Want to Stop Smoking? These Strategies Can Help

Smoking is one of the most harmful things you can do to your body. With over 11% of the population being smokers, the number is a big decrease from previous years as more people try to give up this addictive habit to remove the side effects and health risks from their lives.

With New Year Resolutions starting to wane right now, if one of your goals for this year was to give up smoking, then you are not alone, and you absolutely should persevere; around 60% of smokers want to quit, according to Gov.uk.

Quitting smoking is a challenging journey that requires time, patience, and perseverance. It’s important to remember that it’s never too late to start this journey towards a smoke-free life.

There are numerous strategies you can explore to become smoke-free. This post will delve into some popular and proven methods, empowering you to choose the one that best supports your journey to quit smoking.

Cold Turkey

For the more hardcore among the population, simply stopping smoking and not using any aids or support services to help you is a more extreme option. Going “cold turkey” means you simply don’t smoke, don’t give in to cravings, and don’t use any tools or alternative products. While it might seem the easiest option, it’s actually really difficult to manage the cravings, and you need to be strong and determined, stubborn, almost in your resolution to not pick up cigarettes again if it gets too much to bear. And while the statistics of only 3-5 people in 100 being successful in getting away from and remaining free from a smoking habit via this method might seem discouraging, it’s not to be discounted if you think you can do it.

Nicotine Products

There are many nicotine products on the market that can enable you to get that nicotine hit your body will be craving but without all the harmful chemicals and substances contained within cigarettes and tobacco.

On its own, nicotine, while addictive, isn’t really harmful. It’s when it’s added to other chemicals and products, it becomes dangerous. In cigarettes, you get a mix of dangerous chemicals used to make tobacco, and this is where the harm occurs in your body. From tar to formaldehyde to benzene, hydrogen cyanide, and literally hundreds of other chemicals, when you smoke, you are exposing your body and those around you to all of the health risks associated with smoking.

This is why many people rely on nicotine products to help them quit smoking. Getting nicotine from alternative sources, such as VELO nicotine pouches, nicotine vapes, patches, gum, etc., can help you to still get what your body is craving without subjecting your body to harmful chemicals. However, it’s important to note that these products can also have their own side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches.

Hypnotherapy

Many people have successfully undergone hypnotherapy to help them quit smoking. There are some studies that suggest there aren’t much higher success rates for hypnotherapy than other counselling options; however, anecdotal evidence from those who have tried has differing results.

What happens is a licensed therapist will talk to you about your smoking habits and lifestyle, and then they will determine the best course of action for you. This will be decided by how well you respond; not everyone can be successfully hypnotized. A typical session lasts for around an hour to 90 minutes and involves using verbal cues and mental imagery to get you to a relaxed mental state. From here, you will hear things designed to put you off smoking and trick your brain into not wanting to smoke. You might hear things like smoking is bad, smoking is poisonous, you don’t need to smoke, etc. The idea is that this will eventually seep into your consciousness, and over time, you’ll not want to smoke.

Support Groups

There are many free one-on-one services or group sessions that can help you in your journey to quitting smoking. They can offer advice, tips, and tricks and point you in the right direction for information and support to help you wean yourself from smoking in a healthy, sustainable way.

Your doctor can provide personalised advice, monitor your progress, and prescribe medications if necessary. There may be initiatives or charities that can help you and provide resources and support to guide you through your journey. Remember, you’re not alone in this.

Alternatively, group sessions in a more informal environment can be valuable in sharing how you feel and what you are experiencing with others who are going through it or have recently become smoke-free. Having a support system can provide encouragement, accountability, and understanding, which are crucial in the quitting process.

Gradual Stopping

You might find that a slow and gradual stop is going to be better for you. This involves slowly cutting down on how many cigarettes you smoke each day. If this number is high, you might find you can start with a bigger increase, but let’s say you smoke 20 per day. Try cutting it down to 17 for a few days, and if you’re ok with that, go to 15 and so on until you get right down to none at all.

It will take a while to determine exactly how long you need to wait between dropping, and it will depend on how well you adjust and how fast you feel you can keep reducing the amount you smoke each day. This is the perfect option for those who feel that suddenly stopping won’t work for them and need to wean themselves for increased success.

Medical Support

There are medical treatments you can look into to help you quit smoking. These are prescription medications for which you will need a prescription from your doctor. Talk about your desire to quit smoking, what you can expect when taking medications, and how it works.

They might not be suitable for everyone, and it is important to understand the risks and benefits to make an informed decision.
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One of the stop-smoking medications you can get prescribed by your GP is Varenicline (formally Champix). It works in two ways. Firstly, it reduces the cravings for nicotine, but it also blocks the reward and reinforcement aspect of smoking.

Your doctor can advise you if you are a suitable candidate for stopping smoking medications; for example, it’s not available for those under 18, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and Varenicline isn’t suitable if you have kidney issues. You should know that medical treatments like Varenicline can have side effects like nausea, insomnia, and abnormal dreams. It’s important to weigh the benefits against the potential side effects when considering these options.

Get Support

Quitting anything alone isn’t always going to work well for everyone. If you are serious about quitting smoking, talking to someone you trust to help you can be a valuable lifeline in this journey. Have them be in complete control for helping you quit and keep you on the straight and narrow in relation to your smoking habits. They can be your confidant and therapist and provide you with the backup you need to succeed.

Stopping smoking is always going to be something worthwhile to commit to. There are multiple benefits to quitting smoking; however, the road to smoke-free isn’t an easy one, and you need to find the right strategy for you to be successful. Whether you choose to quit and go it alone, you get medical assistance, or you opt for gum, patches, or other nicotine products, find your preferred option and commit.