Ways to quit smoking are very different. They have been tried by many people suffering from nicotine addiction. For some, the methods were successful, others could write a book "10 Ways to Quit Smoking Quickly", but still cannot part with a cigarette. Breaking bad habits is not easy. Here the psychological attitude and the strong desire of the smoking person to get rid of it are very important. It is worth starting with a psychological attitude.
Psychological motivation
Any effective way to quit smoking will be useless if the person is not motivated enough. Before you start fighting a bad habit, you need to determine for yourself why you want to do it. Motivations can be as follows:
- Fear of getting cancer and other pathologies
- Desire to have a healthy baby
- Concern about loved ones suffering from passive smoking
- An unpleasant smell of tobacco that interferes with communication
- Money spendings
- Taking care of your own beauty
- Public opinion.
Motivation may not be one, but several. It is worth choosing the most effective or arranging these points according to the strength of the impact. For many, the motivation is so strong that it is enough to get rid of nicotine addiction on their own, without drug treatment and psychotherapy. If this is not enough for you, you can proceed to the next paragraphs. Determine the circumstances in which you are most drawn to smoke. It could be:
- The habit of dragging on in the morning, immediately after sleep
- Waiting in traffic jams or at a transport stop
- stressful situations
- Breaks at work
- Craving for a cigarette in the company of smokers
- Holidays with alcohol
- Intense mental work
- Positive or negative emotions.
Every person who smokes can define these situations for himself. If you want to smoke in the morning, you can replace the cigarette with something else. For example, a piece of an apple, a cup of aromatic tea, spend pleasant moments in the shower. It is even easier to deal with waiting in traffic jams, you need to walk more. During the break it is better to go outside and take a walk. Try to be less in the smoking company, do not drink alcohol. You can just run away for a week into the wilderness, where there are no cigarettes and temptations. Some psychologists advise looking deeper into the problem. After all, cravings for cigarettes can be a sign of depression or internal problems.
Author's methods
Many psychologists, psychotherapists and narcologists offer their own effective ways to quit smoking. The most famous of them is Alan Kara's book The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. Based on the author's own experience, it helps people break the vicious cycle of psychological addiction. This method is well-tested, with its help about 25 million people quit smoking, many of them celebrities. The book is easy to find and download on the Internet. The main thing is to believe that you can give up cigarettes, as all other fans of the technique have done.
Another effective way to quit smoking is offered by a biophysicist. He arranges remote video trainings, uses correspondence, and does it completely free of charge. The technique is based on finding the patient's true motive for addiction to cigarettes. If the cause is found, it is not so difficult to overcome it. Someone can benefit from lectures by another specialist, which are based on a detailed story about the dangers of smoking and the benefits of quitting it.
The psychotherapist uses in his courses the methods of suggestion, NLP, self-hypnosis. He believes that the human mind is "programmed" for a bad habit. To get rid of the habit, you need to change this program. The professor's follower improved the current methods. He included relaxing music in psychotherapy sessions, his lectures are more aimed at supporting a person's motivation.
Medical methods
Medical methods of quitting smoking can be divided into two groups. Some are based on the use of products containing small doses of nicotine. They reduce physical dependence, relieve withdrawal symptoms. Other drugs are substances whose action competes with that of nicotine. Nicotine containing drugs include:
- Plasters.
- Lollipops.
- Chewing gum.
- Inhalers.
- Electronic Cigarette.
The patches are glued to the skin and release small doses of nicotine. This allows you to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke or stop smoking altogether. Approximately the same effect in lollipops and chewing gum. The advantage of inhalers and electronic cigarettes is that they are shaped like real ones. Thus, the smoker does not experience not only physical discomfort, but also the psychological stress of quitting. These methods have their fans and opponents. Many argue that this is far from the best way to quit smoking. It is only possible to reduce the number of cigarettes, and not abandon the bad habit forever.
The second group is relatively new drugs, the action of which is based on the pathogenesis of nicotine addiction.
The disadvantage of these drugs is a large number of contraindications and side effects. Only a doctor should prescribe them, choosing the best courses and doses for the patient. As an alternative, various dietary supplements, herbal preparations, and homeopathic remedies are sometimes used. They, too, have proven themselves well as ways to quit smoking. But the fact is that without the removal of psychological dependence, not a single drug helps. Even after taking them, many people return to the old habit.
Alternative Methods
Many people are fond of Eastern philosophy, alternative medicine and consider it quite effective. There are ways to quit smoking cigarettes forever, based on the healing methods of the Ancient East. These include:
- Acupuncture.
- Breathing exercises.
- Meditation.
- Hypnosis.
Acupuncture is an ancient healing technique based on the natural reflexes of the human body. There are exit points of nerve endings on the skin, when exposed to them, you can effectively deal with cigarettes and addiction to it. Similar techniques are used even in modern neurology, they are called reflexology. So they have a certain rational grain.
Breathing exercises are a set of exercises practiced by Indian yogis. It is closely related to philosophy. With the help of altered breathing, you can tune your brain to the right thoughts and feelings. Some believe that this is the most effective way to quit smoking permanently. But when using it, the attitude and belief that with the help of gymnastics you can part with a cigarette is very important. Meditation, one of the practices of Buddhist monks and Hindus, has a similar principle.
Hypnosis is not quite an oriental practice; it was widely spread in the west in the century before last. The method of suggestion is based on the fact that a person enters a trance. This state helps to reveal his secret subconscious problems, inspire certain thoughts and attitudes. Not everyone is amenable to hypnosis, for this you need to have a certain mindset, susceptibility to someone else's suggestion. The percentage of such people among the total number is not so large.
Folk methods
It is important to remember that any quick way to quit smoking is not a guarantee that you will not start all over again. The most realistic and reliable method is to set a clear goal for yourself, identify the reasons why you smoke, and strictly follow the chosen method. Without motivation and deep introspection, the fight against a cigarette will not be on your side.
There are various ways to quit smoking. Most of them are based on the intake of various herbs and decoctions from them. There is also such a folk method as a conspiracy, removing the evil eye and damage, but it is not for everybody. Let's dwell on a few recipes for herbal tea, which reduces the craving for smoking and is easy to prepare at home. They are quite simple, do not require much time.
Oregano tea
This tea includes oregano, marshmallow root and coltsfoot leaves. Herbs are taken in the following ratios:
- Chopped marshmallow root - 2 parts.
- Mother and stepmother - 2 parts.
- Oregano - 1 part.
Everything is mixed, 3 tablespoons are taken from the total mass, poured with half a liter of boiling water, steamed in a thermos for 1-2 hours. They drink three times a day, or when the hand reaches for a cigarette.
Valerian Calming Herbs
This tea calms the nerves, irritability, relieves withdrawal symptoms when quitting cigarettes. It includes the following components:
- Valerian root chopped - 4 parts.
- Cumin seeds - 2 parts.
- Chamomile officinalis - 2 parts.
- Hop cones - 2 parts.
Pour 2 tablespoons of this mixture with half a liter of boiling water, leave for an hour or two. It is necessary to drink before going to bed, one glass each. A similar effect has tea of the following composition:
- Chopped valerian root - 5 parts.
- Watch - 2. 5 parts.
- Peppermint - 2 parts.
Tea is prepared in the same way as the previous one, only instead of two teaspoons they take three. Pour boiling water over and drink a glass before bed.
Mouthwashes
Infusion with yarrow well removes the desire to drag on a cigarette. After rinsing the mouth with this collection, the taste of tobacco becomes very unpleasant. Tea consists of the following components:
- Wormwood - 5 parts.
- Licorice root - 2. 5 parts.
- Yarrow - 2. 5 parts.
One table spoon is poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted for 2 hours. You do not need to drink such tea, it is intended for rinsing your mouth. A similar effect has tea from currant leaves. For its preparation take:
- Blackcurrant leaves - 2 parts.
- Oregano - 4 parts.
- Peppermint - 4 parts.
Three tablespoons of table collection pour 0. 5 liters of boiling water, insist an hour. After rinsing, there is a pleasant coolness in the mouth. If you drag on a cigarette, the taste becomes very nasty. When there is no time or desire to make preparations, you can simply rinse your mouth with soda, eat a couple of mint leaves, chew calamus root, the effect will be almost the same.