Cold Turkey

Cold turkey is perhaps the most popular way to stop smoking, because many people believe that stopping cold is the only way which will work for them.

The cold turkey method involves stopping smoking suddenly, without any form of help and can mean cutting down from 20 or more cigarettes a day to zero overnight, which is a very big step.

Although it is so popular, cold turkey only works for a small number of people who try it - around 5%. This is because nicotine is addictive.

Giving up any drug overnight causes withdrawal symptoms, which in the case of cigarettes, can be very unpleasant. Even when the worst of these are over, cravings may continue and prove difficult to resist.

Those who do succeed with this method were possibly lucky enough not to have been addicted in the first place or may have stopped in response to shock. Sometimes a health scare will shock an individual into stopping cold. This might be the result of experiencing symptoms which could indicate lung cancer or another serious illness related to smoking. Or it could be the diagnosis of a similar illness in a close friend or family member. Or the news of the unexpected death of someone close as a result of a smoking-related illness.

If you feel that shock tactics might work for you, take a look at some of the stories of people who died young because they smoked. A search on Google or Youtube will bring some pretty horrific results.

Advantages of Cold Turkey

Cold turkey is not harmful, although withdrawal symptoms can be severe and include anxiety, headache and irritability.

The main advantage of this method is that it's free and if it works, it's quick! It is one of the ways to stop smoking that most people try first. Let's take a look at some tips which will help make your experience of cold turkey a little easier and perhaps less painful.

Cold Turkey Tips

Prepare in advance. This will enable you to get rid of cigarettes, avoid places in which you usually smoke and stay away from serious smokers. If you have a deadline for that last cigarette, make sure you don't have a pack still in the kitchen drawer, ready to tempt you when you put on the coffee the next morning.

Decide when you are going to stop. This should give you the motivation to stop, rather than just put it off till tomorrow or next week.

Seek the support of friends and family, if possible. This isn't always easy, expecially if your close friends and family members are also smokers. If at all possible try to get them to stop with you.

Stock up on alternatives to cigarettes
(sugar-free gum, raw vegetables and fruit). Be careful not to use sugar and fatty foods, as these will make you put on weight and then you'll be tempted to start smoking again to lose the weight.

Make necessary changes in your social life (avoid pubs and clubs - anywhere you will be tempted to smoke). Many areas no longer permit smoking inside, but often provide space for smokers to use outside - pub gardens, for example, and restaurants with tables on the pavement.

You may also benefit from some outside help such as quit-lines or talking to your doctor or a nurse specially trained to help people quit smoking. It's not a contest and the end result is to become a non-smoker. So don't worry too much about the method. If a combination of different methods works for you, go for it.

However, if you have tried cold turkey in the past and have been unsuccessful, you may want to consider another approach, such as acupuncture to stop smoking.

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