The quit smoking shot offers hope to smokers as the "holy grail" of all cures - a vaccine. Could this really become a reality? Find out more in this article.
Vaccination - The Ultimate Cure
Most of us have heard the maxim, "prevention is better than cure". The ultimate way to beat a disease is to prevent it happening in the first place. Smallpox used to ravage the world until is was wiped out by the discovery of a vaccine. Could the same thing happen to smoking?
Quit Smoking Shot
Strangely, even though cigarette addiction has been commonplace for decades, only in recent years has the likelihood of an injectionable cure or vaccine looked likely. The idea behind the shot is that it will take away the worst symptoms of giving up, the cravings.
So, a person getting the shot will have no cravings for a cigarette and therefore no desire for a cigarette. Stopping smoking then becomes extremely easy. Sounds great, doesn't it?
Where Are We Now?
A number of companies are developing the quit smoking shot as you read this article. Most of them are in the middle of medical trials to establish how well they work and if they need to be further developed.
Comparison With Other Methods
A vaccine sounds like a great idea but is it much different to the other cures out there at the moment? Currently, most people try patches and gum, less people try hypnosis and less even try alternative cures such as lasers and acupuncture.
But the problem with all these methods is that they only focus on reducing the symptoms of addiction and not the root cause. They only work temporarily and eventually the desire for cigarettes returns and people start to smoke again. You might be shocked to hear this but the success rate for patches after 6 months is only 7%, pretty much the same as willpower alone. You sure don't hear about that on the TV commercials!
Surely A Vaccine Is The Answer?
The problem with the quit smoking shot is that it's not a true vaccine. A true vaccine works again viruses by giving the patient a small dose, enough to start producing antibodies. When the antibodies have fully developed, you are immune to the disease.
The quit smoking shot does not work in this way. Like the patches, lasers and hypnosis, it only works to temporarily cure you of your cravings to make the initial quitting attempt easier. It's not intended for the long haul. You are not supposed to get booster doses and take the shot for life. So, when all is said and done, I don't expect much difference between the shot and all the other forms of smoking cessation aids already out there.
Is There Another Way?
Yes there is. I stopped smoking for 8 years so I know for a fact that there is another way. Here's a clue. What do all of the above methods have in common? All of the above just temporarily suppress the symptoms of addiction. When you use them, you are still an addict and when you stop using them, your addictive urges resurface once more. You will never truly be free of cigarettes.
The only real way to cure addiction is to forget about the symptoms and look at the whole picture. How does it work, how does it affect your thinking, what exactly is it doing to you? Ask yourself these questions and you will be closer to the real cure for quitting smoking.
Vaccination - The Ultimate Cure
Most of us have heard the maxim, "prevention is better than cure". The ultimate way to beat a disease is to prevent it happening in the first place. Smallpox used to ravage the world until is was wiped out by the discovery of a vaccine. Could the same thing happen to smoking?
Quit Smoking Shot
Strangely, even though cigarette addiction has been commonplace for decades, only in recent years has the likelihood of an injectionable cure or vaccine looked likely. The idea behind the shot is that it will take away the worst symptoms of giving up, the cravings.
So, a person getting the shot will have no cravings for a cigarette and therefore no desire for a cigarette. Stopping smoking then becomes extremely easy. Sounds great, doesn't it?
Where Are We Now?
A number of companies are developing the quit smoking shot as you read this article. Most of them are in the middle of medical trials to establish how well they work and if they need to be further developed.
Comparison With Other Methods
A vaccine sounds like a great idea but is it much different to the other cures out there at the moment? Currently, most people try patches and gum, less people try hypnosis and less even try alternative cures such as lasers and acupuncture.
But the problem with all these methods is that they only focus on reducing the symptoms of addiction and not the root cause. They only work temporarily and eventually the desire for cigarettes returns and people start to smoke again. You might be shocked to hear this but the success rate for patches after 6 months is only 7%, pretty much the same as willpower alone. You sure don't hear about that on the TV commercials!
Surely A Vaccine Is The Answer?
The problem with the quit smoking shot is that it's not a true vaccine. A true vaccine works again viruses by giving the patient a small dose, enough to start producing antibodies. When the antibodies have fully developed, you are immune to the disease.
The quit smoking shot does not work in this way. Like the patches, lasers and hypnosis, it only works to temporarily cure you of your cravings to make the initial quitting attempt easier. It's not intended for the long haul. You are not supposed to get booster doses and take the shot for life. So, when all is said and done, I don't expect much difference between the shot and all the other forms of smoking cessation aids already out there.
Is There Another Way?
Yes there is. I stopped smoking for 8 years so I know for a fact that there is another way. Here's a clue. What do all of the above methods have in common? All of the above just temporarily suppress the symptoms of addiction. When you use them, you are still an addict and when you stop using them, your addictive urges resurface once more. You will never truly be free of cigarettes.
The only real way to cure addiction is to forget about the symptoms and look at the whole picture. How does it work, how does it affect your thinking, what exactly is it doing to you? Ask yourself these questions and you will be closer to the real cure for quitting smoking.
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