Seven Ways To Quit Smoking

There are many quit smoking aids available on the market today. If you are trying to quit the best place to start is to check out the top ways to quit smoking and select the one that seems to suit you best This article summarizes some the best methods for quitting.

Cold Turkey Method. This is one of the popular ways people use to quit smoking. It relies on using willpower alone. You can either stop suddenly from one day to the next, or you gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Although the cold turkey method works people suffer from withdrawal symptoms and quitting forever may be difficult.

Nicotine Replacement Products (NRT). These aids have become a common method of quitting smoking for a lot of people. The basic idea is to replace cigarettes with products that contain small quantities of nicotine. In this category you will find stop smoking aids like the nicotine patch, lozenges and gum. By slowly reducing the amount of nicotine you take in you will no longer crave cigarettes. The main advantage of NRT is that the nicotine withdrawal symptoms are minimized.

Prescription Drugs. These drugs work like the nicotine replacement products except they don't contain any nicotine. A typical treatment lasts for about 12 weeks and you need a doctor's prescription to get these products. Examples of these are Zyban and Chantix.

Hypnosis. Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, attacks the smoking habit using the psychological approach. Using hypnosis, smokers are convinced they no longer need cigarettes. The advantage of this method is that it is natural and does not use medication or nicotine. You can either visit a qualified hypnotist or use one of the self-hypnosis programs available.

Acupuncture. Acupuncture has been used for ages in Asia as a means of curing many medical conditions. It uses very fine needles inserted at pressure points in the body, to reduce the desire for cigarettes. Acupuncture is another one of the natural, non-medical ways to quit smoking.

Laser Therapy. Often called cold or low-level laser treatment this method stimulates nerve centers in the body to cure the nicotine cravings. Like acupuncture this is another non-medical approach to quitting.

Counselling And Support Groups. This involves individual or group meetings to help people stop smoking. Many groups like Nicotine Anonymous operate on a volunteer basis. Another way is to visit a therapist to help you quit.

Conclusion. These are some of the best known ways to quit smoking. You can also use more than one of these for a better chance of success. For example you could use the nicotine patch together with counselling sessions or hypnosis. You can find more information on the ways to quit smoking from the link in the author's biography below.

by Mike Stapenhurst