Quit Smoking Help

Posts Tagged ‘Quit Smoking’

Folk, or natural, methods to stop smoking have been growing in popularity in recent years, acting as a real alternative to more common practices such as the use of nicotine patches and tablets or the utilization of electronic cigarettes.
Here you could find out about some of the best folk remedies to give up smoking:

St John’s Wort

This herb is one of the most often employed natural cures to quit smoking. Initially used as an antidepressant, it has been proved to help smokers fight off their withdrawal symptoms. Studies have estimated that one in every three persons, subjected to a 3-month treatment with the herb, has permanently quit smoking. Not only it has a relatively good success rate, but St. John’s wort is also a much safer remedy to stop smoking than those which utilize pure nicotine (i.e. the ones mentioned in the intro).
Nonetheless, it is advisable that you consult a specialist before beginning a treatment with the herb, as it may interfere with other over-the-counter drugs you are taking. Also, pregnant or nursing women or people with bipolar disorder should refrain from using it.

Lobelia

This herb, also known as Indian tobacco, has been used as a nicotine substitute for years. Its main substance, lobeline, is known to reduce nicotine cravings and calm down the bouts of irritation in the smoker.
However, high doses of the lobelia herb may cause vomiting, rapid heartbeat, convulsions or other adverse reactions. Therefore, you ought to consult a qualified health practitioner before you start a program with it.

Alkaline Foods

Eating foods with high level of alkalinity may help you give up smoking by changing the preference of your taste buds. Boiled oats, for example, have been used in India for centuries to treat various addictions. Apart from cooked wild oats, you may also want to try a diet with other alkaline foods such as spinach, raisins, figs, almonds, and beet greens.

Salt

As some ex-smokers testify, licking a bit of salt every time you feel like lighting a cigarette can help you break your habit within a month.

Although most people acquire the compulsive habit of smoking, because of addiction to nicotine, the majority start off because of their social surroundings. The common way is to light up out of curiosity and to continue doing it in order to be “cool.” In another situation, you could just get hooked up, because of you friends’ desire to be cool and your wish to be a rightful member of the group.

Of course, the habit becomes, soon enough, part of your own lifestyle and a way to overcome stress and challenging situations. In order to quit, you need to devote yourself to changing this lifestyle and reducing your stress unleashing factors. It is here that the circle closes – to do that you need to change your social surroundings.

It is true that quitting is your quest and the success depends on the strength of your will, but some help from friends and family might do most of the hard work. First of all, they must know you are quitting – both to refrain from tempting you and to check up on you. It is even better if you share your feelings and seek their advice, just to know that you are not alone in this effort. Also, if you go through the process with another “quitter”, you could support each other and achieve better results. However, it is important not to let yourself become too sure of the success. If your friends and family congratulate you too soon for a few smoke-free days, it might create an illusion of infallibility which easily leads to lighting up “just one cigarette.”

Another important environmental factor is your workplace. Although smoking is forbidden at most office spaces, the urge to smoke might be even worse there. Being used to loosen up and get rid of the stress with a cigarette, smokers find it hard to find another way of easing the pressure. Also, the short 10-minute breaks are often “sacred” to smokers and giving them up might seem like giving up the better part of the workday.