Natural remedies to help you quit smoking

Learn how to quit smoking naturally with our guide. Discover natural methods that will help you kick the habit for good. Start your journey to better health.

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Smoking is highly addictive and can be one of the most difficult addictions to get free from. It is therefore understandable that smokers want to look to natural remedies or holistic ways as well as other ways of stopping smoking.

This page covers a variety of methods that do not require any substitute for the nicotine in your cigarettes so you can evaluate the options and the potential for success.

What are the most effective ways to quit smoking naturally?

Your success in quitting smoking, depends very much on the method you decide to use.

Although there are numerous techniques and treatments purporting to help you most of them result in less than one person out of ten actually succeeding.

The table below shows that the overall best method is Allen Carr’s Easyway.

Method
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Nictoine or Drug Free?
Potential Side Effects?
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Initial Cost?
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Method
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N/A
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check_circle Under advice
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How to stop smoking immediately with Willpower or Cold Turkey

Stop Smoking using Willpower / Cold Turkey

Treatment: This is the method most commonly used by smokers in their attempts to stop. The aim is that by stopping smoking, without any support, and utilising sheer willpower they will overcome their nicotine addiction and be free. 

Side Effects: Mood; aggression; anxiety; depression and irritability; weight gain & substitution.

Who can use it: Anyone can try to stop smoking using willpower.

Comment: The big issue with this method is that the smoker is left with a feeling that they have lost or given something up. Over time this normally leads to a yearning and longing desire to return to smoking. It’s caused by a feeling of sacrifice which is based on the belief that smoking provided a pleasure and some benefits. The yearning often leads to substitution (eating or drinking instead of smoking) which in turn, leads to weight gain. The former smoker feels constantly deprived and whenever they think about cigarettes or experience a moment when they might normally smoke, they feel miserable. This is often a recipe for failure.

Not being able to stop smoking by willpower is not an indication that you’re weak-willed. It just means that you chose the wrong method. Ironically, very strong-willed people can find the willpower method particularly difficult. After all, which child will scream longest and loudest when you take away their favourite toy at dinner time, the strong-willed one or the weak-willed one? In fact, succeeding on the willpower method can be very difficult indeed1.

Acupuncture for quitting smoking

acupuncture as a natural smoking remedy

Treatment: This is a traditional Chinese therapy in which certain acupunctural points are stimulated by inserting needles into the patient’s body. The aim is to mitigate withdrawal symptoms and hence make it easier to quit.

Side Effects: None

Who can use it: Anyone can try to stop smoking using acupuncture

Comment: There is no scientific proof that the meridians or acupuncture points exist, and it is hard to prove that they either do or do not. It’s quite possible that some conditions might be helped using acupuncture, but acupuncture doesn’t claim to cure smoking – it merely claims to help with feelings of withdrawal. Nicotine withdrawal is actually very mild and as long as the correct method is used to quit smoking, acupuncture is therefore neither helpful nor necessary1.

What’s holding you back?

Not sure if you really want to quit smoking?

Want to stop, but concerned that you’ll find it tough?

Worried that you’ll be deprived for the rest of your life without cigarettes?

We know that taking the first step can be difficult, but we’re here to answer your questions in complete confidence – with no pressure and no judgement.

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Hypnosis – hypnotherapy for smoking

Hypnotherapy as a natural way to quit smoking

Treatment: The smoker is put into a relaxed, altered state of awareness, and suggestions designed to amplify the downsides of smoking, and encourage the enjoyment of freedom, effectively attempt to bolster willpower.

Side Effects: None

Who can use it: Anyone can try to stop using hypnosis

Comment: Although hypnosis can be a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to experience, unless the suggestions made during the process are useful, it doesn’t really add much in terms of re-enforcing the smoker’s efforts. For example, using hypnosis in an attempt to bolster a smoker’s willpower is simply reinforcing an attempt to quit smoking using an inefficient, uncomfortable, and quite unsuccessful method11.

Allen Carr’s Easyway stop smoking method

Allen Carr's Easyway quit smoking courses

Treatment: The world’s most popular and successful way to quit smoking with an estimated 30 million people helped worldwide. It is often described as a cognitive behavioural therapy, or “talking therapy” (or self-help in its written form) which engages with smokers and has them correct their understanding of what causes them to smoke. At the live seminars it takes around 5 hours and the smoker carries on smoking until they feel ready to throw their cigarettes away.

There are absolutely no shock or scare tactics, and no uncomfortable discussion of health implications. Smokers know all about those already. Instead, the Facilitator helps the smoker dismantle all their arguments and reasons “for” smoking, leaving them to feel happy and relieved to “get rid of smoking” – rather than “giving it up” with a reluctant feeling of sacrifice – they feel genuinely delighted to be free.

Side Effects: None

Who can use it: Anyone

Comment: There are no side effects, it is clinically proven and it is entirely drug-free, with no need to use any nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, patches or gum and no need for any other smoking cessation drugs.

In a recent study, funded by the Irish Government, it was shown to be nearly twice as successful as the Irish stop smoking service (Quit.ie)12 and in another study by the University of Vienna the success rate after a year was seen to be 51% 12.

There is also a full money back guarantee.

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Quit smoking the Easyway

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How to stop smoking naturally – 8 tips

woman who has quit smoking naturally on a hill
It’s easy to quit smoking on your own – you just need to know how. Time has proven that nicotine patches, gum, and e-cigarettes just prolong the addiction and don’t tackle the important psychological aspects of smoking. Most smokers don’t realise that the problem with nicotine addiction is 1% physical and 99% mental.

Here’s how to stop smoking naturally

  1. Nicotine addiction is actually weak;

    it’s an extremely mild, slightly insecure feeling.

  2. The unpleasant symptoms people describe as “nicotine withdrawal” are nothing of the sort;

    the empty insecure feeling of nicotine withdrawal triggers a thought process. It’s the result of that thought process which leads to the unpleasant physical feelings.

  3. It’s like a tantru;

    The discomfort a smoker feels when they attempt to quit using willpower is similar to that displayed by a child when their favourite toy is taken from them. They are powerful physical feelings – but they have no physical cause.

  4. To ensure success focus on the 99% mental aspects of addiction;

    Understanding why you smoke is essential. Most smokers mistakenly believe that they do it because they enjoy it or because it gives them some kind of benefit or support. It’s the addiction that convinces them of this.

  5. The next cigarette is the continuation of a problem not the solution;

    Understand a cigarette simply momentarily relieves the discomfort caused by the previous one. That’s how addiction works. The more you experience the effect the more convinced you believe the cigarette is solving the problem rather than causing it.

  6. Realise that there’s nothing to give up;

    Understanding that there are no benefits or advantages to smoking is key. Understand that and your inclination to smoke will disappear. Allen Carr’s Easyway method is the most effective way of quitting smoking naturally without the hindrance of nicotine products.

  7. It’s great to have support;

    You don’t have to quit smoking on your own – there is lots of help. Choosing a method that understands the psychology of addiction is key to success.

  8. Reach out for help;

    You can always find out different ways to stopping smoking using Allen Carr’s Easyway to Quit Smoking method

Allen Carr’s Easyway has been described as ‘a real smoker’s way to quit’. You carry on smoking until you’re ready to stub out your final cigarette. Easyway doesn’t focus on the downsides of smoking – smokers know all about those already. Instead the method answers the question ‘What’s so great about being a smoker?’ Understanding that is the key to being set free.
Find the right stop vaping and smoking programme for you

References:

  1. Lancaster T, Stead LF. Self-help interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD001118. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD001118.pub2
  2. Stead LF. Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012 Art. No.: CD000146. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.
  3. Hughes J, Rennard S. Efficacy of Varenicline to Prompt Quit Attempts in Smokers Not Currently Trying to Quit: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nicotine & Tobacco Research Journal. September 2011
  4. Fiore MC, Bailey WC, Cohen SJ, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. June 2000.
  5. Lancaster T, Stead LF. Self-help interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD001118. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD001118.pub2.
  6. Wu P, Wilson K, Dimoulas P, et al. Effectiveness of smoking cessation therapies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health 2006; 6: 300.
  7. Cahill K, Stead LF, Lancaster T. Nicotine receptor partial agonists for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD006103. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006103.pub2.
  8. Hughes JR, Stead LF, Lancaster T. Antidepressants for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000031. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000031.pub3.
  9. Crane R. The most addictive drug, the most deadly substance: smoking cessation tactics for the busy clinician. Prim Care Clin Office Pract 2007; 34: 117-35.
  10. GlaxoSmithKline. Zyban SR Prescribing Information. May 2007. http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_zyban.pdf
  11. Light Relaxation for smoking cessation Barnes J, Dong CY, McRobbie H, Walker N, Mehta M, Stead LF Cochrane review 2010, issue 10
  12. In a 2 to 5 year post session study the success rate was seen to be 51%. Moshammer H, Neuberger M, Kong term success of short smoking cessation seminars supported by occupational health care. Addictive Behaviours 32 (2007) 1486-1493.
    National 12 month Clinical Trial finds Allen Carr’s Easyway almost twice as effective as other smoking cessation methods available on Health Service. Keogan, S., Li, S., Clancy L. (2018) Allen Carr’s Easyway to Quit Smoking – A randomised clinical trial. BMJ Tobacco Control, Issue 4 Volume 28.
    UK Clinical Trial finds Allen Carr’s Easyway as good as, if not better than, the Gold Standard NHS Program which uses NRT & 1-1 psychological support. Frings D, Albery IP, Moss AC, Brunger H, Burghela M, White S, and Wood KV (2020) Comparison of Allen Carr’s Easyway programme with a specialist behavioural and pharmacological smoking cessation support service: A randomised controlled trial. Addiction 115: doi: 10.1111/add.14897
  13. Acute Effects of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Inhalation on Vascular Function Detected at Quantitative MRI Alessandra Caporale. RSNA Radiology Vol.293, No1
  14. Electronic Cigarette Use and Myocardial Infarction Among Adults in the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Journal of the American Heart Association. 2019;8:e012317 D Bhatta and S Glantz
  15. Madison, M. C., et al. (2019). Electronic cigarettes disrupt lung lipid homeostasis and innate immunity independent of nicotine. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 10.1172, JCI128531
  16. Electronic cigarettes disrupt lung lipid homeostasis and innate immunity independent of nicotine M Madison, C Landers Journal of Clinical Investigation2019 JCI128531
  17. Hanno C Erythropel, Sairam V Jabba, Tamara M DeWinter, Melissa Mendizabal, Paul T Anastas, Sven E Jordt, Julie B Zimmerman. Formation of flavorant–propylene Glycol Adducts With Novel Toxicological Properties in Chemically Unstable E-Cigarette Liquids. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/nty192
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