The million dollar question many people who want to quit smoking ask is, "Do pills and patches really work for quitting smoking?" Depending on whom you ask, some will say yes, while others will say no. The bottom line: It depends on the type of smoker and the type of addiction/habit they possess with their nicotine consumption.
First, the premise of both the patch and the pill are to supplement the individual with lower doses of nicotine and gradually wean them off the substance-nicotine.
Most Smokers are Not Physically Addicted to the Nicotine Alone:
The premise is all fine and dandy, but here in lies the rub...most smokers are not actually physically addicted to the nicotine alone, but also the mechanics of smoking. The actual act of smoking has become a way of life and a normal, daily functioning routine.
By taking a pill you may satisfy the craving for nicotine but you don't fulfill the desire to part-take in the act of smoking a cigarette. This is where the true dilemma for using nicotine replacements like patches and pills begins.
Many individuals who are trying to quit smoking, who opt to use the patch open up a fresh can of worms crawling with danger. This danger is actually increasing levels of nicotine consumption! You see, even though individuals using patches and pills are getting their dose/fill of nicotine, they are not getting their fill of lighting up, habitually smoking and/or socializing with the cigarette in hand.
Idle Hands are Evil Hands:
Have you ever heard of the expression, idle hands are evil hands? What this leads to is the need to actually smoke, not for the nicotine, rather for the fulfilling of the actions-the routine of manipulating a cigarette.
What happens is the potential for an individual to actually load their body up with excessive levels of nicotine.
Ironically, if they didn't possess a physical addiction to nicotine to begin with, the longer they engage in this behavior, the more likely they are going to develop the physical component for nicotine!
In theory, the pills and patches sound great. Plaster a patch on your body or pop a pill in your mouth and presto, the urge to smoke is gone! However, this is not usually how it works. The pills and patches will only be effective on their own if the individual has a nicotine addiction and not a cigarette smoking addiction per se.
Therefore, if they were a tobacco chewer only, it might be highly effective. Then again in this case, if the tobacco was chewed in a rewarding social light, then the pill and patch probably wouldn't work alone for them either!
Implement a Complementary Behavior to Compensate:
In order for the pill and patch to be close to effective, the individual needs to implement some kind of complimentary behavioral strategy to compensate for the actions of smoking. For example, say the individual opted to use the patch; they might be inclined to chew on carrot sticks, a tooth pick or something else every time they felt the need to light up. Their body is already getting the nicotine, but their mind isn't getting satisfied fulfilling the rote action of smoking.
Can pills and patches really work if you put all your ducks in order?
Yes, but it is extremely important for the mind to be retrained throughout the process of smoking cessation. You can try all of the magical pills and potions until the cows come home, but you need to develop a set of positive behaviors to replace the negative actions of smoking. Modifying your behaviors are the ducks which need to be lined up!
And being successful at modifying behaviors is what most smokers find the toughest and why many eventually seek professional help.
First, the premise of both the patch and the pill are to supplement the individual with lower doses of nicotine and gradually wean them off the substance-nicotine.
Most Smokers are Not Physically Addicted to the Nicotine Alone:
The premise is all fine and dandy, but here in lies the rub...most smokers are not actually physically addicted to the nicotine alone, but also the mechanics of smoking. The actual act of smoking has become a way of life and a normal, daily functioning routine.
By taking a pill you may satisfy the craving for nicotine but you don't fulfill the desire to part-take in the act of smoking a cigarette. This is where the true dilemma for using nicotine replacements like patches and pills begins.
Many individuals who are trying to quit smoking, who opt to use the patch open up a fresh can of worms crawling with danger. This danger is actually increasing levels of nicotine consumption! You see, even though individuals using patches and pills are getting their dose/fill of nicotine, they are not getting their fill of lighting up, habitually smoking and/or socializing with the cigarette in hand.
Idle Hands are Evil Hands:
Have you ever heard of the expression, idle hands are evil hands? What this leads to is the need to actually smoke, not for the nicotine, rather for the fulfilling of the actions-the routine of manipulating a cigarette.
What happens is the potential for an individual to actually load their body up with excessive levels of nicotine.
Ironically, if they didn't possess a physical addiction to nicotine to begin with, the longer they engage in this behavior, the more likely they are going to develop the physical component for nicotine!
In theory, the pills and patches sound great. Plaster a patch on your body or pop a pill in your mouth and presto, the urge to smoke is gone! However, this is not usually how it works. The pills and patches will only be effective on their own if the individual has a nicotine addiction and not a cigarette smoking addiction per se.
Therefore, if they were a tobacco chewer only, it might be highly effective. Then again in this case, if the tobacco was chewed in a rewarding social light, then the pill and patch probably wouldn't work alone for them either!
Implement a Complementary Behavior to Compensate:
In order for the pill and patch to be close to effective, the individual needs to implement some kind of complimentary behavioral strategy to compensate for the actions of smoking. For example, say the individual opted to use the patch; they might be inclined to chew on carrot sticks, a tooth pick or something else every time they felt the need to light up. Their body is already getting the nicotine, but their mind isn't getting satisfied fulfilling the rote action of smoking.
Can pills and patches really work if you put all your ducks in order?
Yes, but it is extremely important for the mind to be retrained throughout the process of smoking cessation. You can try all of the magical pills and potions until the cows come home, but you need to develop a set of positive behaviors to replace the negative actions of smoking. Modifying your behaviors are the ducks which need to be lined up!
And being successful at modifying behaviors is what most smokers find the toughest and why many eventually seek professional help.
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