January 24th, 2008
Many people struggle their whole lives trying to quit smoking. Laser therapy is a relatively new method to stop the cravings and help you kick the habit. It has been used with very positive results and this might be just what you need to get the cravings under control.
In many ways, laser therapy works in much the same way as acupuncture. The laser light is applied to certain acupuncture points where your skin will absorb it and this stimulates the production of endorphins. These are a kind of hormones that relax and leave a pleasant feeling in your body so you will be able to block out cravings.
Rather than feeling empty or unfulfilled, you will feel a great deal calmer than if you had simply stopped cold turkey. The laser that is used is no more powerful than a 60 watt light bulb and doesn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact the procedure is specifically made to be stress-free.
One of the most appealing things about the use of laser therapy to stop smoking is the fact that usually a single treatment is enough. It’s also quite time efficient. You should typically allow for about an hour, not counting the original consultation, because the laser treatment itself should only take about 30 minutes.
While the rates for this treatment will vary, there is usually a fee that is between $300 and $400. But if you smoke a pack a day that will cost you around $1500 a year! You will get a receipt and a medical code to submit to your insurance company, but generally this treatment is not covered although some people have been lucky.
While there is no such thing as a surefire remedy to stop smoking, low level laser therapy is pretty high on the list of effective treatments. Europe reports about a 90% success rate, while information from the United States range from 80% to 90%. As with any treatment, there is some variation. For instance, while the craving is gone, the habit and psychological addiction itself is not.
Some facilities even offer stress treatments to their clients to show them how to adapt to the changes in their lifestyle. If you really want to quit smoking, laser therapy is another option to help you succeed.
Tags: quit smoking, quit smoking laser, stop smoking aids
Posted in stop smoking aids | No Comments »
January 15th, 2008
Once they have decided to quit smoking, many people choose to use stop smoking aids. No longer do people have to suffer through going cold turkey. With as addictive as smoking is many people find quitting smoking to be a traumatizing experience that is near impossible to succeed at and often end up giving up after attempting to quit for a few days only to go right back to smoking like they were before.
The good news is that most of the stop smoking aids that you can buy over-the-counter are effective. There are many different types of stop smoking aids available to those who wish to rid themselves of the burden of smoking. A few are listed below.
Nicotine Patches
Nicotine patches can be used to break your physical addiction by releasing nicotine into your system slowly over time to calm your cravings and keep you from lighting up. There are different types of nicotine patches. Some are made to wear throughout the day and be removed before you go to bed, others can be worn for 24 hours at a time. Most are waterproof and can be worn in the shower and even when swimming. Occasionally mild skin irritation occurs from the adhesive on these patches but otherwise side effects are next to none.
Nicotine Gum
Another stop smoking product is nicotine gum. People have had good success with this product as it releases nicotine into the body much like the patch and gives the soon-to-be-ex-smoker something to do when cravings hit instead of riding them out on their own. These types of gum are not used like a regular stick of gum but are situated between the cheek and gums between cravings.
Other Stop Smoking Aids
Other stop smoking aids include pills and even hypnotherapy. These methods have been shown to help several people quit smoking. For many coupling the stop smoking aids with exercise, dietary changes and an increase in fluid intake to flush the toxins from their bodies has made all of the difference. Family support is another key to success when it comes to quitting smoking.
What form of stop smoking aid you use is an individual decision according to your tastes and lifestyle and after consulting your doctor. When it comes down to it, when you are ready to quit smoking there are several options available to you. The important thing is making the decision to quit.
Tags: nicotine gum, nicotine patches, stop smoking aids
Posted in stop smoking aids | 1 Comment »
January 7th, 2008
If you are among the hundreds of people who have tried to quit smoking only to light up again in a day, or perhaps a week, you are likely wondering how you can successfully quit smoking.
If this sounds familiar you aren’t alone and there is hope. Smoking cigarettes has been shown to be more addictive than some illegal narcotics. Learning how to quit smoking can be a very difficult process and may take several attempts before you are successful.
It is quite possible for you to be successful in your attempt to quit if you keep a few things in mind. First you have to recognize that smoking is a habit, and a very difficult one to break. This isn’t like giving up your favorite pair of sneakers or old car for a new one. This is going to mean beginning a new routine and training your body and mind to accept this new routing as well as training your body to go without nicotine and the immediate effects of smoking. Once you have acknowledged this you are ready to quit smoking and until you take this step you aren’t going to see success.
Learning how to quit is going to involve more than just acknowledging that it is a habit you have to break, you are going to have to work at it. Breaking the habit is going to mean changing not only the habit itself but also avoiding the circumstances that lead up to smoking as well. These are triggers that are telling you to light up all of the time. Once you have changed these you will have a much easier time stopping.
You need to make it more difficult on yourself to make the choice to smoke. For some people choosing to smoke outdoors only is one of their first steps to quitting. Having to stop what you are doing to go outdoors makes it difficult enough that you are going to start to get annoyed with this extra step just to smoke. If you keep it up that will help.
Having a good support system is going to help quite a bit as well. Each situation is different but if you have friends and family routing you along you are going to be more successful than you will if your friends are constantly trying to get you to join them to have a smoke.
It may not be easy but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to break the habit. As long as you are determined and you don’t give up when it becomes difficult you can join the thousands of people who successfully quit smoking every year.
Tags: breaking habit, quit smoking
Posted in planning | Comments Off