Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do. Anyone who has tried, even if they were successful, will likely say it was extremely difficult. There are a variety of ways to try and quit smoking. If one way is unsuccessful try another. Quitting smoking as soon as possible is imperative to your health and the health of those around you. Before beginning any non-smoking program be sure to discuss it with your doctor.

The method most people try is to quit cold turkey. Unfortunately, this method is rarely successful. Quitting cold turkey means that you stop smoking cigarettes completely and never have another one. A few people have the will power to quit cold turkey, but there is more than willpower involved with this process. Your body is physically addicted to nicotine, suddenly stopping will result in fairly serious withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey may work for some people, but generally most people will start smoking again within a few days.

Other available options are nicotine gum and patches. Using these tools help you to come off your addiction to cigarettes, or other forms of nicotine, more slowly. Again, before using either of these methods you should discuss it with your doctor. Once you get the go-ahead, carefully follow all the directions. Unfortunately, part of the addiction is the habit of smoking itself. Besides the physical addiction, you are mentally and emotionally addicted as well. The hand to mouth motion is habit forming as is the oral gratification.

Finally, you can use medication to help you beat your smoking habit and nicotine addiction. Make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible and discuss your options. They can prescribe a medication that has few side effects and has a good success rate. Never begin taking someone else?s prescription medication, some medications could interfere with other medications you are currently taking.

If you are successful in your quest to stop smoking, know that the process will go on for the rest of your life. The social aspects are still there, even if you’ve beat the addiction. In the beginning stages at least, you may need to change your lifestyle. An example of what this means is to consider how many people like a cigarette with their drinks. Until you gain some confidence it would probably be best to tell your friends you won’t go out drinking for a while.

If you are a smoker, talk to your doctor sooner rather than later. You can extend your life by quitting now and also avoid terrible diseases attributed to smoking. Be good to yourself, do it now.