Qutting Smoking - Ways To Stop
By Steven A. Harold, Thu Dec 8th

There are numerous ways that people use to stop smoking. Peopledo actually succeed in stopping smoking but the same method ofstopping does not work for everyone and sometimes the samemethod may finally work only after a second or third attempt atit is tried.

The most popular methods used to quit smoking and not in anyparticular order are: -

1) Will power 2) Cutting down 3) Hypnosis 4) Patches, Gum,Lozenges 5) False Cigarette 6) Zyban 7) Acupuncture 8) Shockevent

There is no doubt that each of these methods has been successfulin helping someone to stop smoking. The work in slightlydifferent ways to each other and I will attempt to describe eachmethod and in my opinion the pros and cons of each

1) Will power This is probably the most used method for stoppingsmoking and one that does work. Actually a certain amount ofwill power will be required no matter what method of quittingsmoking you use. Unfortunately will power can of suggests afight and suggests that if you are strong minded you willsucceed and that if you fail you are weak minded. Thedescription will power is not helpful as far as stopping smokingis concerned because of the perceived battle that the wordsuggests. A better word would be 'decision'. Just make yourdecision and then that can be that. But make it a final decisionand not some halfhearted attempt and then you can quitsuccessfully.

2) Cutting down This involves will power with the idea offeedback that you are succeeding plus knowing that you aregradually weaning yourself off any perceived chemical dependencyof cigarettes. In theory it sounds great because if each day yousmoke one less cigarette you know you are getting closer tostopping. Unfortunately in order to know how many cigarettes youare smoking you have to count them and then know at anyparticular moment of the day how many you have had and how manymore you can have. This method means that you have to thinkabout smoking much more than if you were smoking freely. Ifsomething is on your mind more often, it then make it harder tostop it. If you really want to succeed with using the cuttingdown method, don't get into counting each cigarette.

A better tactic is to decide to leave out certain cigarettessuch as the one at 10:30 or the one after lunch. This way youdon’t have to count how many you are smoking and yet you knowyou are cutting down.

3) Hypnosis This method still requires the 'will power' or evenbetter the 'decision' from the smoker that they want to stop.Hypnosis does not take away the choice of the person to smokerather it supports the decision to stop. It is like getting someextra help to support your decision to stop. Importantly it usessuggestions that are aimed at the stronger part of the mind, thesubconscious mind,

to let get of this old outdate and no longeruseful response to life.

4) Patches, Gum and Lozenges These methods still give younicotine. The idea is that it helps with any withdrawal symptomsyou may put down to stopping smoking. It is an odd sort of logicin that patches, gum and lozenges still give you nicotine as away of helping stop taking nicotine via cigarettes. Also as longas you chew gum, suck lozenges or have to wear a patch itconstantly reminds you of smoking. A constant reminder is not auseful method to use to help stop doing something.

5) False Cigarette This is a substitute for the action andbehaviour of smoking but without the intake of all the chemicalsinvolved. It helps those who would ordinarily miss not doingsomething with the hands or those who would feel less confidentwith having nothing in their hands. The down side is thatalthough you are no longer inhaling all those poisons you arestill keeping the habit and behaviour of smoking going.

6) Zyban A prescribed drug that was found to help smokers withany perceived chemical withdrawal symptoms. The idea is that ifthe physical side of smoking is being aided by zyban than allyou have to do is to deal with the action or routine of smoking.As soon as you have stopped the routine and discovered you areokay and life can carry on then you can under your doctor'sdirection come off zyban. Once again a method that may work forsome but there may be side effects of using zyban which needconsideration before using this method.

7) Acupuncture This is the ancient Chinese treatment thatinserts needles in certain acupuncture points on the body. Theacupuncture points are not random but are definite and accurateplaces on the body. The idea with acupuncture is to enable thefree flow of energy known as chi (pronounced 'chee') to flowalong the meridian lines in the body. Blocks in the energy flowcan cause or relate to issues whether physical, mental oremotional. For some acupuncture treatment has succeeded inhelping them to stop smoking.

8) Shock event For many people a shock of some sort will causethem to finally quit smoking. The shock may be the discovery ofsome smoking related illness such as cancer or it may be theloss of a friend or relative. Either way it brings home to thesmoker their own mortality and what part they play in stayingwell and healthy. No one really chooses to be unhealthy. Theshock event can work for many people and help them to stopsmoking. Where the shock event fails is when over time, oldfears feel more distant and the ex-smoker once again feelscomfortable with smoking.

The overriding asset and best resource in using any of the abovemethods is the decision to stop smoking. So just make yourdecision to stop smoking and then stick to it.

About the author:Clinical Hypnotherapist Quit Smoking withHypnosis