Stop Smoking Patches: Good or Bad ?
When you are considering quitting smoking, there is something you should keep in mind: you’re not only defeating the physical, but the psychological addiction as well. Now, although some people don’t even want to hear about stop smoking patches when they quit, others think they’re great help. To help you make up your own mind, read throughout this article, discover the different approaches of each choice, and pick the one that seems to suit you best:
Quitting without stop smoking patches:
Some people find it easier (or more motivating) to quit cold turkey: just stop smoking, no reducing number of cigarettes, no alternative nicotine products (patches included). As far as the first one goes (reducing number of cigarettes) my personal experience has taught me that it does not work. You’re putting you body through longer periods of withdrawal, only to feed it the drug later on, anyway.
Quitting without smoking patches motivates the brain better, and gets rid of both psychological and physical addictions at once: you know you’re clean, you’re kicking out the rest of the drug from your body, and you’re looking forward to any day of being smoke-free. It may seem difficult for some people, but also a better way out for others. If you’re at the point where the simple fact of being addicted to (stupid) nicotine makes you mad, then consider quitting without patches, to get rid of the drug you resent so much. If not…
Quitting smoking using stop smoking patches:
On the other hand, if you do use patches to quit smoking, you will be addressing the two addictions separately: first, you will still be getting your ‘fix’ through patches (or gum, if you prefer that one). While you still have nicotine in your body, you can focus all your efforts on fighting the psychological addiction. Take advantage of this, and get accustomed to hanging out with smoking friends, surpass stressful situations, go to parties, drink your coffee – all without smoking. Once you’ve managed to get used to all these still using the patches, stop using them too, and deal with the physical addiction. As far as the stop smoking patches are concerned, you can get rid of them ‘cold turkey’ or gradually: use just half a patch for one or two days; then use one fourth of a patch for another ore or two days, and then drop them altogether. You will, most probably, still get some withdrawal symptoms: you might feel agitated, nervous, anxious, even get mad at people for no good reason to begin with. If this starts happening, try to remind yourself WHY this is happening (withdrawal symptoms) and that it WILL go away pretty soon. Try some relaxing exercises, they might help too.
Based on the info you’ve read here, try to figure out which way is better for you: cold turkey or stop smoking patches. And remember, once you’re committed and really, really realized that you want to become smoke-free, the battle is half-won. It won’t be an easy thing to do, but it’s not impossible either. More to the point, with the right mindset, this can become an interesting journey, in which you will learn more on how your mind and body works.
