Smoking cessation is a lifestyle choice that can offer many health benefits. According to the National Cancer Institute, smoking harms nearly every organ in the body. Smoking also is a leading cause of cancer and death from cancer. However, nicotine is addictive, and many people find it difficult to break the habit. It is not unusual to try quitting several times before succeeding.
Cold Turkey
Choose a quit date. According to the American Cancer Society, the date should be within a month of making the decision to quit. Telling friends and family members helps prepare them for any mood shifts you might experience with nicotine withdrawal. They can also provide verbal support. Hard candy, carrot sticks, sugarless gum, toothpicks and coffee stirrers are oral substitutes that can provide oral stimulation to help overcome the desire to smoke.
Gradually Quitting
As with the cold turkey method, choose a quit day. The same steps in the cold turkey way of stopping are followed, but instead of going from a normal number of cigarettes per day, the number of cigarettes smoked each day is gradually lowered. This gradual decrease can be accomplished in several ways. One way is to decrease daily cigarette consumption by one until you are no longer smoking. Another way is to lower each week the number of cigarettes smoked daily. This allows more time for the body to adjust to decreased nicotine intake.
Nicotine Substitutes and Additional Support
Nicotine substitutes can help a person quit smoking while still delivering nicotine into the body, which reduces potential effects of nicotine withdrawal. Support groups can provide moral support and help during a moment of crisis, when the urge to smoke can be overwhelming. There are also websites with online tools that can help you to kick the habit. For some people, there are prescription medications that can help overcome the urge to smoke. A physician should be consulted if this is an option being considered.
Review Reasons
You may slip after quitting and have a cigarette. If this happens, it can be useful to review the reasons you stopped smoking. A slip is one cigarette that does not have to lead to a resumption of smoking. Talk to friends and family, and seek support from them in reinforcing your decision to stop smoking.
