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How To Stop Smoking Cold Turkey

20th March, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Stop smoking cold turkey or the sudden and complete withdrawal from the habit is perhaps the hardest thing for any smoker, heavy or light, to achieve. Usually the individual draws back to the habit as the withdrawal symptoms appear to be too hard to overcome. Nevertheless, it is stated that stop smoking cold turkey is the method used by 80% to 90% of individuals who manage to quit the habit successfully.

Nicotine, a highly addictive chemical is contained in cigarettes and when a smoker quits the habit, the nicotine cravings that are very difficult to overcome act up. In addition to the nicotine craving, withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, fatigue and headaches may occur and may persist heavily during the first few days when one decides to stop smoking cold turkey. Certain methods such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy may be able to ease the symptoms and cravings by providing the body with a dose of nicotine through products such as nicotine gums, patches and sprays.

Although this is an effective way to deal with the withdrawal symptoms, it promotes nicotine addiction in the body. An individual who was previously addicted to a cigarette may now be addicted to nicotine gum or patches. The body demands the old level of nicotine even though these products offer a lower dose of nicotine to combat the stop smoking cold turkey symptoms. Therefore, it should be realized that this method creates a new level of required nicotine in the body and only places an individual in a chronic state of drug withdrawal.

There are only two methods available to get off this state and they are either to completely stop administering nicotine into the body or to start smoking again.One should remember that the withdrawal symptoms would only be highly difficult to deal with during the first two weeks and it would gradually decrease after that.Thus, perhaps the best and most effective way to quit the habit is stop smoking cold turkey.

Finding support and guidance would help an individual immensely to stop smoking cold turkey; friends and family members would be ideal for this task and would help one to overcome the habit successfully. In addition, joining a support group or undergoing therapy and counseling sessions would also be helpful to an individual who wants to stop smoking cold turkey.

One should remember that quitting the habit, especially to stop smoking cold turkey side effects is not at all an easy task. It takes pure determination and a whole lot of will power.