Can you kick the habit?
Most smokers will tell you that giving up cigarettes or trying to, is one of the hardest things they will ever do in their lifetime, but it doesn’t stop them trying, again and again and again. So why is it that some people succeed, but so many more fail?
Well, according to a new study released today 85% of current smokers have tried at one point to kick the habit, with the average smoker having tried three times in their lifetime to quit, but staying smoke-free for only around four months before lighting up again in despair.
Half of those who have tried to give up have used gum, over a third patches, nearly one in five prescription medicine and one in seven have tried herbal remedies.
Two in five people rely on willpower alone, believing if they can just tell themselves not to smoke they’ll kick the habit.
Interestingly, lack of willpower is also the number one reason why people who have never tried to quit have not given it a go.
More than half of those who have never tried to abstain from nicotine say they simply don’t believe they could do it, while almost one in five believe they are just too addicted to smoking.
But why do some people manage to quit and others don’t? Is through lack of trying, lack of willpower or the chemical and biological factors involved with addiction?
Do gums and patches actually do anything to curb the cravings and if not what other methods work?
Model Sophie Anderton knows all about the battle to give up cigarettes, in fact in her battle with addiction, smoking was the last and hardest one she had to kick.
Working with hypnotherapist Tim Smale, Anderton finally ended her almost 30 year addiction to cigarettes this year.
Watch Sophie explain how it works and why was it so effective.
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