Going Cold Turkey
To Stop Smoking

As more and more smokers decide it's time to stop smoking, either because the price of cigarettes is going up or for health reasons, many take time to learn about some of the cessation techniques available, see their doctors, or join groups geared towards helping smokers stop for help. Almost every smoker has tried quitting smoking at some point in their lives. The method that's most common, that could also be the most effective for many, is quitting cold turkey.

Basically, cold turkey means you decided you just wanted to stop. The term is applied to anything that a person might be addicted to, including drinking, drugs, overeating, etc. With some things, going cold turkey just means changing some habits. For others, however, it means dealing with some major physical changes because their bodies have gotten used to foreign substances being introduced, and to suddenly have them snatched away doesn't make the body happy; at least not short term.

A research study from the early 1990's took a look at 5,000 smokers who attempted to quit without anything artificial and no assistance other than their friends and family. The rates for success weren't high, yet it's still the preferred method because it's the one that has the highest rate of second and third tries. The study also showed that the success rate decreased based on how many packs of cigarettes a day the participants smoked before giving it a shot.

What are the major problems when smokers try to go cold turkey? The biggest problem is that most people who resort to this method don't have a plan of attack for how they're going to go about it. Willpower can be a powerful thing, but it also falls apart quickly without a plan. After all, there are many things that need to be considered: what to do with one's hands, which are used to holding a cigarette; how to get around those cravings after drinking that first cup of coffee; what to do with one's mouth, which is used to that sucking action; how to react when the smell of someone else's cigarette wafts by; what to do when suddenly you're in a crowd of other people who are smoking and drinking, and, for that matter, how to beat that craving that comes while drinking. These, and many other things, are considerations that someone who hasn't made a plan come up against.

Another problem is that people who don't have a plan haven't done any research on what's coming, so they're not sure what to do when they start having sweats or palpitations; when they have headaches they never had before; when they're snapping at people without provocation; when they have the shakes; when food suddenly starts tasting different.

There are some tips that can help smokers get by if they're going to attempt to stop cold turkey. Some of those tips are:

• Start drinking a lot of water. Water helps flush out bad toxins from the body, and helps to start making you feel better quicker


• Find a replacement for something to be in your mouth. Some people go with gum, others with hard candies


• Exercise is always a good option, because it helps to release endorphins, which gives some people the same sense of feeling good that cigarettes do. Even a short walk can help to get you past the cravings


• Talk to your friends and family about your journey to getting healthy. People love being a part of a challenge, and will find ways to help you out


• Carry a pen or pencil around as a substitute for a cigarette

It's been said that getting beyond an addiction is often a series of five or six minute interludes that, if one can get past them, eases the road to recovery for any craving one is trying to overcome. During your cold turkey smoking cessation process, try to keep that in mind.

© Smoke Not So Much 2009

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