Best Ways To Quit Smoking

Although there are several different methods you can try to overcome your smoking habit, there isn't a best way as everybody is different.  Different people respond differently to each method. What works well for somebody else might not work for you, and vice versa.  There are three common methods the smokers can use to help kick the habit. None of these are necessarily the best ways to quit smoking as people are different.  Be prepared try to one of the others of one method doesn't work for you.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Some would argue that the best ways to quit smoking involve nicotine replacement therapy. The idea is to provide the person who is quitting with enough nicotine to reduce the physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. However the nicotine is provided through gum or a patch that is applied to the skin. Therefore the individual using NRT does not breath in smoke or any of the tars and carcinogens it contains. The amount of nicotine is gradually reduced until the person does not need it any more.

Other people might tell you that the best ways to quit smoking do not include nicotine replacement therapy because it still provides the chemical that the smoker craves for. Therefore when the nicotine replacement therapy stops the former smoker will want to smoke again. In other words NRT may simply prolong the period of withdrawal.

Pharmaceuticals And Counseling

If you talk to your doctor about the best ways to quit smoking and ask for help he or she may prescribe a medication to help eliminate the craving and suggest that you use this in conjunction with counseling. For instance a medication called Chantix is often prescribed to help people quit smoking. This medication works by blocking the nicotine receptors in the brain so that the smoker does not get any pleasure from the act of smoking. When this medication is used in conjunction with counseling it has quite a good success rate.

Cold Turkey

You can always try the natural way of going cold turkey. This is the way that the majority of smokers attempt to quit the habit.  You decide upon a date that you will quit smoking and then stick to it.  No patches or medication are used and it is entirely up to the will power of the individual to distract themselves from the urge to smoke.  Relaxation techniques can be can used if you get stressed to help reduce the urge to light a cigarette.  Going cold turkey will most probably result in withdrawal symptoms that can include anxiety, headaches and tetchiness.  For this reason many doctors don't believe that this is the best method of quitting.