Effective Ways To Quit Smoking Cold Turkey
While achieving some degree of success, most smoking-cessation methods, other than hypnosis, NLP or cognitive behavioural therapy, deal with only the physical aspect of stopping smoking. Almost all of the studies I have reviewed give different percentages of success for each method.
Cold turkey or willpower
The New Year is almost upon you. What is your top resolution for the coming year? To stop smoking and get healthy? So what happens? Maybe you party hard on New Year's Eve and at midnight you resolve to never touch another cigarette again.
Does this sound familiar? Going cold turkey or using willpower alone can be a last-ditch attempt or a spur-of-the-moment thing.
For some people, going cold turkey works; unfortunately, other people will struggle for a few hours and then they are smoking again. Without preparation and a plan, a high percentage of people who give up cold turkey fail. You need to tackle the desire to smoke and your reasons for doing so, otherwise at the first stressful event or your next social outing you will start smoking again. Different studies show a success rate of between 3 and 6 per cent.
Nicotine replacement therapies
Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), such as nicotine patches, gum and inhalers, had variable success rates, The upside is that these therapies can help some people overcome physical cravings for nicotine. The downside with NRT is that they may not fully address the mental or emotional aspect of smoking.
I bumped into an old school friend recently who was chewing on gum. I was telling him about Quit Smoking Today program and he said he had stopped smoking more than a year earlier and the gum he was chewing was nicotine gum. I was curious and asked how much he was spending on the gum each week. I was surprised by the fact that he was spending $50 per week, which worked out to be $2600 for the past year. (However, as a previously heavy smoker, he was only spending half the amount on gum than he had been spending on cigarettes.)
Zyban (antidepressant)
Zyban was initially used to help people with anxiety. Evidence has shown a success rate for quitting of around 15 per cent with the antidepressant pill. The downside is that there may be side effects including insomnia, loss of appetite, agitation, nausea, constipation, numbness and headaches. Allergic reactions may include swelling of the lips, fainting and difficulty breathing.
Champix (Varenicline)
Champix is a prescription-only smoking-cessation medication taken in tablet form for a period of three months. It claims a one-in-five success rate. Champix is reported to block the effects of nicotine on the brain and can also reduce cravings.
About 30 per cent of people in clinical trials suffered nausea, and other side-effects have been reported. While the drug itself does not tackle the mental problems, the manufacturers have provided online information to help people battle the smoking triggers and provide additional motivation. The people in the trials did, however, receive 16 counselling sessions and were given a course of nicotine replacement therapy at the end of the 12-week trial.
Herbal stop-smoking products
There are a range of herbal stop-smoking products that may be beneficial, but it is difficult to find any studies or trials with significant results. Once again, these products do little to address the mental or emotional aspects of smoking.
Laser therapy
Laser therapy works by applying a low-intensity laser beam to specific points on the body. These points are the same as those used in acupuncture and acupressure. Laser therapy aims at increasing relaxation and reducing physical cravings. There have been no formal studies on the effectiveness of laser therapy, but some people I have spoken to have benefited from laser therapy and it goes some way towards helping with cravings and overcoming irritability.
WHY DO YOU SMOKE?
People say they smoke for a variety of reasons:
'It relaxes me',
'I enjoy it',
'It makes me feel good'.
But the main reason most smokers smoke is because they are addicted to nicotine and can't stop. Beyond the cravings for the highly toxic drug nicotine (cravings that can easily be overcome) are the associations and triggers for smoking – which are all mental.
Next post, we'll talk about the reasons and excuses you've been giving yourself to smoke. To quickly end your smoking habit, I suggest you check out my method to quit smoking – smoke electronic cigarette. I successfully kill all my tobacco cigarettes forever and now, I'm enjoying my nicotine healthily. Order yours today!
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