Quit Smoking for Good

Defeating a nicotine addiction is unfortunately not as easy as simply realizing that you need to quit. Recent medical research has proven cigarettes create a physiological need for nicotine that is in many cases too much for willpower alone to take on. If you ask someone who has overcome both a heroin and a cigarette addiction, they will most likely tell you that it was harder to stop smoking cigarettes than it was to recover from heroin dependency. But don't throw your hands up in despair just yet-there are several methods of support available today which, combined with some determination, can help you to kick the habit once and for all.

Although no one particular method has been deemed as a the perfect cure-all for overcoming an addiction to nicotine, studies do show that those who use some form of support have a far greater success rate than those who try to quit smoking using the method familiarly known as "cold turkey."

Some of the methods most often used for becoming smoke-free include the following options:

Prescription Drugs

Ask your doctor about a prescription for one of the several available drugs proven effective at diminishing the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal. Buproprion, an antidepressant, adjusts the way the brains many receptors pick up chemical messages, which may ease agitation and anxiety, common side effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Another option is Varenicline. Varenicline is non-addictive, contains no nicotine, and has a relatively slight incidence of side effects.

The Patch and its Cousins

There are several forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). But whether you choose the patch-the most common medium-or chewing gum, inhalers, sprays, tablets, or lozenges, the product will allow you to gradually smoke less and less while soothing withdrawal symptoms.

Natural Methods

If you'd rather go the homeopathic route, you can try a patch, capsule, or tea blended from herbal ingredients to soften the effects of withdrawal. Some people have also found success through alternative medicine methods like hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis, meditation, acupuncture, and laser therapy.

Support Groups and Counseling

Some smokers benefit from the sense of camaraderie to be found in support groups. Look for a website or an online forum that provides 24 hour access to helpful information and inspiration from your allies in the fight against cigarettes. Or take part in a smoking cessation group. Some health insurance plans will cover the costs of attendance. If yours doesn't, hospitals, health clinics, and doctors offices will often offer free or low-cost workshops on quitting cigarettes.

For those who feel they would derive more benefit from private counseling, personal sessions with a therapist are a good option. Sessions may take place weekly or several times per weeks, usually lasting at least three months.

Stress management courses and subliminal audio tapes and CDs can be powerful weapons in the battle against nicotine addiction. Every one is different, and every addiction is different too. What helps one person quit might not work as well for you, so don't give up. Some smokers reap the most benefit from combining two or more methods of quitting.

Brent Crouch is the owner of BrentCrouch.com and StopSmokingEtc.com. He has dedicated this site to providing information on ways to quit smoking and other stop smoking related topics.

Title:
Quit Smoking for Good
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