Nicotine addiction causes a host of health care problems, including cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. Everyone knows this, yet many people find that they can’t stop using tobacco products. These treatment tips for nicotine addiction will help you find your path to a healthier lifestyle.
Taper Your Nicotine Use
95 percent of nicotine addicts who quit cold turkey end up using again. Instead of tossing your cigarettes, taper your use over the course of a month. If you smoke a pack a day, you might want to start the month by only letting yourself have 15 cigarettes per day. The next week, you can taper that to 10 cigarettes. By the end of the month, you won’t need nearly as much nicotine to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
This can make quitting much easier.
Use Non-Tobacco Nicotine Products
Ideally, you want to give up nicotine. For now, though, you can focus on giving up tobacco. Non-tobacco nicotine products such as gum, e-cigarettes, and patches help prevent withdrawal symptoms while you reduce your tobacco consumption.
Nicotine use can still harm your health, but it is vastly better than relying on tobacco products.
Talk to a Counselor
People see counselors when they quit using other drugs, so why not tobacco? A therapist can help you change your thoughts and behaviors so that you eventually adopt a healthier lifestyle. A counselor can also help you recover from withdrawal symptoms such as depression, frustration, and anxiety.
It’s difficult to stop using tobacco products, but it is possible. Use these tips to move closer to your goal.