Nicorette is the brand name of a product that is used to help people quit smoking. The most widely known form of Nicorette is as chewing gum however it can be purchased as a lozenge, inhaler, or skin patch. Whatever method is used, the concept behind using Nicorette to quit smoking is known as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT is used to gradually wean a person from dependence on nicotine by administering it through an aid like Nicorette instead of through harmful tobacco smoke. It is important to understand the place Nicorette has in a program to quit smoking. It is only part of the solution and is intended to help you quit but not make you quit. Success in quitting still depends on you.
It helps you to quit smoking by taking away your immediate desire for nicotine. Nicotine is the highly addictive chemical in cigarettes. Once you deprive your body of nicotine, you begin to get irritable, fidgety, and generally uncomfortable. This is the first reason why people try to quit on their own but cannot. By chewing Nicorette gum, you create a quick but steady release of nicotine into your bloodstream and it allows you to avoid the physical symptoms of withdrawal.
Some smokers who have tried repeatedly to quit smoking have failed even when using a product like Nicorette. Oftentimes it is because they don’t understand that Nicorette is only an aid and not a cure for a smoking habit. There are actually two important facets to smoking. The first is the physical addiction to nicotine and the second is the psychological dependence. If the psychological dependence is not dealt with, many return to smoking after using Nicorette for the prescribed period of time. It is best if you understand that the nicotine gum will help you by taking the edge off of nicotine deprivation while you focus on behavioral changes that will lead to a victory over smoking.
Can you get addicted to Nicorette?
You may have some difficulty when you stop using Nicorette. The idea behind NRT is for you to gradually use less of the agent that feeds you nicotine until your body no longer depends on it. But sometimes, for whatever reason, people under NRT will suddenly stop using the product in an effort to speed up the process. Maybe it is because of expense or just a desire to be smoke free quickly. However, you can expect to go through some level of nicotine withdrawal as soon as you quit the NRT product. If you haven’t dealt with the behavioral modification required to quit smoking then you may find yourself engulfed in the habit again.
Tackling the mental dependency of smoking requires that you first decide that you really want to quit. Don’t quit because of external influences such as loved ones wanting you to do it. Do it because you want it. The next step is to avoid places and situations where you smoked in the past. If you cannot avoid them then plan ahead about how you will deal with the situations when they occur. Throw away lighters and don’t buy any more cigarettes. Exercise and drink more water and chew on gum to give your mouth something to do. By using Nicorette, you won’t have to worry about the physical side effects of nicotine withdrawal and you can put all of your energy into behavioral changes.
More tips to quit smoking
- Get support from friends and family
- You need to break the chemical addiction and the behavioral addiction
- Try to replace your “smoke breaks” with other types of breaks like a walk break, or reading break
- Be conscious of using food to replace the smoking, you don’t want to gain weight and replace one bad habit with another!
- Nicorette should not be the only thing you use to quit, but it can help!
- Good luck and if you don’t get it the first time just keep trying
