Quit Smoking Advice

Tips to Quit Smoking | Smoking, quit smoking, Twilight | FitSugar …

Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Patch (or Gum) — Forms of nicotine replacement therapy have been shown to double your chances of quitting smoking, and can help you fight the urge to light up when you’re facing nicotine withdrawal, …

Tips On How To Quit Smoking? | quittingcigarettes.net

For the past month, i’ve been smoking to up to five sticks a day. Any tips to minimize and eventually stop my smoking habit?

Every smoker has a different reason for their continued addiction. Some enjoy the social side of smoking, some enjoy the act of smoking itself, and some hang on to the much derided concept of smoking being “cool” and “rebellious”. However, the main reason most smokers continue their habit is down to a fear of quitting.

Sitcom and drama writers have long relied on stories about their characters quitting smoking, usually for comedic effect. The general perception is that quitting smoking is hard and, during the process, the individual will become fraught and difficult to live with. Overall, this seems to be accepted fact and almost a cause for hilarity, when in fact it puts many smokers off the idea of quitting.

Every smoker knows that, with every cigarette, they are shortening their life span. But the alternative – the act of quitting – seems almost as bad. Many smokers fear they won’t be able to deal with the side effects of smoking cessation, such as withdrawal. Some fear that by quitting smoking, they will gain weight. These may seem like small fears compared with the idea of lung cancer, but they are nevertheless large contributing factors as to why so many smokers remain smokers.

There is no doubt that stopping smoking isn’t easy. As well as the effects of physical withdrawal, many smokers cannot face the loss of the social aspect of their life. Smokers are often heard to say that they don’t want to quit as the majority of their social circle smokes and they would somehow feel left out. But these issues must be pushed through to achieve any kind of success when it comes to quitting cigarettes for good.

Begin by acknowledging the issues. Acknowledge that, for a period of time, life may be quite unpleasant. You will have to deal with the aspects of withdrawal that are physical, as well as the social and emotional attachment to smoking. While it may seem easier to bury your head in the sand and continue smoking to avoid these difficulties, the simple fact remains that your life will be much, much worse than the occasional withdrawal pain and social problem if you continue smoking.

Be aware of the potential problems and try to plan around them. Although the problems themselves may be largely insoluble in advance, at least by being forewarned and aware of any issues you have a level of preparation that should make everything easier to deal with. And remember, the short term pain and problems of quitting will soon be replaced with a stronger, healthier lifestyle. Surely some things are worth a little sacrifice?

With most aids to stopping smoking, the emphasis is placed on eradicating the craving for nicotine by introducing a period of nicotine replacement therapy. This comes in many forms, from the standard patches and gum to the lesser known nasal spray and lozenges.

While using these methods of nicotine replacement therapy almost doubles the chances of total cessation of smoking, these methods do very little to help the other problems of quitting smoking. While the main issue for most is the nicotine withdrawal, many smokers suffer emotional problems when quitting smoking. Some of this is chemical, as some of the chemicals contained without nicotine and cigarettes are powerful stimulants of the feel-good hormone dopamine. However, some of the problems are social and mental.

Non smokers may find it hard to believe, but many smokers actually enjoy smoking. They enjoy the feeling of sitting back and relaxing with a cigarette and the social life that comes with smoking; after all, nothing bonds people together like trying to smoke in the wind and the rain. Some people also suffer if they used smoking as a comfort, and as soon as these people have a bad moment or anxious period, their desire to smoke is unignorable and even with nicotine replacement therapy cannot be eradicated.

The emotive side of smoking is a powerful one, and one that is now recognised by doctors and researchers. At present, there is a way to help combat the emotional impact of stopping smoking. A drug named bupropion, given the retail name Zyban, is traditionally used as an anti-depressant. However, doctors found that people using it reported a lessening in their desire to smoke, even if they were not trying to quit at the time. More was researched into this, and soon the drug was made available to help people quit smoking who had no other mental illnesses. Zyban works by helping people deal with, and in some cases eradicate, the emotions associated with quitting smoking – such as restlessness, depression and anxiety.

The drug is taken for around 12 weeks, the course usually beginning one week before the person quits smoking. This is to allow for the drug to build up to the necessary levels in a person’s system. Two tablets are taken each day, eight hours apart, up to a maximum dose of 300mg.

Studies have shown that people were 25% more likely to cease smoking for good when taking Zyban, compared to those who were given a placebo. As Zyban itself contains no nicotine, it can be used in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy such as patches and gum, giving the smoker a much better chance of stopping smoking for good.

Zyban is a relatively new drug and is therefore closely monitored. It is only available by prescription from a doctor and will only be given for smoking cessation once. It is particularly useful for those who have tried to quit smoking before and found the reason they returned was less due to cravings and more for emotive reasons. As more is discovered about Zyban and further clinical trials are conducted, the promising start of this drug in the fight against smoking may blossom into a stunning future.

One of the biggest mistakes smokers make when trying to give up is to go it alone. This is both in terms of trying to quit “cold turkey” – i.e. not using any form of nicotine replacement therapy – and by not seeking help and advice from others.

It is estimated that if a smoker goes on a course of nicotine replacement therapy and has group therapy with a qualified counsellor, their chances of stopping smoking for good are as high as 90%.

Unfortunately, many people still have huge reservations about therapy. It is easy to see why people find the idea of sitting around with a group of strangers, talking about personal emotions and issues may seem daunting, and many believe it doesn’t work anyway. But statistics show that when people do seek professional group support while quitting smoking, it genuinely does help lessen their chances of resuming the habit.

It can be immensely freeing to sit with people, from all walks of life, who are in a similar situation to you and talk about it. This is especially true if it’s something you’ve never done before. Quitting smoking is incredibly difficult, particularly if you are the only one in your social circle who has decided to kick the habit. By attending group meetings, you are going to receive support and – most importantly – understanding from people who are in the exact same position. Group therapy is recommended for almost anything – there has to be a reason for that, and the main reason is that it works. Why not try it and see? After all, if you genuinely disliked the first session, there’s no need to go again.

Similar concepts apply to quitting smoking without using nicotine replacement therapy. Many people believe that using aids like nicotine patches and gum simply prolongs their addiction and they want to make a clean break, which is understandable. Yet the chances of someone staying off cigarettes for life doubles when they use nicotine replacement therapy, which is – in the long term – the most effective way of ridding yourself of the addiction once and for all.

Giving up smoking is wickedly difficult for most people, so why not get all the support you need? Smoking may be legal, but it’s still a potent addiction – very few people are expected to stop using heroin or alcohol without support, so why smoking? By getting help, you are genuinely doubling – and in the case of also using therapy, perhaps trebling – your chances of kicking the habit for good.

Perhaps the most effective methods of nicotine replacement therapy are the oral ones, such as gum. This is due to their efficacy and speed. When nicotine is absorbed through the lining of the mouth, it hits the blood stream extremely quickly and is therefore able to help cease cravings.

Thankfully, there are other options and they are just as effective as their better known colleagues. The first option is microtabs. These work like a small tablet, and contain around 2mg of nicotine in each piece. When you feel like you need a cigarette, place a microtab under the tongue and allow it to dissolve, which will take around half an hour. This is important, as if you suck or chew a microtab you may reduce it’s effectiveness. The microtab then releases around half of its dosage into the body, which should reduce cravings. Most smokers need around 14 microtabs a day at the beginning of quitting.

There are various disadvantages to microtabs, including the unpleasant taste of nicotine. They are also one of the more costly forms of nicotine replacement therapy.

Fortunately, there is another alternative to gum and patches. Nicotine that is released into the lining of the mouth is the quickest way of reducing a craving, so developers have continued to try and find a suitable oral form of nicotine replacement therapy.

The last option is the nicotine lozenge. These work like a standard lozenge for sore throats, in that they release chemicals throughout their life span. Nicotine lozenges are hugely effective as a form of replacement therapy, with one recent test showing that those who used them when quitting smoking were 46% more likely to stop smoking for good.

The real benefit of nicotine lozenges is that they are devoid of the unsavoury taste of nicotine. Unlike gum and microtabs, the lozenges are quite pleasant in taste while still doing the vital job of helping stop cravings. They are also more discreet than chewing gum and therefore more socially acceptable.

Whichever method of oral nicotine replacement therapy you choose, you will have almost doubled your chances of quitting smoking.