By Cindy Smith, Guest blogger
As a die-hard smoker myself for 20 years, I know how hard it is to quit smoking. Nicotine is an addiction like no other! In fact, it’s two addictions: a physical addiction to nicotine and a psychological addiction to daily smoking rituals. It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit two or three times, or more, before finally kicking the habit. I have tried a variety of methods to quit – unsuccessfully I might add. I ordered an e-cigarette on the first of the year, so I will keep you updated! Some days I think the only way I will permanently
quit is if they put me in a coma!
Here’s the top five smoking cessation products on the market today:
- Chantix. CHANTIX is a non-nicotine prescription medicine specifically developed to help adults 18 and over quit smoking. Over 8 million people in the U.S. have already been prescribed CHANTIX. According to its website, it works by “targeting nicotine receptors in the brain, attaching to them, and blocking nicotine from reaching them.” Review: Gave me bad nightmares!
- Nicotine Replacement patches, lozenges or gum. Designed to wean your body off cigarettes, they supply you with nicotine in controlled amounts while sparing you from other chemicals found in tobacco products. They are supposed to be used on a temporary basis. Review: Good news? My husband quit smoking using the Nicotine gum. Bad news: Now he is addicted to the gum and his dentist is complaining!
- Nicotrol prescription inhaler. NICOTROL Inhaler is a mouthpiece and a
plastic cartridge that weans you slowly off cigarettes. Some say it helps with the
oral fixations as well. - Acupuncture. Acupuncture uses ultra-slim needles in various point in
the ears and body to assist with smoking cessation. In between treatments,
small pellets are often taped to the acupuncture points on the ear. When a
cigarette craving hits, gently pressing on the pellets stimulates the acupuncture points to calm the mind and eliminate the craving. - E-cigarettes. The latest in smoking cessation products, e-cigarettes are supposed to be safer than cigarettes. They reliably deliver a small quantity of nicotine without any of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco.
Quitting is different for everyone, so find an approach that will work for you. This may be either the cold turkey approach (stopping suddenly and totally) or a more gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.
Wish me luck… I’m going to try until I succeed!