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What are the Different Ways to Quit Smoking Naturally?

Anna T.
Anna T.

Some methods people use to quit smoking naturally are hypnotism, certain herbs, and acupuncture. Many people quit smoking cold turkey without the use of any herbal supplements or other methods. It usually takes massive amounts of willpower to quit smoking this way, and most people are not able to convince themselves to stop. Another method that may help a person quit smoking naturally is to start weaning himself or herself off the nicotine little by little, which might eventually make it easier to put the cigarettes down for good.

Many people swear by hypnotism as an effective method to quit smoking naturally, but it doesn't always work for everyone. During hypnotism, the hypnotist will attempt to get a person into an extremely relaxed state of mind. The person is not exactly asleep during hypnotism, but the subconscious mind is generally at the forefront. During the session, the hypnotist will attempt to speak to a person's subconscious mind and imprint lasting messages on it that associate negative feelings with smoking. After a few sessions, the person may suddenly realize that he or she has no desire or need to smoke a cigarette ever again.

Some people have used ginseng to help themselves quite smoking.
Some people have used ginseng to help themselves quite smoking.

Herbs like ginseng and St. John's wort may also help people quit smoking naturally. Ginseng may be able to prevent the body from releasing dopamine, which is what tends to make so many people addicted to nicotine. Lots of people smoke because they enjoy the way they feel after having a cigarette, and dopamine typically brings about these feelings. St. John's wort might also aid in quitting smoking because it is normally taken to help people deal with stress and depression, which are feelings that tend to increase the smoking urge. Studies have shown that users of St. John's wort often have more success when they try to quit smoking than people who do not take it.

Many people decide to wean themselves off nicotine little by little.
Many people decide to wean themselves off nicotine little by little.

Acupuncture is another method often used to quit smoking naturally. When this is done, tiny needles are normally placed inside the ears for several minutes. The person who is having the procedure performed is usually asked to squeeze two small pellets or balls together when he has the urge to smoke, and this action supposedly activates the acupuncture points. When activated, acupuncture points are supposed to relax a person and eliminate the restless, jittery feeling that she may have when the urge to smoke strikes.

Sucking on ice chips helps some people while they are quitting smoking.
Sucking on ice chips helps some people while they are quitting smoking.

Other ways that many people quit smoking naturally are either through the cold turkey or weaning method. When a person quits cold turkey, he simply puts the cigarettes down and never touches them again. Many people try this method and fail because it takes about seven days for nicotine to entirely leave the system, and it may be hard to deal with the negative withdrawal side effects for that length of time with no other help. A person may be able to wean herself off nicotine slowly if she doesn't think she can do it cold turkey, but this is another method with which many people are not successful.

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    • Some people have used ginseng to help themselves quite smoking.
      By: Maxim Lavrov
      Some people have used ginseng to help themselves quite smoking.
    • Many people decide to wean themselves off nicotine little by little.
      By: ehabeljean
      Many people decide to wean themselves off nicotine little by little.
    • Sucking on ice chips helps some people while they are quitting smoking.
      By: Silkstock
      Sucking on ice chips helps some people while they are quitting smoking.
    • Some smokers who want to quit use self-hypnosis and visualization techniques to address their addiction.
      By: leonardo2011
      Some smokers who want to quit use self-hypnosis and visualization techniques to address their addiction.