Quit Smoking
According to the World Health Organization, smoking tobacco is one of the world’s foremost causes of death. Inhaling tobacco smoke gives the individual a feeling of mild euphoria caused by tobacco’s addictive harmane and nicotine properties.
Smoking reduces the appetite, and enhances blood sugar levels. The novice smoker also feels more alert and has a better memory recall. However, the World Health Organization warns that tobacco smoking exterminated over 100 million people last century, and the stakes for the 21st century are set at 100 billion.
It may take an individual more than one attempt to stop smoking. Studies show that the average smoker achieves quitting smoking anywhere between their seventh to fifteenth attempt. Nicotine’s powerful addiction can cause smokers to not quit even though they face health issues related to smoking. Some of the chief tobacco-related diseases include: lung-cancer, emphysema, and cardiovascular disease.
The most important question is: how does a person quit smoking forever? Luckily, coupling over-the-counter medications, like nicotine patches and gum, and anti-depressants, with positive support has shown significant lab results. Motivational counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, and an affirmative group setting have demonstrated effectiveness.
Here are some of the successful ways to quit smoking:
- “Cold Turkey” or giving up smoking and tobacco use entirely on willpower without the aid of nicotine medication. Statistics confirm 80% to 90% of heavy smokers have terminated tobacco use through this method.
- Support groups found on the Internet, and over the phone at 1-800-QUIT-NOW are available.
- Craving, urges, and withdrawal symptoms can be helped with the use of nicotine replacements like nicotine patches, sprays, gum, and mints. However, long-term quitting is best achieved if the nicotine replacements are used for the allotted eight to ten weeks.
- The antidepressant, Zyban, helps with the moodiness, and urges of tobacco withdrawals.
- Chantix, a nicotinic receptor antagonist, has shown success rate in the recent year.
- Lately, an experimental shot, which creates antibodies that halt nicotine from reaching the brain, has been showing promise to help quit smoking.
The methods above are standard. Below are some unusual and alternative ways how to stop smoking:
- Chamomile and Kava are well-tested herbal supplements.
- Self-help books have a very high rate of success.
- Computer programs, or “quit meters”, that calculate the dollars saved and tobacco not smoked.
- Praying, and partaking in spiritual healing and beliefs.
- Attending Nicotine Anonymous.
Smoking hypnotherapy is a popular method which helps individuals to recognize the psychological triggers of smoking, and the control smoking has over an individual. The results of hypnosis smoking, however, are undeterminable because smokers who undergo smoking hypnotherapy often do not remain tobacco free.
Applying the smoking help above will lend a hand to anyone who wants to quit smoking. Some of the effects of stopping tobacco use are: depression, weight gain, irritability, and an increased cardiovascular rate. Physically, nicotine clears the blood stream in 48 to 72 hours.
On a final note, the U.S. General Surgeon’s five key tips on how to quit smoking are: get ready, get support, learn new skills and behaviors, get and use medicine, and know the warning signs of relapse.