Many people want to quit smoking, but using nicotine-laced aids or nicotine-free aids that may have harmful side effects doesn’t appeal to them. If you’re trying to quit smoking and you don’t like these aids, don’t worry, you might be interested in trying an alternative method. Two popular alternative methods used to quit smoking are hypnosis and acupuncture. Learn about these two methods in this article and then make a decision that best suits your needs and personality.

Hypnosis

The first, most often used alternative method to quit smoking is hypnosis. Hypnosis puts you in an altered state of mind where you are open to suggestions. You can either find a certified hypnotist in the area where you live or you find hypnosis programs on the internet. There are many "quit smoking" hypnosis programs to choose from and you can receive them either in an mp3 which you can download to your computer, or receive a CD that you can listen to on your computer on CD player.

Many people have a fear of being hypnotized, but it is actually very relaxing and you don’t have to worry about not waking up or being given bad suggestions. Results are mixed regarding the effectiveness of hypnosis and it doesn’t work for everyone. Choose an affordable and reputable program and see if it works for you.

Acupuncture

A less popular alternative, but possibly more effective technique used to quit smoking is acupuncture. This technique is an ancient Chinese medical practice that uses needles to treat pain or disease. The needles are placed in specific spots on your body to treat your illness, or symptom and has been used successfully for helping people quit smoking.

Your first step in using acupuncture as a quit smoking aid is to find a reputable and certified acupuncturist in your area. If at all possible, talk to some of the patients even asking for testimonials from happy patients.

Once you’ve found an acupuncturist that you have confidence in, you can expect your first visit to be a session to be an interview. You will be asked questions about your smoking habits, and a physical exam that includes taking your blood pressure, pulse, and observation of your tongue. The emotional and physical symptoms that you have helps your practitioner get a clear picture of your specific situation and will help him create a treatment plan specifically for you.

The acupuncture treatments will focus on the jitters, the cravings, the irritability, and the restlessness that people commonly complain about when they quit. It will also aid in relaxation and detoxification.

Alternative treatments like hypnosis and acupuncture seem radical to many people, but often they are a better choice for people who strongly desire to quit smoking and don’t want to use nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine-free aids because of the side effects. Keep an open mind and check into these ideas. You never know, one of them just might work for you!

Jason Ladock

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