Are you ready to kick the habit.
There are different ways to quit smoking. Some work better than others. The best plan is the one you can stick with. Consider which of these would
work for you:
1. Cold turkey (no outside help). About 90% of people who try to quit smoking do it without outside support -- no aids, therapy, or medicine. Although most people try to quit this way, it's
not the most effective and successful method. Only between 4% to 7% are able to quit by going cold turkey alone.
2. Build a quit plan. Pick a quit date that gives you time to prepare without losing your motivation to quit. Tell friends and family that you are quitting. Remove cigarettes and ashtrays from your home, work, and car. Identify smoking
triggers, and decide how you are going to deal with them.
3. Behavioral therapy. You'll work with a
counselor to find ways not to smoke. Together, you'll find your triggers (such as emotions or situations that make you want to smoke) and make a plan to get through cravings.
4. Nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, sprays, and lozenges are nicotine replacement therapies. They work by giving you nicotine without using tobacco .
You may be more likely to quit smoking if you use nicotine replacement therapy. If you're younger than 18, you need to get your doctor's permission to use it. This plan works best when you also get behavioral therapy and lots of support from friends and family.
5. Medicine. Buproprion ( Zyban ) and varenicline ( Chantix ) are intended to help people quit smoking . Your doctor must prescribe these medications .
6. Combo treatments. Using a combination of treatment methods may raise your chances of quitting. For example, using both a nicotine patch
and gum may be better than a patch alone. Other proven combos include behavioral therapy and nicotine replacement therapy, prescription
medication with a nicotine patch, and nicotine patch and nicotine spray. The FDA has not yet approved using two types of nicotine replacement therapy at the same time, so be sure to talk with
your doctor first to see if this is the right
approach for you.
5 Rules for Quitting Smoking
1. Know your triggers and avoid them early on. Try to stay away from situations that normally make you feel like smoking, especially during the
first 3 months. This is when you're most likely to start smoking again. Make a plan. Write down your triggers and how you can manage each situation.
2. Know that the first few days are the toughest. Especially if you're quitting "cold turkey," the first few days are the hardest. Have a quit smoking support group available. This can be a good
friend, support group or a quit line you can call.
You'll probably feel irritable, depressed, slow, and tired. Once you get past those first days, you'll begin to feel normal (but still have cigarette cravings).
3. Don't give in to your craving to smoke. Every time you don't smoke when you have a craving, your chances of quitting successfully go up. Change your habits, and find other things for your mouth to do such as eating carrot sticks or
sunflower seeds.
4. Try a new hobby with friends who don't smoke. Do something that keeps your hands active and reduces stress, such as exercise. This makes success more likely.
5. Reward yourself. What you are doing is not easy. Treat yourself with something you enjoy. When smoking is no longer something you do, it
can change how you see yourself. As much as you want to quit smoking, you may be surprised to feel sad or miss it. That's normal. Take care, though, if feeling sad usually makes you want to
smoke.
