with treatments focusing on jitters, cravings, irritability and restlessness. Acupuncture treatments also help with relaxation and detoxification. In one study, the effect of acupuncture on smoking cessation was examined by following 46 men and women who smoked 20 – 26 cigarettes a day. Reviews were undertaken at 8 months and 5 years after acupuncture treatment. It was concluded that acupuncture can help smokers reduce smoking or even quit completely by diminishing the taste of tobacco and desire to smoke.
8. Counselling
Counselling through support groups should be considered for anyone working out how to quit smoking. Counselling can be carried out with or without smoking cessation aids. The Australian Government Quitline service provides a telephone counselling service for people who want to quit smoking. Counselling will increase your will power and increase your chances of quitting. According to the Australian Government, there is a 25 – 40% increased chance of stopping smoking with individual counselling and this goes up to 98% with help from a doctor or attending a quit smoking group.
9. Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy concentrates on the behaviours involved in smoking and teaches you new coping skills and assists you in breaking the habits associated with your individual smoking habits. It works by restructuring thought processes associated with smoking. It is most effective when undertaken in one-to-one sessions with a psychotherapist. Some of the strategies used are identification of cues in the environment that trigger the urge for a cigarette, so that the person who wants to take steps to quit smoking can learn to avoid these triggers.
10. Motivational Therapy
Also known as motivational interviewing , this technique is used to help people quit smoking by helping them explore their behaviour and resolve anxieties associated with the idea of giving up smoking. Studies have shown that when undertaken with trained counsellors this technique helps people to quit smoking. It can therefore be a useful support tool when you are trying to quit smoking.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
While all forms of NRT have an equal success rate, each of them manages a different habit. For example the inhaler is useful for patients that want to keep their fingers occupied and miss the hand to mouth action. The gum may not be a suitable option for patients that wear dentures. A healthcare professional will be able to assist you in choosing a suitable option.