Learning The Differences Between Quit Smoking Aids
December 1st, 2010 . by stop smoking guestThe are many quit smoking aids on the market to choose from. These methods can be categorized into four basic and different ways to quit smoking. Each method has its own proven success rate. Which method you choose depends a lot on what kind of addiction or personality you have. For instance, people who smoke two packs a day may find it difficult to quit cold turkey because they are seemingly so addicted to nicotine. On the other hand, a more casual smoker may not need any pharmaceutical intervention at all and cold turkey may be all that is required to be successful. Regardless of which method you choose, a stop smoking aid usually doubles your chances of success over quitting cold turkey, at the very least. So lets look at these various methods.
The first category are non-medication ways of smoking cessation. They include quitting cold turkey, hypnosis, acupuncture and support groups. Quitting cold turkey can be a badge of honor for many people trying to quit. All of us know someone who very proudly brags how they did it without any help. Although commendable, this form only offers about a 5% success rate. Hypnosis and acupuncture are very trendy options to quitting, especially in Hollywood. Many practitioners of these methods claim a high rate of success, somewhere between 20-50%. However, the scientific literature puts their quit rates at that equal to quitting cold turkey. Smokers who opt for acupuncture or hypnosis do quit initially, but then quickly relapse after the first month of treatment. Stop smoking forums are littered with postings from people who quit this way, but now find themselves struggling to stay on the wagon. Support groups should be viewed as the little gem that everyone ignores. Its value if often overlooked. Support groups simply offer the highest quit rates available, 20-30% depending on which article you read. There’s something about being able to discuss your quit experiences with other people who are going through what you are. The accountability and interaction cannot be substituted anywhere by any pill or gum.
The next category includes all the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, and there are a lot of them. The success rate for NRT is roughly double that of quitting cold turkey or right around 7-11%. It comes in various forms such as gum or lozenges, the patch, nasal spray and as an inhaler. Use the type of NRT which meshes with your personality and habits. Be sure to only use one form of NRT. Using two or more at the same time is referred to as combo therapy and should only be used that way while under the direct supervision of your doctor. Also, be sure to follow the directions completely. Many feel the poor success rate is due in large part to people not following the directions carefully. For example, they may actively chew the nicotine gum instead of parking it between their gum and cheek.
Pharmaceutical interventions like bupropion or varenicline are only available by prescription. Bupropion, or Zyban, is an anti-depressant which was found to have some anti-smoking properties. It is believed to address the physical addiction to nicotine, as well as, helping the depression that is so often found in people who smoke. Many former smokers will tell you that depression and anxiety were two very real obstacles they had to overcome before they could be smoke-free. Recent studies places the success rate at around that of NRT or roughly 10%.Varenicline is sold in the US under the brand name of Chantix. The success rate is rather impressive, especially when compared to the other methods. However, since the FDA placed a black box warning telling the consumers they may experience psychological side-effects, that initial enthusiasm has waned. Despite this, the success rates continue to be born out in the literature.
Here are the frontline quit smoking methods available to you. So do your homework and pick one that matches your addiction and personality.
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