Anyone who has ever been a smoker knows how difficult it is to kick the habit. Furthermore, anyone who has successfully quit smoking will probably tell you that it took several attempts. There are innumerable resources and methods available that claim to have the secrets of how to quit smoking, but are any of them for real? Let’s take a look at a few of them and see if we can really figure out how to quit smoking for good.

Cold Turkey

This is one of the most popular methods for how to quit smoking. Basically, it involves just quitting, without any weaning or chemical aids of any kind. Although it is popular, it’s not necessarily the most successful method. Most people who smoke are addicted to the nicotine that is contained in cigarettes.

This is a highly addictive drug, and like any other drug, there are withdrawal symptoms that occur when your body is no longer getting it. When trying to quit “cold turkey”, these symptoms are quite severe, and last about two weeks. The challenge is finding ways to distract yourself from these symptoms when they occur. Many people find this very difficult and eventually give in to their cravings.

Substitution

Some people will tell you that substitution is how to quit smoking. This simply means that they replace smoking with some other activity or behavior. May people have found success by sucking on hard candy or chewing gum when the urge to smoke hits. Sometimes this will help to satisfy the oral fixation by giving your mouth something else to do. Others have substituted certain activities such as exercise in place of smoking. When they crave a cigarette, they simply go for a run or get on an exercise bike.

Patches And Medication

If you’re trying to figure out how to quit smoking, sometimes it’s helpful to consult your doctor. In many cases he or she will be able to prescribe medications that will lessen the effects of the withdrawal symptoms. This method is not always successful, though, as there is also a psychological dependence that comes with smoking, as well as the chemical dependency.

Nicotine patches are also a popular method for quitting smoking. These usually allow you to step down the amount of nicotine that goes into your system after you quit smoking. This will lessen the withdrawal symptoms when the nicotine is stopped for good.

How to quit smoking is a question that has no definite answer. The method that works for one person may be totally wrong for someone else. In the end, it depends on each individual and their specific circumstances that will determine the best option for how to quit smoking.