Available Help
Remember that it is not going to be easy. Please do not consider yourself to be superhuman, so be prepared to get external help if you need it. You might experience physical, mental and emotional changes when you stop smoking. But there is plenty of help available nowadays.
Medical Help
Do not feel bad about getting support. On the contrary, your chances of succeeding will increase many times if you get professional help. Remember, nicotine is a very powerful substance, and getting over it is no easy task. The more help you get, the better.
If you can get professional medical help, so much the better. This does not mean that you have to undergo prolonged medical treatment. Your doctor - or even your dentist - will be able to guide you and provide you with answers to your questions. They will be able to suggest methods of handling the withdrawal symptoms, and even prescribe medicines that can help you.
One of the most common problems that people giving up smoking face is frequent mood changes in the initial stages. You might even start feeling depressed, and if you feel that you might need help, there's nothing to be ashamed of.
Medicines
At the time of writing, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five medications to help you stop smoking:
- Bupropion SR - Available by prescription
- Nicotine gum - Available over-the-counter
- Nicotine inhaler - Available by prescription
- Nicotine nasal spray - Available by prescription
- Nicotine patch - Available by prescription and over-the-counter
Of course, you should start using these medicines only after consulting a medical practitioner.
Counselling
Counselling is one way in which you can strengthen your effort to quit. It might help to consult a professional counsellor. You might consider group counselling or telephone counselling. Group counselling can be particularly helpful, because you have the support of others who face the same problems. Try reassuring others; it has a wonderful effect on you. When you talk convincingly to others, you are really subconsciously convincing yourself as well. This will go a long way towards building up your own confidence that you will succeed.
Telephone counselling can be done at any time. It is not always easy to dash off to your counsellor when you feel the urge to smoke but know you are not supposed to. But if you can just pick up your telephone and dial your counsellor's number, you can get the support you need - with a minimum loss of time and effort.
Go to the next section: Dangers of Cutting Down
