Many people who smoke wish they could quit.
But, as they often try in vain to explain to non-smokers, quitting smoking is not nearly as simple for most people as it seems it should be to non-smokers.
While there are, those people who somehow can be "social smokers", such as people who only smoke when they go out to a tavern or to party and otherwise never smoke, most people who begin smoking cannot stop without a terrible struggle.
For one thing, the act of smoking is like a ritual, a ritual that actually replaces breathing and is very sensual.
Rituals hold great power over most humans' minds.
For another thing, nicotine has some very pleasurable effects on the human body.
Once a person is addicted to nicotine, she "needs" it to relax, reduce mental and physical stress, stimulate her brain, and perhaps even control her appetite.
Take away her regular dose of the narcotic and in only several hours she could be climbing the walls and going crazy.
Quitting is a Matter of Life or Death Obviously, the problem with smoking tobacco is that it has some absolutely terrible side-effects--debilitating and deadly side-effects.
All smokers today know this and that's why so many of them want to quit.
But they are addicted to the "good" effects and the ritual of smoking.
So, people have to try many different methods of quitting--and all too often, these methods don't make them able to quit like they want to.
Ways People Try to Quit Smoking Quitting cold turkey: One day, just saying "no" to tobacco.
This usually doesn't work, and even if it does it's rarely permanent.
One more can't hurt: Buying one or two "final" packs of cigarettes and then never smoking them.
The idea is that having the cigarettes around allows one to psychologically control the urge to smoke.
This has worked for a few people but, again, it won't work for most smokers.
"Building down": This is where the smoker gradually smokes a little less than usual over a period of time until he's down to smoking only a couple of cigarettes a day, at which time he quits.
This has worked for people but it is very easy to get stressed out by something and start smoking heavily again.
Drugs/medication: Chewing nicotine gum or wearing a nicotine patch.
These methods do nothing to address the ritual pleasure of smoking, so they aren't nearly as effective as they are supposed to be.
Natural/herbal remedies: Many times this is a last resort, but it does work.
There are many herbal solutions that helped people quit for good.
The Far East has been using some of them for years.
It's only recently that they've developed acceptance in the Western World.
But, as they often try in vain to explain to non-smokers, quitting smoking is not nearly as simple for most people as it seems it should be to non-smokers.
While there are, those people who somehow can be "social smokers", such as people who only smoke when they go out to a tavern or to party and otherwise never smoke, most people who begin smoking cannot stop without a terrible struggle.
For one thing, the act of smoking is like a ritual, a ritual that actually replaces breathing and is very sensual.
Rituals hold great power over most humans' minds.
For another thing, nicotine has some very pleasurable effects on the human body.
Once a person is addicted to nicotine, she "needs" it to relax, reduce mental and physical stress, stimulate her brain, and perhaps even control her appetite.
Take away her regular dose of the narcotic and in only several hours she could be climbing the walls and going crazy.
Quitting is a Matter of Life or Death Obviously, the problem with smoking tobacco is that it has some absolutely terrible side-effects--debilitating and deadly side-effects.
All smokers today know this and that's why so many of them want to quit.
But they are addicted to the "good" effects and the ritual of smoking.
So, people have to try many different methods of quitting--and all too often, these methods don't make them able to quit like they want to.
Ways People Try to Quit Smoking Quitting cold turkey: One day, just saying "no" to tobacco.
This usually doesn't work, and even if it does it's rarely permanent.
One more can't hurt: Buying one or two "final" packs of cigarettes and then never smoking them.
The idea is that having the cigarettes around allows one to psychologically control the urge to smoke.
This has worked for a few people but, again, it won't work for most smokers.
"Building down": This is where the smoker gradually smokes a little less than usual over a period of time until he's down to smoking only a couple of cigarettes a day, at which time he quits.
This has worked for people but it is very easy to get stressed out by something and start smoking heavily again.
Drugs/medication: Chewing nicotine gum or wearing a nicotine patch.
These methods do nothing to address the ritual pleasure of smoking, so they aren't nearly as effective as they are supposed to be.
Natural/herbal remedies: Many times this is a last resort, but it does work.
There are many herbal solutions that helped people quit for good.
The Far East has been using some of them for years.
It's only recently that they've developed acceptance in the Western World.