How to Quit Smoking Cold Turkey
Smoking nicotine is very dangerous to a person’s health in a variety of ways. Cigarettes can cause emphysema, bronchitis, stroke, heart disease, many types of cancer, and other fatal diseases. They are also extremely addictive, comparable to being addicted to heroin. This makes quitting smoking very difficult, but it can be done.
This article will discuss the origins of the phrase “cold turkey,” the side effects, tricks and tips for quitting, and how Joseph R. Giove and Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy is the best option to assist in quitting smoking cold turkey.
Quitting Cold Turkey and Other Options
There are many different options to quitting smoking. Most involve a means of slowly weaning the smoker off nicotine in incremental doses over a period of time. These products include patches, gums, lozenges, and prescribed pills. All of these products have a marginal success rates and are dependant on the individual and how hard they are willing to work. If a person believes they have this work ethic and strong will they might try a method called the ‘cold turkey’ method.
The official definition of cold turkey is “the abrupt and complete cessation of taking a drug to which one is addicted.”
This is one of the more popular methods of quitting smoking, at least for the first time quitters, because it is free and many people are certain they are able to simply stop.
The Origin of “Cold Turkey”
There have been a couple of people throughout history who have been credited with coining the phrase “cold turkey”.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the Thesaurus, the first use of the phrase ‘cold turkey’ was in 1921 in the Daily Columnist in British Columbia, Canada referring to ‘pitiful’ patients who voluntarily surrendered themselves to a doctor for an ailment and then “are given what is called the ‘cold turkey’ treatment.”
Another reference to “cold turkey” comes from from a book published in 1978 called ‘Cop Speak: The Lingo of Law Enforcement and Crime’, using it to describe when a person goes through withdrawals their skin becomes cold and clammy like that of a refrigerated turkey.
Whatever the actual etymology of the phrase, it has come to be known in the smoking and drug world as stopping a habit immediately and facing whatever consequences may come.
Side Effects of Quitting Cold Turkey
The cold turkey method is one of the most popular for quitting smoking. However, it can also be the most uncomfortable in terms of withdrawal symptoms. People give their brains a certain amount of nicotine when they smoke and if they decide to quit cold turkey, the sudden drop causes nicotine withdrawals. Depending on the person, these withdrawals can be mild to quite severe. Some of these symptoms include:
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Constipation
- Sweating
- Coughing
- Increased Appetite
- Intense Tobacco Cravings
Tips and Tricks to Quitting Cold Turkey
While quitting smoking is hard using any method, the cold turkey method can be one one of the hardest and most uncomfortable in terms of withdrawals. That is the bad news. The good news is that these withdrawal symptoms are usually short lived. Even the longest lasting of all symptoms are shorter than when using other methods such as patches or gum.
There are some tips and tricks that smokers trying the cold turkey method can use to make the journey less painful:
- Pick an end date – Set a firm date and smoke up until then, then stop
- Choosing a date – Try to pick a day such as the last day of work or school, any day before a break in a schedule
- Avoid any place where people are smoking – The cravings will be starting to get more intense and avoiding smokers will be key
- Keep the mind positive – Indulging in books, TV shows, etc will keep the mind off of smoking
- Try to sleep more – Sleeping relaxes the mind and body, while also being a time when smoking is not an option
- Keep the hands active – The hands are familiar with the action of putting a cigarette to the mouth. Keeping them active will help remove the need make the motion
- Keep the mouth active – As with the hands, the mouth and lips are used in the repetitive action of smoking. Chewing gum is usually the most effective
- Keep lots of non-alcoholic drinks around – Thirst is part of the withdrawal process and the more fluids consumed, the faster the nicotine is flushed from the system
The reason that an end date for quitting smoking should be close to time off from work or school is that irritability is a large factor for smokers who quit cold turkey. Finding a place of comfort to spend some time away from frustrating situations and people is essential for the first few days.
Many people find themselves getting upset and irrational at things that they normally would not be and projecting that anger on co-workers, friends, and family is not going to be good for anyone. However, a close friend who understands and that can be yelled at can be beneficial too!
Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy
The aforementioned tricks and tips act as guidelines to help smokers who quit cold turkey get through the withdrawal symptoms. However, it takes more than just a few things to play with and drinking water to quit smoking for life.
Cravings will be the most difficult factor going through the first few weeks or months after that last cigarette. Changing behaviors that were used when smoking will also be key to achieve being smoke free. Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy can help with both.
Joseph R. Giove is a licensed Clinical Hypnotist who has more than 30 years of experience helping people quit smoking. Using Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, the brain patterns are gently altered so that a person no longer craves, and even dislikes cigarettes, which will also change the behaviour towards smoking cigarettes. Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy is the perfect accompaniment to quitting smoking cold turkey and being smoke free forever.