Craving Management – Tools You can Use Now

I’ve often thought that if I had some of the gadgets that are out now that it might have made my quitting process faster and possibly easier. Things like the nicotine patch and nicotine gum became widely used just after I quit about 20 years ago, so that was not really an option. I tried quitting “cold turkey” several times before I was able to quit the habit for good, with a combination of behavior modification and smoking cessation. For those of you that don’t know, especially since the term is not used as often as it was when I quit, “cessation” generally referred to a program where the smoker was monitored over a period of time (generally about 2 weeks) and was asked to smoke less and less cigarettes.

This process really didn’t help the craving waves that came over me, especially when I was stressed. Now there are tools you can use, both drug and non-drug, to help you through those craving surges. Here is just a short list:
• Chew some Nicotine Gum – This helps with those immediate cravings, but there are some drawbacks. Some people experience side effects like nausea and you are still getting nicotine and other chemicals in your system.
• Take a Brisk Walk – Believe it or not, exercise releases endorphins that help you relax, which can help stave off a cigarette craving. This tool has the positive side effect of helping your circulation.
• Drag on a Nicotine Inhaler – This small plastic device has nicotine cartridges that disperse the drug into your lungs like a cigarette would. Again, as with the gum, there are side effects and chemicals you may not want to be ingesting. It also has the drawback of acting like a cigarette, so the very action you are trying to stop is being repeated.
• Try Mental Imaging – This technique is often used to help pregnant women deal with the pain of contractions during child birth. Get a picture of a pleasant landscape, flower or loved one and concentrate on the picture. The idea is to take your mind off of the cigarettes by focusing on something else.
• Change your Behavior – Behavior modification, the method I used to quit, means to intentionally do something else when you used to smoke, then reward yourself for it. For instance, if you usually smoke after a meal, reward yourself for not smoking by reading a good book instead.
• Have a Snack – This technique I used as well, and since nicotine is an appetite suppressant, you can definitely sink your teeth into this one. If you are worried about gaining weight, be sure to choose healthy snacks such as pretzels or rice cakes. Rice cakes with a dab of all natural peanut butter are still one of my all time favorite healthy snacks.

Keep in mind that you should not smoke while using any nicotine replacement drug, including nicotine gum, inhalers, E-cigarettes and nicotine patches. It’s also important to note that these drugs can have dangerous side effects, like heart rhythm changes, so talk to your doctor before, during and after you use these drugs about the risks. Also keep him or her informed of any changes in symptoms.

No matter what craving management tool you use, the best way to quit for good is to develop a quitting strategy with your doctor. So call your doctor and start quitting

UPDATE: you may have noticed I took out the E-cigarette recommendation in this blog. After doing some research I found that this device has not been approved by the FDA and therefore I cannot recommend it. Be sure to ask your doctor about this or ANY nicotine replacement drugs before using them.