Thinking of quitting smoking?
by Sarah Howard'Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it hundreds of times', Mark Twain famously said... But of course he never did, because in reality, giving up cigarettes is a hard task.
Paul Eisenberg has today outlined some of the popular ways to quit the habit in his Break the habit article:
1. Going cold turkey - possibly the most popular way to quit smoking but one of the most challenging due to the high amount of willpower needed to be successful. Although this method is free, it can have unwanted physical symptoms such as irritability and increased heart rate whilst the mental side can prove tough, such as the desire to light up after a meal.
2. Antidepressants. Approximately ten years ago, Doctors found that patients on antidepressants were finding it easier to kick the habit. The medical community in the US caught on and were able to develop a nicotine specific drug called Zyban to aid those wanting to give up smoking. However, as with most drugs there were side effects such as jitteriness, vomiting and building up a tolerance.
3. Nicotine replacement. Many quitting strategies involve using a nicotine replacement such as an inhaler, patch or gum. Dr. William Giricz states that this form of quitting can involve satisfying the mental aspects of smoking such as putting a lozenge or inhaler in one's mouth as well as combating the nicotine withdrawl by providing a controlled amount of nicotine that can be reduced over time. Nevertheless, whilst such aids don't contain many of the harmful aspects of smoking, nicotine itself can have side affects such as increasing blood pressure.
4. Stopping smoking through hypnotherapy. Many practitioners tout the effectiveness of therapies such as acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Hypnosis works on the subconscious mind, convincing smokers that they don't require their fix of nicotine. Unlike other ways to quit, such as using a nicotine replacement or drug, hypnotherapy is a completely natural way of quitting and unlike going cold turkey it offers support such as refresher sessions if the craving starts to return.
