Best Ways to Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times.- Mark Twain.

I am sure every smoker would agree with Mark Twain. What makes smoking a hard habit to break is the addictive effect that nicotine, the main component in tobacco, has on smokers. Nicotine triggers the brain's reward system in the same way that other drugs like cocaine and amphetamine do, although to a lesser extent than these drugs.

This reward system is responsible for the pleasure that one feels after taking a puff. However, there are a large number of diseases that are caused due to smoking. Nicotine is harmful to all the organs of the body, which weakens the immune system.

Besides nicotine there are thousands of other harmful substances present in a cigarette that cause cancer, damage to lungs, and a number of teratogenic defects in children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. Here are a few effective ways to quit this habit.

This therapy makes use of nicotine patches, gums, and sprays that provide low doses of nicotine in the blood. While a nicotine patch needs to be worn on a hairless patch on the body like the chest, upper arm, upper back, or hip, nicotine gum is a simpler option.

Besides supplying nicotine to blood, nicotine gum keeps the mouth engaged in chewing, which reduces the instances of smoking. As the body is getting nicotine, these therapies help one to deal with the withdrawal symptoms.

These aids also cut down the supply of tar and other poisonous gases to the body. However, the fact remains that nicotine is still being supplied to the system. Although these therapies aim at stopping a person from smoking by slowly reducing the dose of nicotine, many times these aids themselves turn into an addiction.

Wellbutrin, formerly known as Zyban, is a prescribed anti-depressant that provides about 35% success in the short term, by reducing the withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Another prescription medicine is Chantix, that reduces one's cravings to smoke. If one smokes while taking the medicine, it reduces the sensation of satisfaction that one gets on smoking.

Alternative therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, and meditation are also believed to be useful in helping a smoker give up cigarettes. However, these have not been found to be very useful on their own.

These seem to be helpful to those who have decided to go 'cold turkey' by positively reinforcing their determination to quit the habit. Some even resort to laser therapy to quit smoking. This therapy works by administering laser to specific points in the body that are associated with smoking addiction.

Herbs like Garcinia cambogia, lobelia, and the Korean ginseng are a few of the herbs that provide us a natural way to quit smoking. These herbs help one to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and reduces the urge to smoke.

In this method, a smoker willingly subjects himself to hypnotism. In the therapy, the patient is often asked to imagine the unpleasant outcomes of smoking. The hypnotherapist would ask the person think that the smoke of cigarette smells like exhaust of a truck. Through the hypnotherapy sessions, the therapist uses the method of auto suggestion to help the smokers build the will power to give up smoking.

'Where there is a will there is a way'. When it comes to how to discontinue smoking cigarettes, probably will power is the only way. One can get away with smoking without the use of any therapy or smoking aids if one decides to do so. On the other hand, lack of will power would fail the best aid or therapy.

It is the harmful effects of smoking that has made us come up with various ways to quit smoking. However, what one really needs is the will power to do so.

Disclaimer: This Story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.