The ways to quit smoking are very different. Many people with nicotine addiction have already tried it. For some, the methods were successful, others were able to write a book, "10 Ways to Quit Smoking Quickly, " but still couldn’t get rid of cigarettes. Getting rid of bad habits is not an easy task. Here, the psychological attitude and the strong desire of the smoker to get rid of it is very important. It is worth starting with a psychological attitude.
Psychological motivation
Any effective way to quit smoking is futile if one is not motivated enough. Before you start fighting a bad habit, you need to decide for yourself why you want to do it. Motivations can include:
- Fear of cancer and other pathologies
- The desire to have a healthy baby
- Concerned about loved ones suffering from secondhand smoke
- Unpleasant smell of tobacco that interferes with communication
- Expenditure
- Taking care of your own beauty
- Public opinion.
Motivation is not one, but more. You may want to choose the most effective one or arrange these points according to the strength of your impact. For many, the motivation is so strong that it is enough to get rid of nicotine addiction on their own, without medication and psychotherapy. If that’s not enough for you, you can continue with the following paragraphs. Determine the conditions under which smoking is most attractive. Maybe:
- It is customary to pull it off in the morning, immediately after falling asleep
- Waiting at traffic jams or traffic stops
- stressful situations
- Breaks at work
- A desire for cigarettes in the company of smokers
- Holidays with alcohol
- Intensive mental work
- Positive or negative emotions.
Every smoker can define these situations for themselves. If you want to smoke in the morning, you can change your cigarette. For example, a piece of apple, a cup of aromatic tea, spend pleasant minutes in the shower. Waiting in traffic jams is even easier to handle, you have to walk more. It is better to go outside and walk during the break. Try to be in the company of less smokers, do not drink alcohol. You can only escape into the wilderness for a week where there are no cigarettes and temptations. Some psychologists advise you to look into the problem in more depth. After all, craving for a cigarette 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 these is Alan Kara’s book The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. Based on his own experience, the author helps people break the vicious circle of psychological addiction. This method has proven itself, helping about 25 million people quit smoking, many of them celebrities. The book is easy to find and download online. The point is to believe that you can give up your cigarette, as other fans of the technique have done.
Another effective way to quit smoking is offered by a biophysicist. He organizes remote video trainings, uses correspondence, and does so completely free of charge. The technique is based on finding the real motive for a patient’s cigarette addiction. If they find the cause, it’s not that hard to overcome. Someone might benefit from a presentation by another professional based on a detailed story about the dangers of smoking and the benefits of quitting.
In the courses of the psychotherapist, he uses the methods of suggestion, NLP, self-hypnosis. He believes that the human mind is "programmed" for a bad habit. To get rid of a habit, you have to change that program. The professor's follower has further developed the current methods. aimed at supporting their motivation.
Medical methods
Medical methods for quitting smoking can be divided into two groups. Some are based on the use of products containing low doses of nicotine. They reduce physical dependence, relieve withdrawal symptoms. Other drugs are substances whose effects compete with nicotine. Nicotine-containing drugs include:
- Plasters.
- Lollipop.
- Chewing gum.
- Inhalers.
- Electric cigarette.
The patches are glued to the skin and release a small amount of nicotine. This can reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke or you can stop smoking altogether. It has about the same effect on lollipops and chewing gum. The advantage of inhalers and electronic cigarettes is that they are shaped like real ones. Thus, the smoker experiences not only physical discomfort but also psychological stress due to quitting. These methods have fans and opponents. Many argue that this is far from the best way to quit smoking. You can only reduce the number of cigarettes and not leave the bad habit forever.
The second group is relatively new drugs whose effects are based on the pathogenesis of nicotine dependence.
The disadvantages of these drugs are many contraindications and side effects. Only a doctor can prescribe them, selecting the best courses and doses for the patient. As an alternative, various dietary supplements, herbal preparations and homeopathic remedies are sometimes used. They have also proven to be among the ways to quit smoking. But the fact is that no drug can help without eliminating psychological dependence. Many still return to their old habit after taking it.
Alternative methods
Many love Eastern philosophy, alternative medicine, and consider it quite effective. There are ways to quit smoking 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 nerve endings on the skin, exposing them can effectively treat cigarettes and addiction. Similar techniques are used even in modern neurology, these are called reflexology. So there is a certain rational grain.
Breathing exercises are a series of exercises practiced by Indian yogis. It is closely related to philosophy. With altered breathing, you can tune your brain to the right thoughts and feelings. Some believe this is the most effective way to quit smoking permanently. However, when used, it is very important to have the attitude and belief that gymnastics can help you get rid of cigarettes. There is a similar principle to meditation, one of the practices of Buddhist monks and Hindus.
Hypnosis is not quite an Eastern practice, it was widespread in the West in the last century. The suggestion method is based on a person going into a trance. This state helps you uncover your secret subconscious problems, inspire certain thoughts and attitudes. Not everyone is good at hypnosis, you have to have a certain way of thinking about it, you have to be receptive to someone else’s suggestion. The proportion of such people in the total is not so great.
Folk methods
It’s important to keep in mind that any quick way to quit smoking is no guarantee that you won’t start all over again. The most realistic and reliable method is to set a clear goal for yourself, identify the causes of smoking, and strictly follow your chosen method. Without motivation and deep self-examination, the fight against cigarettes will not be on your side.
There are several popular ways to quit smoking. Most of them are based on the intake of various herbs and decoctions made from them. There are also folk methods like conspiracy, removing the evil eye and harm, but that’s not for everyone. Stick to some herbal tea recipes that reduce your craving for smoking and are easy to make at home. They are very simple and do not take much time.
Oregano tea
This tea contains oregano, marshmallow root and seahorse leaves. Herbs are taken in the following proportions:
- Chopped marshmallow root - 2 parts.
- Mother and Stepmother - Part 2.
- Oregano - Part 1.
Mix everything, remove from the total weight of 3 tablespoons, pour half a liter of boiling water, steam in a thermos for 1-2 hours. They drink three times a day or if the hand reaches for a cigarette.
Valerian soothing herbs
This tea calms the nerves, irritability, relieves withdrawal symptoms when quitting a cigarette. It contains the following ingredients:
- Valerian root chopped - 4 parts.
- Cumin seeds - 2 parts.
- Chamomile officinalis - 2 parts.
- Hop cones - 2 parts.
Pour 2 tablespoons of this mixture into half a liter of boiling water, let stand for an hour or two. Before going to bed, drink with a glass. Tea with the following composition has a similar effect:
- Chopped valerian root - 5 parts.
- Hours - 2, 5 parts.
- Peppermint - 2 parts.
The tea is made in the same way as the previous one, only three are taken from the collection instead of two. Pour boiling water and drink with a glass before going to bed.
Mouthwashes
Infusion of yarrow removes the urge to smoke. After rinsing your mouth with this collection, the taste of the tobacco will be very unpleasant. The tea consists of the following ingredients:
- Empty - 5 parts.
- Licorice - 2, 5 parts.
- Yarrow - Part 2, 5.
Pour a tablespoon of a glass of boiling water and stick for 2 hours. It is not necessary to drink such tea, it is used for rinsing the mouth. Tea from currant leaves has a similar effect. To prepare, note:
- Black currant leaves - 2 parts.
- Oregano - 4 parts.
- Peppermint - 4 parts.
Pour three tablespoons of table collection with 0. 5 liters of boiling water, insist for an hour. After rinsing, there is a pleasant coolness in the mouth. If you pull on a cigarette, it will taste very unpleasant. If there is no time or desire for preparations, simply rinse your mouth with soda, eat a few mint leaves, chew the root of the calamus, the effect will be almost the same.