by Doreen Martel

Created on: May 05, 2009

If you're a smoker and are tired of the addiction, there are many methods available to help you quit for good. Google "methods to quit smoking" and you will get 248,000 hits. This is amazing. Smoking is such a prevalent habit, and people are so desperate to be rid of it that 248,000 websites support kicking it. Just knowing that there is that much support for you out there has got to be comforting. And wouldn't you know it - quitting with a friend is one of the best ways to do it.

Most of us want to lead long, healthy lives. Unfortunately, smoking is one of those things that has serious potential to send you to an early grave. Emphysema, lung cancer, chronic infection, heart attack, and stroke are just a few of the side effects you could get from smoking. But if you're reading this, you probably already know that and are looking for help in finding the best way to quit.

On average, it takes 5 7 times of trying to quit before success happens. The brain becomes so addicted to the nicotine that it finds very clever ways of manipulating your will so that you have every excuse in the world to have another cigarette. The challenge lies in outwitting your own brain.

Some of the more successful methods of quitting are the "cold turkey" method, the step-down method, and the nicotine replacement method. Most people know that quitting "cold turkey" means picking a day, throwing away the cigarettes, and not ever smoking again. The slang expression is a term that comes from the comparison of the looks of a cold, raw turkey to the sweating, goosebumps, and hollowed-out feeling you get when your body is suddenly deprived of the thing it's addicted to. This method is excruciatingly difficult effective, certainly, but difficult. The step-down method is when you gradually decrease the amount you smoke and increase the amount of time between cigarettes. If you don't cheat, it's certainly the way to go. Nicotine replacement is actually quite a good way of quitting. The patches or pills help your body slowly ease off of nicotine without having to smoke at all. For all of these methods to work, you need a will of iron to conquer the beast within.

One of the things that can help keep your willpower strong is laser therapy. It is similar to acupuncture in that it works on the sensitive pressure points in your hands, wrists, ears, and face, but if you're squeamish, there are no needles. Cold lasers are an amazing technology that stimulates your cells into producing endorphins that naturally make you feel good. It eliminates your need for nicotine. It is completely painless and very safe since it uses low levels of pulsed light that do not produce heat.

Continued sessions are needed to get good results, but laser_therapy can be very effective. If you are a spiritual person and believe in the body's ability to heal itself, your chances that this therapy will work for you are good. And if you've tried and tried and tried to quit, chances are you're willing to go the distance until you're successful. Do your research to find the methods that are right for you. Consult with your doctor. Find support from friends and family. Above all, keep your promise to yourself and don't stop trying until you've succeeded.

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