TIPS: Quit Smoking Cold Turkey or Gradually?

You can quit smoking one of two ways:
1. the “cold turkey” approach is used when you quit smoking entirely and do not take another puff anymore. This method seems to work best for those who have minimal nicotine addiction.
2. gradual withdrawal is the second method, and works best with people who are more addicted and the reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke over time until they reach 0 cigarettes.

Most people choose the second approach, especially when they have smoked for many years> Other who choose this approach typically consume more than a pack a day, and their nicotine addiction is too strong to attempt the abrupt cold turkey method.

The method of gradual withdrawal is best suited to people who do not want to abruptly change their smoking habits. They like the idea that they can continue smoking while changing their habits at the same time. The real trick here is to very slowly and gradually cut down the number of cigarettes every day. A smoker who is used to smoking 20+ cigarettes per day can cut back to 19 cigarette the first day, 18 cigarettes a few days later and so on. The smoker will become a non-smoker in about five months, and without any of the unpleasant symptoms of cravings, as the body has had time to adjust in the reduction of cigarettes.

Another option is cutting back the amount of consumed cigarettes at a higher rate, say by reducing the amount of cigarettes by two per week if the smoker can tolerate it, but be aware that a faster rate of reduction can trigger full-blown withdrawal symptoms since the body won’t have enough time to adjust to the reduction of nicotine.

Most smoking people believe that the gradual withdrawal method is a very efficient and a much more comfortable approach to quitting smoking. The key to success is not to reduce the amount of daily smoked cigarettes too abruptly, but to drag the process out for several months so that quitting smoking will come naturally and symptom-free.

On the other hand, some smokers are able to quit "cold turkey" and simply choose a day to smoke their last cigarette and never to smoke again. Smokers usually choose a day in advance and mark it on the calendar, while other smokers decide to quit on the spur of the moment. When the decision to quit smoking comes suddenly, the most important thing to do is throw out that last pack of cigarettes.

Quitting cold turkey can be challenging for people who have been smoking for a long period of time. Some symptoms associated with quitting smoking cold turkey include irritability, difficulty sleeping, headaches, tiredness. It should be noted that these symptoms do not last long and by drinking more water (aim to consume about 2.5 liters of water per day) to help flush out the toxins from nicotine, symptoms tend to go away faster than those who do not drink enough water. For those who do not like the taste of water, try drinking herbal tea instead or add a few lemon slices to the water.

The important thing to remember is that the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal decrease over time. If you can make it through the first 3 days of quitting smoking, it becomes easier to avoid smoking again as it takes just 3 days for nicotine to leave the body and the body begins it healing process.