Quitting Smoking: Finally Kicking the Habit?
If one of your goals this year is to quit smoking you couldn’t do anything better for your health. As you probably already know quitting is far from easy. Tobacco is the most addictive drug in the world, and nicotine is one of the strongest stimulants known.
Several of the most successful methods – acupuncture, hypnosis, nicotine gum, cold turkey, support groups – can work, but are not for everyone. It is important to note that most smokers who quit successfully do it on their own after one or more unsuccessful attempts and most find that stopping cold turkey is better than trying to cut down gradually.
According to the American Cancer Society, if you’re considering nicotine gum or the patch, you’re better off choosing the gum if you want to avoid periodic cravings (you tend to smoke at irregular intervals) and need something to occupy your hands. You may want to consider using the patch if you smoke at regular intervals and don’t want to chew gum.
Another strategy you may want to check out is http://www.stickk.com. This website helps people achieve their goals and objectives by enabling them to form Commitment Contracts.
Whatever method you choose, if you don’t succeed immediately, recognize that few people manage to stop smoking on their first try and that the best predictor for eventual success is making repeated attempts to quit.
