Breaking a highly addictive habit can be very difficult, but there are many ways to quit smoking for good. Millions of people struggle with this addiction, but millions also quit and stick with it with the right tools. Read below for a list of some effective alternatives to smoking that can help you kick the habit for good.
Gum Chewing or Toothpicks
A big part of smoking cigarettes is the habit of it. Picking up a cigarette and putting it to your lips becomes second nature if you have been a smoker for years. To help wean yourself off of the habit of smoking, try carrying gum around with you and every time you have the urge to put a cigarette in your mouth, put some gum in instead. If you check out this dentist in Greenbelt MD, they’ll advise chewing sugar-free gums. The same goes for toothpicks. Carrying around a few toothpicks around in a case is a good replacement for a pack of cigarettes. The act of putting a cigarette in your mouth and moving it around satisfies the oral fixation that your body is used to.
Even if the craving for cigarettes goes away, the need for having something in your mouth may persist, so other instruments of oral fixation are cinnamon sticks, lollipops, coffee stir sticks, and hard vegetables like carrots and celery. As long as this habit isn’t causing damage to your teeth, it is a great way to keep away from going back to cigarettes just because you miss the feeling of something in your mouth.
Nicotine Replacements
The biggest factor in a smoking habit is the nicotine levels in cigarettes. Nicotine is an addictive substance, so your body will start to crave it once you start smoking cigarettes regularly. This can make quitting quite difficult, but there are ways to still get your nicotine fix without inhaling any smoke. High-quality products like Rogue nicotine pouches are a smokeless way to get your dose of nicotine without the harmful effects of tobacco smoking. These kinds of pouches also give users a nice buzz and come in all kinds of flavors like berry, spearmint, and peppermint. Another perk of using nicotine replacement products is that you will no longer smell like tobacco smoke and your mouth will feel cleaner with all of the good flavors.
Other nicotine replacement therapies include patches that you can stick right on your arm that will deliver nicotine to your system little by little. There is also specific nicotine gum that fulfills the need for nicotine and to have something in your mouth. Another alternative is nicotine nasal spray which can be administered as cravings occur. There are some nicotine replacement therapies that help you slowly reduce your nicotine intake so that you can eventually function on little to no need for nicotine.
Medications
Some medications can be taken to either reduce the cravings for nicotine or turn off the receptors in your brain that find nicotine enjoyable. Instead of quitting smoking cold turkey, taking one pill per day can help you lose the desire to smoke as your brain chemistry changes to find smoking cigarettes or any other kind of tobacco repulsive.
Although not all people are receptive to all medications, the two that are known to really help people are bupropion and varenicline. Bupropion, also known as Zyban, alters brain chemistry to make nicotine less addictive with no withdrawal symptoms. This means that you can gradually come off of your nicotine addiction without having to quit cold turkey or try to smoke less and less each day because you will just naturally start to crave smoking less.
Varenicline, which goes by the medication name Chantix, works differently in that it blocks the nicotine receptors in your brain, rendering nicotine useless as an addictive substance. On this medication, you may end up being totally turned off by smoking cigarettes because your brain will be reprogrammed to think it is not pleasurable.
Alternative Therapies
There are many mind and body practices that you can do to naturally wean yourself off of smoking cigarettes. Many people turn to daily meditation to focus their minds and have better control of their mind-body connection. This is a technique that has been proven to help people get to the source of why they depend on smoking, which helps them work through other issues in their lives.
Another alternative therapy is hypnotherapy. This involves being hypnotized by a therapist in a controlled setting. The reason why it is helpful is because, in the hypnotized state, the therapist can help guide your mind to turn away from smoking. Paired with nicotine replacement therapy, this has been proven to be quite successful for some people.
Yoga is another form of alternative therapy that can help guide you away from smoking. Yoga requires a lot of strength, both mental and physical, and some people find it a great way to get control of cravings and turn away from frequent smoking. Yoga is a practice that is offered in many wellness retreats and rehab centers as well because it teaches people to practice self-control, which can transcend many parts of life, including addiction.
Support Groups
It has been proven that quitting an addiction can be easier if you don’t do it alone. Finding a group of people who are also trying to quit smoking is a great way to keep yourself and each other motivated. Daily or weekly meetups with other people who are trying to quit smoking can distract you from the need to smoke. Whether it’s just meeting for coffee or doing other activities that occupy the mind like exercising together can help the process of quitting go much easier than suffering alone. Group activities like going to an arcade, going on weekends away, or getting meals together can distract you from wanting to go have a cigarette break, especially if no one else is doing it.
Your journey to quit smoking is a unique one and not every method of quitting works for everyone. To find the best alternative to smoking, check through this list until something sticks. Soon you will be on your way to a smokeless future.
