How To Quit Smoking - A Critical Review Of The Many Different Ways To Quit Smoking

By Author: Joe White
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Thousands of people every day search online and ask "how to quit smoking". There are so many different ways that the mind can boggle and smokers don't know where to start. Which method is the best?

The Patch

A smoker can immediately quit smoking and switch to the patch. The idea is that you cut down your nicotine dose over 12 weeks.

Ask yourself, is this really any better than simply cutting down on cigarettes? It isn't. The success rate is only 7% after six months.

The Pill

There are 2 pills on the market now. Both work by cutting out the cravings temporarily. Both have bad side effects. One has less side effects but is less effective. Most people can quit within a week of starting treatment but most will begin smoking again within weeks or months.

Hypnosis

Sadly, this is not a miracle cure as some people believe. It can help people with phobias but an addiction is another matter entirely.

A study by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that "we have not shown that hypnotherapy has a greater effect on six month quit rates than other interventions or ...
... no treatment."

Stop Smoking Laser

If you wonder how to quit smoking then don't waste money on the laser. It is simply acupuncture but dressed up to look more acceptable to consumers.

Also, if you visit a laser clinic you'll find that nobody is medically qualified. The laser is simply a sham and several studies have shown this.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

The above methods fail because they only temporarily relieve the symptoms, the cravings. None will actually cure the root cause - they can help with the initial quit but in the long term around 90% will start smoking again.

CBT works differently. This clinically proven therapy has been used for decades to cure people with phobias (e.g. fear of flying). By truly understanding their fears, they can overcome them and think like a normal person again.

CBT works in the same way for cigarette addiction. After CBT, in your head you become like a non-smoker. You never have any cravings again and never miss your cigarettes. You truly become a non-smoker again and this is proven in success rates of over 80% in the long term.