Qutting Smoking - Ways to Stop
There are numerous ways that people use to stop smoking.
People do actually succeed in stopping smoking but the same method of stopping
does not work for everyone and sometimes the same method may finally work only
after a second or third attempt at it is tried.
The most popular methods
used to quit smoking and not in any particular order are: -
1) Will
power 2) Cutting down 3) Hypnosis 4) Patches, Gum, Lozenges 5)
False Cigarette 6) Zyban 7) Acupuncture 8) Shock event
There is
no doubt that each of these methods has been successful in helping someone to
stop smoking. The work in slightly different ways to each other and I will
attempt to describe each method and in my opinion the pros and cons of
each
1) Will power This is probably the most used method for
stopping smoking and one that does work. Actually a certain amount of will
power will be required no matter what method of quitting smoking you use.
Unfortunately will power can of suggests a fight and suggests that if you are
strong minded you will succeed and that if you fail you are weak minded. The
description will power is not helpful as far as stopping smoking is concerned
because of the perceived battle that the word suggests. A better word would be
'decision'. Just make your decision and then that can be that. But make it a
final decision and not some halfhearted attempt and then you can quit
successfully.
2) Cutting down This involves will power with
the idea of feedback that you are succeeding plus knowing that you are
gradually weaning yourself off any perceived chemical dependency of cigarettes.
In theory it sounds great because if each day you smoke one less cigarette you
know you are getting closer to stopping. Unfortunately in order to know how
many cigarettes you are smoking you have to count them and then know at any
particular moment of the day how many you have had and how many more you can
have. This method means that you have to think about smoking much more than if
you were smoking freely. If something is on your mind more often, it then make
it harder to stop it. If you really want to succeed with using the cutting down
method, don't get into counting each cigarette.
A better tactic is to
decide to leave out certain cigarettes such as the one at 10:30 or the one
after lunch. This way you don't have to count how many you are smoking and yet
you know you are cutting down.
3) Hypnosis This method still
requires the 'will power' or even better the 'decision' from the smoker that
they want to stop. Hypnosis does not take away the choice of the person to
smoke rather it supports the decision to stop. It is like getting some extra
help to support your decision to stop. Importantly it uses suggestions that are
aimed at the stronger part of the mind, the subconscious mind, to let get of
this old outdate and no longer useful response to life.
4) Patches, Gum and Lozenges These methods
still give you nicotine. The idea is that it helps with any withdrawal symptoms
you may put down to stopping smoking. It is an odd sort of logic in that
patches, gum and lozenges still give you nicotine as a way of helping stop
taking nicotine via cigarettes. Also as long as you chew gum, suck lozenges or
have to wear a patch it constantly reminds you of smoking. A constant reminder
is not a useful method to use to help stop doing something.
5) False
Cigarette This is a substitute for the action and behaviour of smoking
but without the intake of all the chemicals involved. It helps those who would
ordinarily miss not doing something with the hands or those who would feel less
confident with having nothing in their hands. The down side is that although
you are no longer inhaling all those poisons you are still keeping the habit
and behaviour of smoking going.
6) Zyban A prescribed drug
that was found to help smokers with any perceived chemical withdrawal symptoms.
The idea is that if the physical side of smoking is being aided by zyban than
all you have to do is to deal with the action or routine of smoking. As soon as
you have stopped the routine and discovered you are okay and life can carry on
then you can under your doctor's direction come off zyban. Once again a method
that may work for some but there may be side effects of using zyban which need
consideration before using this method.
7) Acupuncture This is
the ancient Chinese treatment that inserts needles in certain acupuncture
points on the body. The acupuncture points are not random but are definite and
accurate places on the body. The idea with acupuncture is to enable the free
flow of energy known as chi (pronounced 'chee') to flow along the meridian
lines in the body. Blocks in the energy flow can cause or relate to issues
whether physical, mental or emotional. For some acupuncture treatment has
succeeded in helping them to stop smoking.
8) Shock event For
many people a shock of some sort will cause them to finally quit smoking. The
shock may be the discovery of some smoking related illness such as cancer or it
may be the loss of a friend or relative. Either way it brings home to the
smoker their own mortality and what part they play in staying well and healthy.
No one really chooses to be unhealthy. The shock event can work for many people
and help them to stop smoking. Where the shock event fails is when over time,
old fears feel more distant and the ex-smoker once again feels comfortable with
smoking.
The overriding asset and best resource in using any of the
above methods is the decision to stop smoking. So just make your decision to
stop smoking and then stick to it.
WEBMASTER'S WARNING:
The above article is provided by an external source. While it is useful
information, Quit Smoking Support and SmokingAloud.com does not necessarily
agree with everything it contains. |
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