Have you been wanting to ditch your smoking habit?

Well, you’re in luck because the solution to your long standing dilemma is well within reach.

Smoking can prove to be a hard habit to break. Having a good dose of nicotine in every cigarette is what makes this habit forming drug even harder to get rid of. Nicotine has addictive factors that are similar to cocaine and amphetamines, making this drug a notoriously addictive one and one that is very difficult to get rid of.

The choice to quit has to first come from within, for it is the only way one will be able to effectively put an end to this habit. The use of various stop smoking aids is the perfect combination to your will power and determination to quit and can help immensely those struggling to quit.

There are many products to help you quit smoking.
While any of these quit smoking aids themselves or in combination can help you to quit smoking, none of them can 100% guarantee success. They can greatly ease the cessation process, but you must first be determined to quit smoking. Assuming that you’ve made the decision to quit smoking and the determination to do so is there, there are some great ideas when it comes to how to stop smoking. Let’s take a look at what some of the most popular and accessible quit smoking aids and techniques available so you can make the best decision about the option giving you the best chance of quitting for the long term.

Nicotine Replacement Stop Smoking Aids
Perhaps you’ve seen those TV ads for the nicotine patch, and you may have heard of other options like nicotine gum. But do they really work? And are they safe?

Nicotine addiction isn’t just a mental problem or a state of mind. It’s an actual physical disease that affects your body’s chemical makeup. Quitting isn’t necessarily just a matter of mind over matter–it’s also a process of making your body less physically dependent on its drug of choice and returning yourself to a pure, natural state.

Cigarettes contain the addictive substance – nicotine. It’s the nicotine in cigarettes that is one of the main reasons why quitting is so hard. A nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, works on the principle of replacing cigarette nicotine with nicotine from another source. NRT’s might be administered either thru patches, nasal sprays, gums and lozenges. These are temporarily support devices that help wean you away from cigarettes gradually. After your body receives its daily nicotine dose, you have less cessation symptoms and this leaves you more stress-free time to cope with the behavioral side of quitting smoking.

There are various forms of nicotine replacement therapy products.
For example, nicotine gum such as Nicorette Nicotine Gum is a very popular stop smoking aid and widely used by ex-smokers. It is one of the most commonly talked about products to help you quit smoking, and one well worth trying. You don’t need a prescription for nicotine gum and all you need to do is to chew the gum whenever you have a desire for a cigarette. These gums contain nicotine that is released in your body when chewing.

Most people are able to use nicotine gum without any problems, but if you have certain health conditions you may not be able to take the gum. This includes diabetes, heart disease, overactive thyroid, stomach problems such as ulcers, or if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or nursing.

There are also Lozenges which are a popular quit smoking aid that comes in the form of a convenient small candy to help you quit smoking.

The nicotine patch is another commonly used stop smoking aid based on nicotine replacement therapy. The nicotine patches are usually tan or transparent and invisible when put under clothes. They should be placed over clean skin anywhere between your neck and waist. Most users like to place it in an inconspicuous spot on the body so that no one will be able to tell that they are wearing it at all. The nicotine patch releases small amounts of nicotine – enough for your brain to think you are smoking but without the dangerous effect of the rest cigarette ingredients. There are various patches available – some should stay on for 12-16 hours, others should be changed every 24 hours.

Stop smoking pill
The same medicine developed to treat depression is also a great stop smoking product. Zyban is a popular quit smoking pill that many ex-smokers find extremely useful. It doesn’t contain nicotine so it’s good if you are unable to use nicotine products. You should ask your doctor for a prescription in order to buy Zyban and you should start taking it one of two weeks before your quit smoking date.

Quit smoking injection
Quit smoking injections are a very popular and highly successful way to quit smoking. The one-time stop smoking injection is considered to give above a 70-80% chance to quit smoking permanently. Essentially, it blocks the nicotine receptors in your brain and can help you forget about cigarettes completely leaving you with no desire to smoke.

Laser Stop Smoking Aids
Laser therapy is an advanced stop smoking method that is a well-known and successful way to quit smoking. The therapy employs ancient Chinese acupuncture techniques – specific points of your body are stimulated with low-level (also called cold) lasers. This results in increased endorphin production that reduces cravings and post-smoking symptoms. Laser treatments give very good results especially when they are combined with a correct behavior therapy.

Alternative Stop Smoking Aids
Many people who want to quit smoking are hesitant to use any form of chemical substances or they have a medical condition does not allow the use of nicotine replacement therapy products (people with heart problems, diabetes, stomach problems, pregnant or breast-feeding women, etc). The good news is that there is a stop smoking aid for those people as well.

Herbal products
If you prefer a natural quit smoking product, there are many herbal products available that are a very efficient alternative that will reduce the cigarette cravings, the cessation symptoms, and help you to quit smoking.

There are herbal pills and drops available that work on the same principle as many chemical pills. Some herbal teas also help reduce the cravings. When you feel like a smoke, have a cup of tea instead. There are also herbal cigarettes that can help with the something in your hands habit. Herbal cigarettes look the same as nicotine cigarettes but do not contain the nicotine or tar.

Acupuncture
Many people prefer the traditional Chinese acupuncture practice rather than laser therapy as it is a non-medical treatment that does not include any use of chemical or herbal medications.

Quit Smoking Hypnosis
If you have tried other stop smoking methods and they do not seem to work for you, you may want to try a newer idea, hypnosis. Stop smoking hypnosis is a stop smoking method that scares some people, but there is really no reason to worry. Hypnosis is not dangerous at all, it has just gotten a bad rap over the years, but it is something that you should definitely at least consider if you are a smoker and want to quit. Stop smoking hypnosis is a very natural process that many people find soothing and relaxing. Recent studies show that hypnosis has proved beneficial in a large number of cases.

Quit smoking hypnosis obviously exercises hypnosis as a medium to make you believe that you are not addicted to smoking and that you no longer need to smoke. Some may find it weird but hypnosis is utilized to cure a number of psychological disorders and can be very successful depending on the individual Keep in mind that quitting smoking will not only affect your physical body but your mind as well. This is a perfect example of mind over matter, where a person is able to change whatever he or she desires just by thinking it.

Unfortunately, quitting smoking is one of the most difficult things to achieve because smokers will have developed such a craving for nicotine that only the most committed and dedicated of smokers are able to successfully kick the habit.

To get the results you are looking for, you may even need to use a combination of two or more of these stop smoking aids. For the greatest success to permanently quit smoking, you’ll want to combine the quit smoking product you’re using with a good behavior therapy. This will help you realize and fully understand why you need to quit smoking and will help you better organize your life to exclude smoking.

Regardless of the quit smoking aid you try, you should always consult your doctor in advance who will be able to recommend the best product and prescribe for you the best medical treatment in accordance with your health conditions. He can also provide you with follow up checks and re-adjust your quit smoking therapy accordingly.