Are You Ready to Stop Smoking - What Method to Choose?

What Method to Choose?

Cold Turkey:If you're a pack-a-day smoker, this means going from 20 to 0 cigarettes in the matter of a day. With the "cold turkey" method, you completely stop your smoking all at once, relying on your will power to fight your nicotine addiction.

Gradual Reduction:A slow gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes you smoke over time is a method that many people try. Methods include smoking only half the cigarette, waiting an hour longer each day before lighting up your first cigarette or smoking only during odd or even hours. Although you are weaning yourself from addiction, you are still prolonging your exposure to the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy: NRT
These products replace some of the nicotine that you used to get from smoking. Nicotine replacement is used to wean you off nicotine by replacing the very high concentrations of nicotine you get from smoking with much lower doses delivered more slowly. It is a means of delivering nicotine without the harmful tar, gases and other elements of smoking. NRT reduces the cravings for cigarettes and the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. NRT is the most thoroughly researched method and tests have shown that, used correctly, it will double your chance of success - which is good news for those who have found withdrawal very hard on previous attempts. If you smoke your first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking, then you are more likely to benefit from NRT. 

To check you are using NRT properly, always follow the manufacturers' instructions. Ask your pharmacist or doctor if you are not sure. NRT is much safer than smoking but if you have a medical condition, any health worries or are pregnant, it is important that you talk to your pharmacist /doctor first.

There are several forms of nicotine replacement available - patches, gum, lozenge, nasal spray, inhalator and lolipops. All of these products are available on NHS prescription. In addition, it is possible to purchase them from pharmacists and some are available from supermarkets and other retail outlets. Many of these products offer programs of support to help smokers through the quitting process.

The patch gives you a continual supply of nicotine at a low dose while you are wearing it - so you can't respond quickly to a craving or a stressful moment. The gum and the spray deliver a higher dose quickly so you can respond to a craving with a "quick fix", as with cigarettes. If you smoke steadily through the day, the patch may suit you better. If you smoke mainly in response to cravings or stress, the gum or spray might be more flexible for you. One study has compared the effectiveness of gum, patch, spray and inhalator and found that they are similarly effective.

Patches, Gum, Nasal Spray ,Inhaler

Zyban:
Zyban is an anti-smoking pill that seems to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke, and it contains no nicotine. The action of the drug is still not fully understood, but it seems to have an effect on the chemicals in the brain associated with nicotine addiction (which include beta-endorphins, acetylcholine, dopamine and norepinephrine).

Chantix:
Chantix is a selective nicotinic receptor modulator used as part of a program to help you quit smoking.

Low-Level Laser Therapy:Low-level laser therapy utilizes principles similar to the ancient healing art of acupuncture - a technique of inserting and gently stimulating hair-thin needles into specific points of the body to trigger a natural healing response. Low-level lasers simulate a very similar response by emitting a fine-point "cold laser" into your skin which stimulates your body's endorphin production system. Endorphins are natural chemicals in your body that signal your internal system to decrease stress and increase energy. Consistent absorption of nicotine into your body through cigarette smoking soon allows nicotine to take over and control your body's endorphin reproduction system. By naturally restoring your body's endorphin levels through low-level laser therapy, laser intervention can then remove the hold that nicotine has on your system.

Hypnosis:Hypnosis may be very beneficial to assist in quitting smoking. The good news is that we learned that hypnosis can be highly effective for smoking cessation; research shows that when done correctly the success rate is slightly above 66%. Compare that to the success rates of trying to quit on your own: 5%, using behavior therapy 25%, or using Nicotine Replacement Products, 25% and hypnosis looks like the best option out there. In fact, there is no other method supported by research that even comes close.

Acupuncture:Acupuncture is a healing technique derived from ancient Chinese medicine. As with hypnosis, acupuncture works for those with a strong desire to quit.

This information is provided via http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/methods.htm

Behavior Change Coaching:

One other method that's not represented here is behavior change counseling and coaching - helping people understand the risks of their smoking, their history (when, why, how much?), and practical strategies to working through the quitting process to deal with triggers (temptation to smoke) and withdrawal symptoms if they arise.  This approach is found to be anywhere from 25 to 50%.

MINDWAYS QUIT Solutions™ is an integrated approach that uses a behavior change approach to uncover the reasons behind why you smoke, and how it has been affecting your life negatively.  We then use hypnosis to change that old negative messaging in your brain, and replace it with a new mindset that allows you to experience immediate lasting freedom from your tobacco dependence.

I hope this information has proven to be valuable in making your decision on how to stop smoking.  The most important message here is you need to stop for your own wellbeing, and for those you love.  Also, it would make the most sense to choose a method that yields the best numbers in delivering success. 

Please call, email, or leave a message for us here to let us start helping you today.  Take care, and we hope you choose to make one of the most important decisions in your life today!

Dave Greene RN

8 Myths About Quitting Smoking by Ashley Oerman

 

What you don't know about dropping the habit could hurt you.

Published: June 30, 2014  |  BY Ashley Oerman

Myth #1: E-Cigarettes will help you quit.

A new study by the University of California in San Francisco found that e-cigarettes are not as effective in helping smokers quit as you might think. The review of 82 studies looked at the impact e-cigarettes had on users and discovered that people who smoked the electronic cigs were actually less likely to quit smoking than people who never used them. Crazy, right? Read the truth about e-cigarettes here.

Myth #2: You'll Definitely Gain Weight

Trust us, those cigarettes aren't keeping you thin; in fact, one study found that smoking may actually make you gain weight. That's just one more reason to kick the habit for good. So why does this myth continue to persist? Well, it's true that if you compensate for smoking by snacking on unhealthy foods, your pants may be fitting a little tighter, but that doesn't have to be the case. Read more about a new medication that helps prevent weight gain while quitting, plus more stay-healthy tips here. 

Myth #3: Quitting is Expensive

Don't want to invest in pricey patches and medications to help you quit? Well, if you do the math, you'll see that they will eventually pay for themselves when you're not constantly buying cigarettes, says Marc L. Steinberg, Ph.D., an assistant professor of addiction psychiatry. Plus, he says, if you have life insurance you will pay much less on your premiums as a non-smoker. 

Myth #4: Hookah is a Healthier Alternative to Cigarettes

If you only smoke recreationally—like when you're out on the town, for example—you might think that hitting up a hookah bar is a healthier alternative to getting a little buzz via cigarettes. But you would be wrong. A report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that smoking hookah is at least as toxic as smoking cigarettes and a more recent study by the University of California at San Francisco found that one night of smoking hookah significantly increases your exposure to cancer-causing carcinogens. Yikes.

Myth #5: Quitting After Years of Smoking Won't Improve Your Health

It's never too late to get the health benefits of being smoke free, says Steinberg. In fact, after just one year without cigarettes, a person can reduce their risk of heart disease by half, he says. And the benefits don't even take that long to kick in. Twenty minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. And just 12 hours after your last cigarette, the levels of carbon monoxide in your blood stream normalize. Two to three months after quitting, you can look forward to your lung function and circulation improving.
 

Myth #6: You Won't Be Able to Deal With Stress Without Smoking

Although a lot of people smoke when they're stressed out, studies have shown that non-smokers are less anxious than smokers, and smokers who quit are less anxious than current ones, says Steinberg. So how did this myth get started? Steinberg says that when people are used to coping with stress by smoking, they might feel more anxious when they quit because they're not sure how to deal with their stress levels. But get this: Since nicotine is a stimulant, there's really no stress-reducing benefits that come with smoking. What might actually be de-stressing a smoker during a smoke break is simply getting away from their desk or a stressful situation and taking time to clear their head, which you can totally do sans cigs.

Myth #7: You'll Lose Your Creative Edge at Work

If you smoke to get a buzz before you get to work in the morning, you might not be doing yourself any favors. Even though you might feel that smoking gives you an edge or a jump on your work, smoking can actually keep you from working to the best of your abilities. Here's the thing, says Steinberg, smokers are more likely to take sick days and get sick more often in general, and if you're not at work or you're fighting a bug, you're not going to be as productive as you could be. Another bummer: Your boss and coworkers might resent the amount of smoke breaks you take because they could be keeping you from getting more work done, he says.
 

Myth #8: You'll Lose Your Friends

Obviously you won't be able to pop outside the bar on a night out for a cigarette, but Stenberg says that he's never had a patient say that they've lost friends after kicking the habit. Though trying to quit when you're friends are puffing away can be difficult, try to avoid situations with friends where they'll be smoking and schedule a group shindig that does not leave room for cigarettes. And don't settle for cutting back to just a "social smoker." Here,