<
p>With the attention being given to health and the effects of smoking on the body (even the effects of secondary smoke on the body), smokers today have access to more stop smoking help than ever before. Some examples of stop smoking help that is available today are medicine, self-help clinics, counseling and other natural remedies such as acupuncture, hypnosis and homeopathic medicine.
These stop smoking aids are especially useful for those smokers who find it very difficult to deal with the withdrawal symptoms when they stop smoking.
People who live in the USA are very privileged by having access to free telephone counseling services run by different states. These services provide smokers access to trained counselors. The counselors answer all questions raised by smokers, and guide them in building a support network of family and friends. They also tell them about the different kinds of stop smoking treatments, and encourage them to make use of them.
Do not underestimate the support and assistance that can be given by family and friends. You will need their understanding and support when you become irritable and short tempered due to stop smoking withdrawal symptoms! However, the most useful help continues to come from skilled counselors, who can guide the smokers well.
Similarly, self-help groups and clinics can help smokers to quit. Studies show that smokers who attend a specialist clinic are four times more likely to succeed in giving up smoking, than those who rely on self-control alone. Self-help clinics are almost like the AA for alcoholics. These encourage smokers to use their will power to give up smoking and teach smokers several mind exercises to reduce the craving for cigarettes.
If you are not really a 'group' type of person then stay away from self help groups! It might just irritate you even more to go to some self-help group if you are more of an introverted type of person and will not add to your equanimity in your first couple of days of trying to stop smoking!
Apart from these natural stop smoking help, you can also look at more pharmaceutical options, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or the drug Zyban. But remember, even if you choose to go the pharmaceutical route, the natural stop smoking aids are still essential to motivate you emotionally and add to your will power when you stop smoking.
The choice is really yours as to what type of stop smoking help you require. It depends very much on your personality and your personal level of will power. The biggest problem is to find the willpower to stop and more importantly, not to start again.
Author: Christine Anderssen
Previous article: 02 February 2007
|
Home
