If you have tried to quit smoking, then you know how hard it can be. It hard because nicotine is an addictive substance. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. When you take your first puff of a cigarette, within seconds of taking a puff of smoke, nicotine travels right to your brain. It tells the brain to release chemicals that make you want to smoke more. Scary huh? I bet you did not know that it releases additive chemicals, that tells right there how dangerous it is for you. Everything a bout smoking is negative; there is not one positive thing about it.
Quitting is hard. Usually people make 2 to 3 tries, or more, before finally being able to quit. Studies have shown that each time you try to quit, you will be stronger and will have learned more about what helps and what hurts.
Anyone can quit smoking. It does not matter about age, health, or lifestyle. The decision to quit and your success are greatly influenced by how much you want to stop smoking. Half of all people who have ever smoked have quit.
Nicotine gum has helped many people become cigarette-free. You can purchase nicotine gum in your local drugstore and is used as a substitute for cravings that you will get for cigarettes when you stop smoking. You can pop in a piece of nicotine gum when you feel the urge for a cigarette.
The nicotine gum helps lessen the urge to smoke. The nicotine gum passes through the skin. This reduces the craving for nicotine when you stop smoking. It is important to follow the directions carefully when using the nicotine gum. Make sure you read the directions in the package carefully.
Some people stop-smoking cold turkey. This means that they just give up the cigarettes and do not look back. They do not taper off smoking. They do not set a date. They just decide they want to quit and do so. Cold turkey is the most difficult way to stop smoking. The slang term is used because when someone quit heroin (of which cigarette smoking is more addictive), they got bumps on their flesh that resembled that of a turkey.
Whatever the actual origin, quitting smoking cold turkey is probably the most popular, while not necessarily the most successful, method for quitting. It may also be the most challenging due to the severity of withdrawal symptoms the new ex-smoker faces.
You can improve your chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if you combine it with another method such as nicotine gum. Quitting cold turkey does not mean stopping without support or other methods. It means quitting using any whatever it takes to stop for good. If you have wanted to stop smoking but did not think that you could, you should try nicotine gum.
