I Want To Quit Smoking – What Are My Options?

Many people try smoking once in their life, even if they don’t take it up. A lot of those people do start regularly smoking, however, and once you develop a habit, it’s very difficult to stop. Weaning yourself off nicotine can be just as difficult as dealing with any other addiction. Many people take years to finally quit. If you want to give up smoking, you might already have tried a few different methods. Many people will attempt it a few times before they have success. But it can be a question of finding the right way for you so that you can achieve your goals. Try one of these methods to help you stop.

Cold Turkey

One of the ways you can try and quit smoking is to stop, cold turkey and rely on your willpower alone. For a lot of people, this method may not work, but some find that it’s preferable. If you use something like nicotine patches or gum, you can find that it’s difficult to stop using them. They may not satisfy your cravings in the way you hoped. However, if you try to quit without them, perhaps by cutting back first, you could find that once you stop you won’t take it up again. A lot of people do find that they need the extra help though, so quitting cold turkey might not be for you.

Nicotine Quitting Aids

There are lots of quitting aids containing nicotine that could help you stop smoking. Some of them have been available for a while, including nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers and nasal spray. One of the tools that have become more popular recently is the electronic cigarette. You can get them as disposable units, or you can buy one with a refillable tank so you can use different flavored liquids. You could start off with an electronic cigarette starter kit, which will contain everything you need to start using one. Although the fluids often contain nicotine, there is no tobacco and the cigarette mimics the action of smoking.

Hypnosis

For a slightly more unusual option, you could try having some hypnotherapy sessions. People often use this alternative treatment to overcome fears, addictions and bad habits. The therapist uses the power of suggestion to help you deal with your addiction and overcome it. However, there isn’t much evidence that this method will help you quit. Some people believe that it did help them give up smoking, but it’s up to you to decide whether you think it would be effective.

Counseling

Another option is seeing a counselor to help you discuss your addiction and overcome it. You can speak to a counselor either in person or over the phone, or perhaps using an internet medium. People often combine counseling with medication to help them stop smoking, which improves your chances of being successful in your goals.

Avoid Common Smoking Triggers

When a long time smoker tries to quit on their own without aids, they often fail because of common triggers that have become habitual. A few of these different mental triggers are morning coffee, after meals and drinking of alcohol, etc.

Other triggers can be related to stress, and anxiety or just being around other smokers can have an adverse effect.  These mental triggers are nothing more than an associated habit and can be easily broken.

For example, one simple way to break a typical smoking trigger is right after eating, immediately brush your teeth. The clean, refreshing feeling of your breath and teeth will help you forget about that “go to” after meal smoke.

Remember studies show that over 90% of people trying to quit without some nicotine aid end up relapsing. However avoiding these smoking triggers will put you in the right direction on your goal.

Everyone has their best method to quit, and it’s best to learn about all the different types of quitting aids and methods available.