Quitting Smoking: Is a Nicotine Patch a Good Option?

Increasingly over the course of the past twenty-five years, a significant number of people have turned to nicotine patches as a means of stopping smoking. Nicotine patches have worked for some, but certainly not all people who have wanted to quit smoking once and for all.

 

If you’ve reached a point in your life at which you are interested in taking serious steps towards quitting smoking, you may be debating whether or not the nicotine patch is the best option for you. At the outset, it must be emphasized that the use of a nicotine patch is not a foolproof avenue towards smoking cessation. In order to successfully make the break from smoking, you will still need the willpower to stop smoking as even with a nicotine patch, the urge to smoke can remain strong.

 

Nicotine patches primarily are designed to help ease some of the more severe withdrawal symptoms that are associated with quitting smoking. Some of these symptoms that nicotine patches are designed to moderate include:

 

·        cravings for tobacco

·        headaches

·        restlessness

·        dizziness

·        tiredness

·        constipation

·        weight gain

·        insomnia

·        loss of concentration

·        irritability

·        anger

·        anxiety

·        depression

The functioning of the nicotine patch is simple to understand. Cigarettes contain varying levels of nicotine. Nicotine has been demonstrated to be an addictive substance; an addictive drug. Cigarette manufacturers continue to debate these issues pertaining to the presence and addictive qualities of nicotine. However, when it comes to the scientific community, the jury has been back for a long time in regard to these issues. Nicotine is present in cigarettes to a significant degree. Nicotine is an addictive drug. Enough said.

 

In theory, by using the nicotine patch, a person desiring to stop smoking will gradually be weaned off the nicotine itself. In this way, a person wanting to cease smoking will not experience all of the severe withdrawal symptoms mentioned a moment ago that do crop up when a person elects to quit cold turkey or without the aid of some sort of replacement therapy.

 

As noted previously, the nicotine patch is not 100% effective. A person is still going to have to exercise a high level of self-restraint and use his or her willpower to break the smoking grip even when using the nicotine patch. A growing number of experts are now coming to agree that the nicotine patch can be most effective when it is one tool in a full arsenal utilized by a person who is serious about quitting smoking – for good. The typical smoker that wants to quit has a greater chance of success when he or she incorporates different products and strategies into his or her overall stop smoking plan.