Stop Smokng Aids and Tips

A way to quit smoking that has been in existence ever since cigarettes were first produced is quitting smoking cold turkey. Stopping smoking cold turkey is a very interesting way of tackling nicotine addiction in that it is both very simple and very hard to pull of for the most part. There really isn’t a whole lot to quitting cold turkey, as far as the concept of this smoking cessation method goes. You decide that you would no longer like to smoke cigarettes and then you quite literally stop smoking them. That is the premise of quitting cold turkey. Cold turkey means that you aren’t using any systems, nicotine replacement products, smoking aids, or any other type of stop smoking product or method. Ending your smoking habit abruptly is all there is to it for the most part. But, as mentioned just a few seconds ago, quitting cigarettes cold turkey is both simple and hard. The difficulty does vary from one person to another but you can be pretty darn sure that it is going to be difficult for just about anyone. The fact that quitting cold turkey is difficult is the one thing you can count on. With that said, kicking the habit cold turkey style is very much a legitimate method of quitting and one that can be very effective in some cases.

Why Quit Smoking Cold Turkey?

All of us are unique in our own ways and all of us think differently (I am the only special one, though, because Mother told me so). As a result, we all have our own reasons for motivation and lack thereof. Now, while all of us aren’t smokers, these things are very true to smokers. The fact that we all think differently and have our own reasons for motivation explains why some smokers choose to quit smoking cold turkey while others tend to use smoking aids, hypnosis, or any other quitting method that isn’t as abrupt as cold turkey. Quitting cold turkey is right the point and addresses the issue of nicotine addiction head on. There isn’t any weaning off and this is something that some smokers prefer when it comes to ending their addiction to cigarettes, and addiction which they have become extremely fed up with.

Make The Next Cigarette You Put Out Your Last One (Photo Credit: michele cat)

In many ways, doing things the cold turkey way offers benefits that other methods simply don’t have the ability to offer to the smoker who wants to quit. For one, quitting smoking cold turkey is absolutely free. Since a smoker going the cold turkey route is relying on nothing but their own will power and motivation they don’t have to worry about spending money on medication, aids, programs, and so on. For someone who has wasted away their hard earned cash on cigarettes, this is a great upside. There are many other advantages to quitting cold turkey, advantages that are unique to each smoker who wishes to quit cold turkey, but there are only a few which are true to many smokers striving towards smoking cessation. These advantages are the ability to quit for free, dealing with addiction head on and quickly, and not having to deal with dragging things out as with many stop smoking methods. Some smokers just want to stop smoking cigarettes right now after being totally fed up with their unhealthy habit and quitting cold turkey offers this to them in a way that offers the least amount of hassle (…in terms of time and money). This is why quitting cold turkey will always be among the most popular of methods for a select group of smokers.

How Exactly Do You Quit Smoking Cold Turkey? Why Is It Difficult?

Don’t worry, I don’t believe you to be a complete idiot and this section isn’t dedicated to telling that quitting cold turkey involves a) putting the pack down, and b) not smoking again. It certainly would be quite a challenge to write an entire section about a concept on par with lifting a finger and nothing else, and maybe I will try someday, but today is not that day. The objective here is more along the lines of demonstrating to you how difficult quitting smoking cold turkey can be and how you can deal with the hardships of quitting cold turkey so that you will be a successful “quitter” when all is said and done. If you’re reading this very sentence then you most likely have already taken account what needs to be done when it comes to stopping smoking cold turkey, but you probably aren’t aware of just how hard this method can be and what you can do to make sure that this smoking cessation attempt is your last.

The black belt difficulty associated with quitting cold turkey is present because of the fact that when you stop smoking cold turkey you are exposing yourself to pretty intense nicotine withdrawal. You see, the advantage of quitting cold turkey as far its ability to tackle addiction in a very quick manner, allowing you to quit instantly instead of over the period of several months, is also its pitfall. When you are constantly consuming relatively high levels of nicotine on a daily basis and you abruptly stop giving your body nicotine…well…you aren’t going to be a happy camper, put it that way. Here are some of the side effects that you will experience due to you cutting off your body’s nicotine supply:

• Intense cravings for more cigarettes (you’ve probably already experienced craving a cigarette but this is a whole other level)
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Inability to get to sleep (aka insomnia)
• Tiredness
• Irritability and feeling “on edge”
• Dry mouth
• But wait, there’s MORE! (this both a joke and the unfortunate truth)

These are just a few of the many negative side effects associated with nicotine withdrawal. The point is that nicotine withdrawal is a very unpleasant ordeal and it will make you want to kill for a cigarette. Folks, nicotine is no joke when it comes to a user’s level of dependency and addiction. This is a drug that, in terms of addictiveness, is right up there with the likes of heroin and cocaine. Cigarettes do not destroy lives in the same ways that harder drugs due but a heroin addict and a cigarette addict are both addicts nonetheless.

The negative side effects associated with nicotine withdrawal are not unique to quitting smoking cold turkey – I don’t want to deceive you into thinking that you will only experience these side effects when quitting cold turkey. The truth is that you will experience these side effects no matter how you go about quitting. It’s just that you will experience these side effects at a higher intensity when quitting cold turkey because you are not aiding yourself in any way (smoking aids, nicotine replacement therapy, etc.) and you are abruptly ending your nicotine consumption. An example of a method that helps combat these negative side effects and one that lessens the effects of withdrawal symptoms is called nicotine replacement therapy. The way in which quitting cold turkey and using nicotine replacement therapy differ is that NRT lessens the effects of withdrawal by allowing your body nicotine through a means other than smoking cigarettes. Simply put, stopping smoking cold turkey is a no BS way of tackling smoking cessation.

So, how can you make sure that your attempt at ending your nicotine addiction cold turkey will be a success? First of all, it is important to realize that the peak of your withdrawal symptoms will occur within the first few days. That right there should be something worth getting motivated over if you are a smoker attempting to go cold turkey. That’s not to say that staying away from smoking cigarettes will be easy after the first few days, it’s just that you can expect things to improve after those first few initial days of going cold turkey. Of course, simply being aware of the fact that quitting cold turkey is at its worst within the first few days will not bring you success in the world of smoking cessation. It’d be pretty darn convenient though, wouldn’t it? If you want to make it through the tough times of quitting then you need to learn how to cope with those tough times.

Before you do anything else, you need to do a fair amount of introspection. You need to look into that brain of yours and you need to start doing a little “re-wiring”. Commitment is a huge part of quitting smoking in general, especially using the cold turkey method, so if you want to really kick that habit of yours then you are going to need to get yourself mentally prepared. You know the saying, “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything you want.”? This saying right here just about sums up what you need to do at the beginning stages of going cold turkey. Believe me, if you aren’t there from the start up their in your noggin, then you most likely won’t follow through and succeed at quitting. So, what you need to do is convince yourself that you are going to be able to truly stop smoking, tell yourself that you are going to do whatever it takes in order to quit cold turkey, and get yourself motivated to move forward. I won’t lie to you, becoming committed mentally is no easy task. Ultimately, you are the only one who can help yourself get motivated and believe in yourself. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Hold on to the initial emotion you felt when you decided you wanted to quit cold turkey. Close your eyes and think back on that moment and everything you experienced during that moment.
• Remind yourself why you want to quit smoking cigarettes.
• Think about all of the wasted money you’ve spent on cigarettes.

These are 3 very powerful tips for getting yourself mentally ready to take on the challenge of quitting cold turkey but they are merely 3 tips nonetheless. Like I said, you are ultimately responsible for getting yourself where you need to be mentally. You are going to need to put forth tons of effort towards becoming motivated, committed, and confident.

Getting mentally prepared to make it through the cold turkey journey is extremely important, this cannot be denied, but it is also very important to know how to cope with the actual process of going cold turkey. Preparation to quit is an essential step and no smoker should go without it, but getting familiar with coping strategies and tips can make the process a whole lot easier. On this note, below you will find a good amount of tips to help you cope with stopping smoking cold turkey in order to finally call yourself a successful “quitter”:

• Take up a physical activity. Regular exercise is obviously healthy in many ways but it can also help to substitute the pleasure feelings of nicotine. When you exercise your natural pain killers, called endorphins, are released making you feel good all around. If you are a long time smoker then you most likely don’t even remember what it was like to get a nicotine “buzz” but the fact of the matter is that the buzz is still there. It’s just that over time you’ve developed a tolerance to nicotine meaning that you no longer feel a buzz, you just need to get nicotine in your body.
• Try to stay away from friends who you normally smoke with for at least a few days. You are going to be very tempted to smoke a cigarette with your buddy if it’s something you’ve become used to doing over time. So, do yourself a favor and avoid that intense psychological trigger during the height of your withdrawal.
• Chew gum or suck on mints/hard candy. Putting something in your mouth and keeping your mouth occupied is a great way to deal with not smoking cigarettes. It is especially helpful to start chewing a piece of gum when you start to experience a craving since it will substitute that desire to put a cigarette up to your mouth and take a drag. Keep on chewing!
• Drink plenty of water. Taking a nice gulp of water during a craving will help to cope with that craving for the time being. Drinking a lot of water will also act as a natural detox for getting nicotine out of your body.
• Stay as occupied as possible. For many smokers, one of the best times to smoke a cigarette is when there is nothing to do. Smoking a cigarette is a great way to pass the time and enjoy one’s self. Therefor, you need to avoid becoming bored and be as productive as possible!
• Find someone who has successfully quit smoking cigarettes (a smoker who has quit cold turkey would be especially helpful) and look to them for support. Ask them how they were able to achieve a “quitter” status and what they did to get through the worst of it. Actually, talking to anyone can help out tremendously. If you are really feeling the heat of quitting smoking cold turkey then what better way to deal with it than to talk it out with someone!

Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey – It Can Be Done!

I hope that by reading this article you have gained insight as far as what stopping smoking cold turkey entails and how you can go about doing it in a successful manner. The main thing to remember when attempting to quit cold turkey is that it can be done. Yes, you can actually succeed at ending your smoking habit cold turkey style. You don’t have to smoke forever! However, this article alone isn’t going to do it for you. If you’d like to quit smoking cold turkey then you need to know that you are ultimately responsible as far as your success goes. Also, realize that this is something that you are going to have to really work at it in order to make it work. With that said, I wish you the best of luck on your journey to quit smoking cold turkey style!