For When You Just Can't Quit - Use Aids To Stop Smoking

There Are Many Aids To Help You Quit Smoking!

The battle to stop smoking can either be fought alone or you can take advantage of some aids that can help you in your efforts to quit and stay quit. Fortunately, you won't have to search very far for any of these - most are normally within easy reach. You can choose from prescribed medications, patches, gums, inhalers, hypnosis, self-help groups, laser therapy and quit smoking clinics. Some of these options can be quite expensive so it's always best to investigate the potential costs in advance.

Among the most popular and most common treatments are nicotine replacement therapies - these include nicotine patches, gums and nasal sprays. Next in line after this is Zyban, which until recently was the most popular pill for smokers who were trying to quit. The release of Chantix and its claimed effectiveness has put Zyban in the shadows for the time being. The idea of any of the above treatments is to wean you off nicotine and to reduce the severity of your withdrawal symptoms by providing your body with lower and lower doses of nicotine until your body can then live without it.

One quick comment about taking Zyban or Chantix - make sure these are prescribed by your doctor. Buying them online and taking them without a prior medical consultation could be very dangerous to anyone suffering from heart issues, hypertension or epilepsy - these medications any such conditions.

Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments are growing in popularity.  Herbal cigarettes, one of these treatments, has recently grown in popularity. While these can reduce your dependence on nicotine, you're still inhaling smoke in large quantities and this is still not good for your health. Also, as a footnote, I never did manage to find a herbal cigarette that didn't smell like a wheatfield burning - they normally stink to high heaven.

For those who, quite literally, want a more hands on approach you could try acupressure or acupuncture. Both of these ancient Asian treatments work on specific points on the body to reduce your dependence on nicotine, boost your immune system and increase the release of endorphins (feel good chemicals) into the bloodstream. There are no negative side effects to either of these treatments but you may feel slightly unwell for 24 - 48 hours as your body detoxes. Laser therapy is a modern version of acupuncture and acupressure that works on the same principle of "activating" points on the body but it uses a low power cold laser instead of human hands.

Your final option is to look at clinics where counselors will teach you how to quit and support you during the process. These clinics normally use a form of conscious hypnosis (i.e. you're awake) and the power of suggestion to make your mind believe it no longer needs to smoke. The success rate will vary from clinic to clinic but some have claimed smoking cessation rates of over 75%.

The important thing to take away from all of this is that you're not alone in your struggle to quit smoking. There are millions of others like you and there are dozens of treatments there to help you. The hardest part is deciding which treatment suits you best and then just sticking with it until you've successfully quit.