Beat the Smoking Habit Once and For All

Stop Smoking Help

Overcoming a nicotine addiction entails far more than simply wanting to quit, as new medical research will attest. Few people would suggest that recovering from addiction to the notorious drug heroin could be easily achieved with willpower alone-and yet studies have shown nicotine to be a more intensely addictive substance than heroin. When you are truly ready to quit, take advantage of one of the several support methods that are available today-they can help you to ultimately stop smoking for good.

Although no one particular method has been deemed as a the perfect cure-all for overcoming an addiction to nicotine, studies do show that those who use some form of support have a far greater success rate than those who try to quit smoking using the method familiarly known as "cold turkey."

Some of the most widely recommended methods for finally quitting include the following:

Prescription Drugs

Your doctor can prescribe one of the several medications proven effective at treating the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Buproprion, an antidepressant, has been found helpful to people trying to quit smoking. Researchers theorize that smokers have anxiety-related conditions for which they use cigarettes to cope with. Buproprion seems to work by balancing the chemical messengers within the brain, reducing agitation while soothing the common side effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Another prescription medication, varenicline, has also been used by smokers in an effort to stop smoking. Since the drug isn't addictive, has a relatively low amount of side effects, and also doesn't contain nicotine, it offers several favorable benefits.

Tried and True-the Patch and NRT

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) may come in many forms, including the patch, which is the most commonly used, chewing gum, nasal spray and inhalers, as well as tablets and nicotine lozenges. Regardless of the product used, the process is the same; to gradually decrease one's intake of nicotine while easing the symptoms of withdrawal.

Natural Remedies

Those interested in natural products or remedies use methods such as hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis, meditation, acupuncture, and laser therapy as a means of quitting smoking. Also available are patches, capsules, and teas made from all-natural or herbal ingredients as a means of dealing with nicotine withdrawal.

Counseling and Forums

Some smokers benefit from the sense of camaraderie to be found in support groups. Look for a website or an online forum that provides 24 hour access to helpful information and inspiration from your allies in the fight against cigarettes. Or take part in a smoking cessation group. Some health insurance plans will cover the costs of attendance. If yours doesn't, hospitals, health clinics, and doctors offices will often offer free or low-cost workshops on quitting cigarettes.

Other smokers may feel more comfortable in a one-on-one atmosphere and would benefit from personal counseling sessions with a therapist. Depending on the type of therapy or the group involved, sessions may be weekly, or several times each week, usually lasting for three months, or longer.

Stress management courses and self-help methods such as subliminal or audio tapes and CDs are other popular choices used when battling nicotine addiction. As each person and their nicotine addiction is different, some will benefit from combining two or more methods of quitting smoking.

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