Quitting for Good: An Analysis on Proven Methods to Quit Smoking
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It feels like for as long as the world spins around, we are going to be on a desperate mission to give up cigarettes.
Sure, the numbers are dropping, as the health authorities keep dropping hints as to the immense amount of damage that can affect us unless we quit smoking.
As it turns out, the methods that can help you in your plight haven’t changed all that much through the years. Through today’s post, we will look over some of these proven methods to help you along your way.
The cold turkey approach
We said that these approaches would be scientifically proven – but this first one is supposedly only going to work for between 4 and 7% of you. That’s right, going cold turkey straight off the bat is one of the most difficult ways to signal an end to your smoking habit.
If you do have your heart set on this method, you simply must prepare yourself mentally beforehand. Withdrawal symptoms will hit you hard, and this is something that you simply must battle through if you are serious about overcoming your battle with cigarettes.
Put your money where your mouth is
It sounds ridiculous, but financial benefits have been found to be one of the most successful approaches.
In simple terms, it involves “depositing” money into an account whenever you hit certain milestones in your quit journey. There are some specific programmes that can help you with this, with one having a success rate of more than 50%.
Your partner can play a big role as well
This next method is a two-pronged approach – but will only apply to some of you.
In short, if both you and your partner are attempting to quit smoking together, the statistics suggest you will have a better chance. This was proven in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal, which showed that those who worked on this with a partner had almost 50% chance of quitting – while those who didn’t had just 8%.
Nicotine replacement therapy isn’t a fad
Finally, it has been around for some time, but Nicotine Replacement Therapy still deserves a mention. Whether it is a spray, gum or skin patch – they can all work.
Of course, they are not magic formulas – and they most definitely require some willpower from yourself.
Nevertheless, if we point to science, there is plenty of information out there which suggests they can boost your chances.
For example, one study looked at over 150 separate tests of NRT devices – and the results were staggering. Bearing in mind these tests covered more than 50,000 people, it was revealed that a typical person’s chances of quitting could improve by as much as 70%. Interestingly, there wasn’t a clear winner in relation to the types of therapy that worked the best, but it did become clear that more “serious” smokers would have to turn to these devices in bigger doses than those who might only casually use cigarettes.