Options for quitting Smoking
If any of you have ever tried to give up smoking you may know how hard it can be. For some people it is easy, and they are the ones who stand there looking smug saying “It’s not that hard!”. However, for those people with addictive personalities, it can be one of the hardest things that you try to do in your life. It is not that the nicotine addiction is unbelievably strong – it is more that people who smoke like to smoke and cigarettes are everywhere. The main issue is that smoking a cigarette is so easy to do, they are just so readily available! So if willpower alone has failed you, what are your other options for quitting smoking?
Nicotine Patches
These have been around for years and all intents purposes work to stop nicotine cravings by somehow (I am no scientist) giving you a nicotine-style drip from the said patch. I have never tried them, but have had reports from friends who have used patches that say they work. Not only that, but if you have a cigarette whilst wearing the patches it makes you feel very sick. There are a couple of issues though, in that they are very expensive if you don’t get them from your doctors, and also even though they felt sick my friends just ended up needing more nicotine so smoked whilst wearing the patches. I know, idiots right?
Ex Cig
Ex Cig is an electronic cigarette brand that labels itself as the brand that gives you the freedom to smoke where you want. This could be relevant to any electronic cigarette brand but either way, this is becoming a very popular method for quitting. You feel like you are still smoking due to the atomizer producing what can only really be described as fake smoke. There is an initial outlay for the actual cigarette but after that, it is considerably cheaper than smoking cigarettes filled with tobacco! A word of warning though, be conscious of the fact that it is still delivering nicotine into your bloodstream.
As such, if you sit there smoking one for an hour you are going to feel a little bit sick. They are great for train journeys, in the office, or on the plane because they are odorless (and you are not smoking). It also solves the problem of what to do with your hands as many people complain of their ‘habit’ being the actual action of taking a drag of a cigarette.
Hypnotherapy
Sounds a little bit kooky I know, but it works like a dream. You go on a day-long course after which over 95% of people don’t smoke afterward (not sure how true that is). Whatever the statistic is, it has worked for a large portion of the people that I know who have gone on these hypnotherapy courses. I am still fairly unsure as to what they do on them, but at the same time if they work then all is good! This is the most expensive option with days costing up to £500.
Depending on your budget and preferences there are a large variety of tools available to the public for quitting smoking. Whether you feel that patches suffice or you need an electronic cigarette to twiddle in your fingers, experiment with different methods until you find something that suits you.