by Kayla Weller

Created on: December 03, 2010

As taxes on cigarettes rise and more information is released on the danger of nicotine, more smokers attempt to quit. A lucky few succeed on their first try but most will fail. But many of those who keep at it will eventually succeed. If you're one of these people, many 'quit smoking' therapies have been developed to help with the goal.

Cold Turkey: The 'cold turkey' method is the simplest way. You simply quit smoking one day. Unfortunately, only five to ten percent of those who try this method quit smoking permanently. But, if you can do it, you won't have to spend the money required on most of the other methods.

Gradual Withdrawal: There's two ways you can use the gradual withdrawal method. Either, you limit your cigarettes to a certain number per day. As time passes, you decrease that number by one or two cigarettes until you eventually stop completely. The second approach is to limit your cigarettes to a set time period. For example, the first day, you only allow yourself one cigarette every half-hour. The second day, you drop that down to one cigarette every 45 minutes. Keep increasing the time between cigarettes until you eventually quit.

Those who have quit smoking using this method swear by it. Others claim that it only drags out the withdrawal process by weeks or months. But, if the cold turkey method hasn't worked, it's worth a try.

Hypnosis: For many people, hypnosis doesn't work but it has for many others. It won't get rid of the physical addiction but it may lessen the psychological addiction. 

Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs): Nicotine patches, gums, lozenges, and inhalers all perform the same task. They supply nicotine to your bloodstream helping you to first break the psychological addiction before addressing the physical addiction.

Prescription medications: Chantix is one of the latest prescription medications that helps smokers quit. It works by blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain so that your cravings are lessened. It has a much higher success rate than the previous methods but it can have side effects such as mood changes, nausea, sleep disturbances, and changes in appetite. Zyban or Wellbutrin is also sometimes prescribed to people trying to quit smoking.

Even if you fail to quit smoking the first time, don't give up. Sometimes, you'll just need to make repeated attempts at it. And educating yourself on the process of nicotine withdrawal can be a huge help. 

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