Most smokers by now are familiar with the cold turkey approach to
stopping smoking (not recommended), and the many stop-smoking aids
available from the high street pharmacy. Sadly, there are some folks who
have tried just about every conventional method to quit yet still can't
seem to stay stopped. Are these traditional options really failing
them, or are the smokers themselves just not serious enough about
quitting? Well, if you're here and reading this, then there's a good
chance you are serious, but perhaps you're seeking some alternative ways
to stop smoking tobacco.
Smoking cessation, just like quitting
alcohol, or dieting, does not have a single solution which suits all.
This is why there is a variety of both conventional and alternative
treatments for managing the physical craving of nicotine and the metal
obsession to smoking. Let's start by breaking down some of the common
choices first and then we'll take a look at the alternative ways to stop
smoking later in the piece.
Cold Turkey: Set a
date and just stop completely! Not really recommended simply because the
withdrawal symptoms can drive a person nuts and have them reaching for a
packet of 20 before the days end. However, younger smokers who have not
been in the grip of nicotine for as long as many older smokers, usually
have a higher success rate at this somewhat drastic approach.
Cutting Down Gradually:
Although this sounds like a good idea in theory, it has little chance
of succeeding with most smokers! A typical active smoker is a master at
finding justifiable excuses, and the moment a little upheaval happens
in their life, they reach for the tobacco. Cutting down is perhaps a
method tried by most smokers who have just made a decision to quit, but
very few can tell you they managed to stop and stay stopped by gradually
cutting down until the desire to smoke was completely lifted.
Quit smoking Products:
There are so many of these and they are by far the most successful at
helping smokers stop altogether. Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT)
are perhaps the most successful. These include patches, gums, inhalers
and nasal sprays. There are also tablets (Zyban (Bupropion)) which some
smokers find effective. However, pills are usually prescription only and
can result in some uncomfortable side effects in certain patients.
Alternative Ways to Stop Smoking in 2009
Stop Smoking with Hypnotherapy:
Hypnosis to quit smoking is becoming more popular with each passing
year. This type of therapy does not come cheap and has little chance of
working if the patient is skeptical about the practice. For those who do
believe, or are willing to believe in hypnosis, the reports have been
very positive. Hypnosis to stop smoking works by changing the attitude
of the smoker so that stopping smoking becomes a strong positive thought
and diverts the user attitude towards cessation.
Stop Smoking with Acupuncture: Like
hypnotherapy, acupuncture is also gaining in popularity for those
looking for alternative methods to quit smoking. Acupuncture is based a
combination of ear acupuncture points which are said to alleviate the
withdrawal symptoms which are often triggered when a smoker is deprived
of nicotine.
Stop Smoking with Aromatherapy: This
is a gentler, softer approach to giving up smoking. Aromatherapy is
more popular among women than men seeking to quit the habit. The special
smoking cessation oil is said to be made up of eight essential oils
which are intended to provide relief from the discomforts of nicotine
withdrawal.
Stop Smoking with Meditation:
Meditation is all about finding inner strength and peace. It's said that
the habit and addiction of smoking cannot possibly exist in either the
mind or the body when a person has achieved that inner peace and
newfound strength by practicing meditation techniques. Both the thought
of smoking and the act of smoking are negatives, and meditation works by
removing, or dismissing harmful thoughts. When negative beliefs are
removed or controlled, the desire to persist with the destructive
behaviour is gone.
There are more alternative ways to stop smoking
than those mentioned in this short piece. Hopefully you now have an
insight into a few of the more popular methods used successfully. Those
of you looking for less typical ways to kick the smoking habit once and
for all, now have a plethora of choices available at your disposal.
Whether you opt for conventional or unconventional methods to help you
wean off the drug nicotine, the help is out there should you want it.
The only thing that can stop you from stopping now is you yourself.
Discover the various ways to quit smoking in 2009, both conventional and alternative. Many ex smokers can and do Stop Smoking by Hypnosis,
acupuncture, aromatherapy, and meditation. All this and much more when
you visit Addicted To More dot com - Your Independent Guide to
Recovering from Addictions.
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