Although it might seem like a good idea to simply "tough it out" if you decide to quit smoking, in fact, most people need help to quit smoking.
There are, of course, various "self-help" ways you can do this, but the point is, you don't have to do is so "cold turkey.
" This is an effective method for some people, of course, but for most people, they're going to require some sort of assistance to quit smoking.
One of the most popular methods to ease your transition into non-smoking is by use of nicotine replacement products.
These give you help to quit smoking by taking the edge off your nicotine cravings so that you can transition through them without picking up a cigarette.
They won't alleviate your nicotine cravings, only take the edge off them.
Nonetheless, you should be able to use these products (as long as your doctor gives the okay, that is) to help you through the process of becoming a non-smoker.
There are also other ways you can get help to quit smoking.
Many organizations specialize in helping people quit.
You can join a group, utilize talk therapy, or even undergo hypnosis to help ease your cravings.
These are all effective methods to help you quit smoking.
You can also use them in combination with another method or methods.
If you need help to quit smoking, do some research first.
For example, smoking addiction has a psychological as well as physical component to it.
You can analyze yourself to determine whether or not your addiction is mainly physical, mainly psychological, or a combination of both.
With the physical addiction to nicotine, your craving is physical.
You crave the substance nicotine and need to have it.
For you, nicotine replacement products such as patches are going to likely be perfect solutions to help you through the transition.
The psychological addiction to cigarette smoking is somewhat more complicated.
Perhaps you always light up in certain situations, under stress, with certain foods, when you first get up in the morning, with a cup of coffee, and so on.
In these situations, although the addiction may be physical, too, you also have a psychological attachment actually puffing on a cigarette.
Without that, you suddenly feel lost.
If this is you, then you're going to need to find something to replace the actual physical act of puffing on a cigarette.
For this, nicotine gums can work because they help give you some of the oral involvement puffing on a cigarette does.
You chew gum instead of puffing on a cigarette, but you're still doing something.
This can help ease both your physical and psychological cravings at once if you have both as a drive to smoke.
It may also help to have support from folks who've been there.
One of the best ways to help ensure that you're going to stay on whatever program you've chosen for yourself to quit is to join a group or buddy up with a friend so that you're accountable to someone in your efforts to quit.
There are physical groups available for people who want to quit, or you can join an online forum.
Alternatively, of course, you can also "buddy up" with a local friend who's going through this too.
The key here is to find someone who understands just how powerful nicotine addiction can be, and can help you through it.
Whichever method or methods you choose in regard to help to quit smoking, remember that the main focus here is to get you to that end point, without cigarettes, so that you can live a longer and healthier life.