How do you Stop Smoking?
Strategies to Quit Smoking for Good
If you have decided to quit smoking, you have taken the first step in
the right direction. This is simply because the desire to quit smoking
is very important if you even hope to stand a chance, and this is
because tobacco addiction is easily one of the toughest addictions to
give up. However, you should know that there are various strategies that
can help you stop smoking. Cold Turkey:
This is a method that many smokers try, but not many succeed. This is
because this would require you to abstain from smoking, period. There is
no reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke and there are no
medications. This is when you would experience the withdrawal symptoms
at their worst, and these withdrawal symptoms can include insomnia,
nausea, headaches, irritability, shortness of breath, body ache, etc.
This is definitely not an easy path to tread on and requires you to have
a very strong will power. Medication:
The marketplace is awash with medication that can help you quit smoking,
and this includes nicotine based medication and non-nicotine based ones
as well. Nicotine based medication includes nicotine patches which you
would apply on your skin and receive your daily quota of nicotine; as
well as nicotine chewing gum, lozenges, inhalers, pills, and nasal
sprays, which also serve the same purpose.
Non-nicotine based medications include Bupropion which is an
anti-depressant that works on the Slow Release (SR) method and helps
reduce the withdrawal symptoms as well as cravings. If you have other
medical conditions you should take this drug in consultation with your
doctor. Varenicline tartrate is another non-nicotine based medication
that reduces the cravings and helps control the withdrawal symptoms.
Behavioural:
Tracking behavioural patterns is another way that can help you quit
smoking. This would essentially prepare you to recognize events,
activities, moods, etc. that increase the possibilities of your lighting
up. These could include after meals, when you visit the toilet, when
you’re depressed, when you’re out socializing, etc. You would then have
to develop a plan that would help you deal with these scenarios. External Support:
The support that a smoker can get in the form of family and friends can
be truly beneficial. If you plan to stop smoking, letting everybody who
cares about you know of your plans is a good idea. It is also a good
idea to try and find somebody who would want to quit smoking with you.
This is simply because a buddy system is known to produce fairly good
results. Getting help from support groups is also something that you can
think about, as this would get you to interact with others who are going
through the same things that you are. Other Ways:
There are other ways that can help you quit smoking, and some of them
include using hypnosis and acupuncture. You can also think about smoking
herbal cigarettes, and these cigarettes are made using various herbs,
and have no traces of tobacco or nicotine.
Remember, while there are various ways that can ease your quitting
smoking endeavour, your really wanting to quit smoking in the first
place is what is most important. |
