Want To Quit Smoking? Here Are 3 Alternatives To Going Cold Turkey

Posted on: 13 August 2015

If you are a smoker, then you likely want to quit. It is an unhealthy habit. In addition to cancer and heart disease, there are more vain reasons to quit. Smoking will make your breath stink and turn your teeth yellow. The good news is that you can stop smoking cigarettes and don't have to go cold turkey. Below is an overview of the options you have and their benefits and drawbacks.

Using Nicotine Replacement Gum

Nicotine replacement gum seeks to help you wean off the addictive property in cigarettes: nicotine. While nicotine is not good for you, the major health hazard to cigarettes is tar. The tar gets into your lungs and causes cancerous cell growth.

Nicotine gum also helps you with the physical habit of having something in your mouth. Many smokers feel odd when they don't have a cigarette in their mouth. This is why some people who go cold turkey chew candy or suck lollipops.

The benefit to the gum is that it delivers nicotine into your bloodstream. This will prevent the cravings that so many people feel when they go without smoking.

The downside to the gum is that it is expensive and it does not taste good. It is also difficult to judge how much gum you should chew. Some people might chew too much gum and get too much nicotine gum.

Hypnotism

If you have tried to quit before, but find that you simply don't have the willpower, then you might want to check out hypnotism. You will go to a hypnotist that specializes in addiction therapy. They will place you in a trance and implant the suggestion that you no longer want to smoke. They might even place negative associations in your mind. For instance, they might liken the idea of a cigarette to garbage or something foul that would make you nauseous.

The benefit to hypnotism is that it deals directly with the psychological dependence on smoking. Even when the physical withdrawal of nicotine is over, many people are uncomfortable without a cigarette in social situations or even in their normal day-to-day routine. The hypnotist's instructions can prevent these problems.

The drawback to hypnotism is that not all people are susceptible to hypnotic suggestion.

Electronic Cigarettes

E-cigarettes from a company like Vapoligy are designed to mimic the feeling of smoking a real cigarette. The main difference between an e-cigarette and a real cigarette is that there is no tobacco combustion. This means that there is no tar. Instead of smoke, a person inhales a mist that contains nicotine and often a flavor.

The benefit to e-cigarettes  are numerous. First, you get to keep enjoying the hand movements and mouth feel of a classical cigarette. Secondly, you get nicotine. Lastly, there is no tar.

The downside is that you are still inhaling nicotine. However, this doesn't have to be the case. There are many types of e-cig flavors that don't include nicotine. You can start with regular e-cigarette flavors that have nicotine and then eventually wean yourself off and end up smoking a flavored mist that contains no nicotine. 

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