Breaking the cigarette addiction

So why do people believe they should be easier to quit cigarettes and heroin? People often think quitting smoking is as easy as putting down a cigarette. If it were so simple, why so many people struggle to quit smoking every year? There is a fallacy that some simply do not have the willpower to quite. Willpower alone rarely breaks the nicotine addiction. Most people that quit smoking end up smoking again within six months. For most smokers it takes far more than willpower to quit. Here are some suggestions for those that want to end the smoking habit.

Cigarette addiction is a physical and psychological addiction. Not only must overcome the nicotine addiction, you must overcome the habits that you have formed involving smoking. Research shows that the best method of quitting combines several types of treatments. Chances of successfully quit smoking or multiplied if you apply more than one method. This multi pronged approach includes several options such as nicotine replacement, support groups, counseling, or even medication.


Nicotine replacement such as patches, e-cigarettes, or nicotine gum can be used to slowly wean you from the nicotine addiction. Some criticize nicotine replacement because you are still feeding your body the nicotine in craves. This can prolong the physical addiction. Some find it useful to slowly lower the amount of nicotine they are putting into their body. Alone, nicotine replacement does not have a very high success rate. When used in conjunction with support groups and counseling the chance of quitting is increased. The most controversial is the new e-cigarette. This device delivers nicotine without the use of burning tobacco. Critics say that these devices are more addictive than cigarettes.

Support groups provide a recovering smoker with other people who share their struggles. Support groups often rely on each other to provide moral support for recovering smokers. An experienced counselor leads some support groups; these groups have the best success rate of support groups. People and support groups understand struggle and understand that sometimes people get into their craving. For recovering smoker this failure can be devastating, support groups help them overcome the feeling of failure and help guide the person back to their goals. Support groups can be found almost anywhere, college campuses, doctors’ offices, even online. When combined with other treatment methods support groups can mean the difference between success and failure.

Counseling is another option. Counseling is done one on one. A counselor can help the recovering smoker break the habits that tempt them to smoke. Smokers often feel the need to have something in their hands or have a oral fixation that cigarette satisfy. Counselors can provide other alternatives to help break the habit. Counselors will try to find the source of the habit and suggest ways of changing. Counseling is recommended for anyone using medications to break smoking.

There are several different types of medication on the market to help people quit smoking. These range from dietary supplements to prescription strength medications. Most dietary supplements have a very low success rate. Prescription streets medications have a higher success rate but have possible side effects. It is important to work closely with your doctor or counselor if you’re taking medications. Some medications can affect your mood or interfere with other medications. Make sure you speak your doctor about any concerns may have.

Quitting smoking is not easy. It takes more than willpower it takes a team. By combining several of the above methods, you increase your chance of becoming nicotine free. All people are different and what works for one smoker may not work for you. No matter how many times you have tried and failed, there is still a chance for you to become nicotine independent.