10 Ways to Quit Smoking - by Kevin Dark

10 Ways to Quit Smoking Forever

Quitting is big business, and there's an endless array of ways to spend money on kicking the habit. Smokers spend about $2,400 per year on cigarettes, so, while some of the products and therapies are expensive, they are still less expensive than a life-long smoking habit. As with all programs, each person is different, so everyone will respond to a program in a different way. Giving up smoking is like giving up a neurotic relationship. Ultimately there comes a day when the decision is made, only to return to what you know is bad for you. Premature wrinkles and yellow teeth don't deter smokers - so, how do you quit? Here are some of the most popular program today.

Many people try to quit cold turkey. It's the easiest method to begin. Simply stop smoking and resolve -through willpower alone - to never take another puff. The success rate is about 3-5% because most smokers are not prepared to take on both sides of quitting: intense withdrawal cravings and smoking habits. If you have had a difficult time trying to quit in the past, studies show you should consider trying an assisted quit method

The patch is KING! In clinical trials, nicotine replacement therapy was shown to double a person's chances of quitting. The patch functions by transdermally (topically) feeding the body nicotine at a continuous and regulated pace over a 24-hour period, controlling the body's physical addiction which allows a smoker to sever the mental reliance on tobacco. The total cost of Nicoderm is $270 for the 10week therapy. There are normally no adverse reactions, but side effects can include irregular heartbeat, rashes, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and weakness.

Grass Roots "Smoke No More" is an herbal tincture. This option is popular because of the "oral fixation" so often associated with smoking. Whenever a smoker has a craving, the Smoke No More drops are placed under the tongue and held there until its absorbed. According to the creators, the tincture works based on healing the connection of mind, body and spirit. Relaxing the mind staves off cravings. And the absence of tobacco detoxifies the system. Reports claim that the drops are horrible tasting and burn immediately upon using. Side effects include quesiness, making the user less interested in both smoking AND eating, but it is something to do with the mouth. Smoke No More can be purchased for about $22 at herbal stores.

If you'd like to try acupuncture, don't confuse the National Board Certified or Licensed Acupuncturist with Certified Acupnucturist. The latter is a doctor or dentist who has completed only 300 hours of course work. These types are great for physical injury but are less equipped to handle internal problems. According to this Chinese tradition, inserting needles in certain points on the body will draw energy to that point and then redirect it to the area of concern. This allows the body to heal itself. For addictions such as smoking, the three points that correspond to the liver, kidneys and sympathetic nervous system are targeted and, by detoxifying the body, the cravings for nicotine are reduced and there is an increase in the flow of energy into the body. While peaceful and stimulating at the same time, for a half-hour treatment one can expect to spend $75 for the first treatment and $55 for subsequent treatments. Over a series of 20 treatments, although acupuncture is not a miracle cure, the experts guarantee the results.

Many people find the support and encouragement of counseling or group treatment helpful. Counseling can help smokers identify and overcome situations that trigger the urge to smoke. Research shows the success rates for all quit methods are higher when coupled with ready access to support. For help with your quitting effort, consider selecting a program that is at least four to eight weeks in length. The programs that work best provide plenty of encouragement and weekly one-on-one meetings with a counselor.

Deciding to do an in-home hypnosis program like Dr. Walton's or employing the services of an certified hypnotist, stimulating the occurrence of deep focus and relaxation means making yourself vulnerable to someone else. By filling out an extensive questionnaire to determine one's particular smoking habits, motivations and patterns, the hypnotist can use the subjects brain to "reprogramm" the cravings. Self-affirming phrases like "I don't want to smoke" and "I don't need to smoke" are used to convince the brain that what it has been told during hypnosis is factual, therefore allowing the body to "ignore" the need to smoke. The National Institute for Mental Health reports that 80% of smokers who use this method successfully quit smoking; it's the longest lasting form of therapy on the market. For this service, expect to do sessions again and spend $75/hour to drop your average addiction.

CHANTIX is a pill that is different from other ways to quit. It contains no nicotine but works on the same receptors as nicotine. And it's the addiction to nicotine inhaled from smoking that makes quitting so hard.
Ciga-Rest is also a pill designed to help smokers overcome the urge to smoke whenever and where ever it strikes.

Smoking cessation prescription medications are clinically proven to help smokers.

There are also the fun ones that let you think you're actually having a cigarette! E-Z QUIT is a smokeless cigarette substitute that fills your need to do something with your hands and mouth, and to inhale deeply. Smokers can use E-Z QUIT by itself or together with any other quit smoking method.

While unpleasant in any form, quitting smoking can be devastating. Most relapse and then crawl back on the wagon without successfully giving up. Picking and sticking to one of these methods is the best way to ultimately increase health and rid the body of cravings all together.

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