The Cold Turkey Method: How to Stop Smoking Immediately and Stay Smoke-Free?

Letting go of a habit you have most likely developed over the years or a decade can be challenging. This is one of the reasons why quitting smoking has become one of the hardest things to do for many people.

The "cold turkey" method is one of the most well-known approaches for quitting smoking, where individuals abruptly stop using tobacco. While challenging, the cold turkey method has proven effective for many smokers who prefer to eliminate cigarettes from their lives immediately rather than tapering off over time.

If you are wondering how to stop smoking immediately, the key is to prioritise the right quitting method that attunes to your well-being.

What is the Cold Turkey Method?

The cold turkey method is one of the most abrupt methods of quitting smoking, without any reliance on nicotine patches, gums, or medications. In short, you decide one day that enough is enough, and you get rid of the habit – without any waiting.

Is it brutal? Yes. In fact, studies indicate that only 4-7% of people who try the cold turkey method actually stick to it and overcome the complications.

Once a smoker decides to quit cold turkey, they immediately stop using cigarettes, typically setting a quit date and preparing mentally and physically for the challenge ahead. Usually, if you have built the habit of smoking over decades, quitting cold turkey often comes with a lot of challenges and withdrawal symptoms.

Why Choose the Cold Turkey Method?

Despite how brutal the aftermath is, many people have one common question in mind, “Why is going cold turkey with your smoking habit beneficial?”

Following are a few potential reasons why:

Immediate Results

The cold turkey method provides the quickest path to becoming smoke-free. With this method, you won’t have to wait to leave smoking, reducing from 10 cigarettes a day to 5, to 2 and then quit the habit. Instead, you stop cold, hard and dry on the spot once you decide smoking isn’t doing much for your body. This straightforward approach gives a clear sense of achievement once you stop smoking.

Sense of Control

As absurd as it sounds, when you quit smoking cold turkey, you do develop a sense of control over the quitting process because it involves taking immediate action. For example, for people who dislike relying on external aids, quitting cold turkey offers a sense of autonomy and empowerment.

Avoiding Nicotine Dependence

When it comes to quitting smoking, the main reason behind the situation is to get rid of the physical nicotine dependence. Going cold turkey, as hard as it sounds, helps to let go of that ill habit well and good and cut any kind of ties with the nicotine. In short, cold turkey helps to detox the body much faster.

Cost Effective

If you are on a budget crunch and don’t want to look into additional methods to eliminate this ill habit, quitting cold turkey is undoubtedly the quickest and “no investment” method. All you have to do is compensate with determination and stick to your goal, despite how hard some days might seem.

However, quitting cold turkey is not without its challenges. It requires mental toughness and preparation, as the withdrawal symptoms can be intense during the first few weeks.

What are the Challenges of Quitting Cold Turkey?

When you quit smoking abruptly, your body and mind go through a period of adjustment as they detox from nicotine. Since nicotine is an addictive substance, limiting your body from its exposure suddenly will showcase in terms of physical symptoms.

Some of the common challenges of quitting cold turkey include:

• Having the constant urge to smoke is usually the biggest challenge of quitting cold turkey. During the first week, the cravings hit the strongest.
• When your body is in nicotine withdrawal, it can lead to a myriad of complications like irritability, anxiety, and mood swings. In extreme cases, some might feel angry and agitated, too.
• Nicotine has a stimulating effect, so when you quit smoking out of nowhere, it can lead to issues with concentration and focus.
• Some people explain that they suddenly have an increased appetite after quitting smoking, which can lead to significant weight gain.
• Issues with sleeping patterns, especially insomnia and restless sleep, are common complications, too.
• As your lungs begin to heal, you may experience coughing, phlegm, or respiratory discomfort, but the symptoms will correct themselves eventually.

The majority of the time, the complications and challenges with quitting smoking cold turkey occur during the first week after you quit. Gradually, as your body adjusts, the challenges also subside.

What are the Long-Term Strategies to Stay Smoke-Free?

Smoking is one of those habits that might bring you temporary euphoria, but the long-term impacts are debilitating to the body. So, when you are on your quitting journey, you have to plan for short-term and long-term quitting strategies so you don’t fall back into the trap.

Following are a few long-term strategies to remain smoke-free:

• Quitting smoking is a huge achievement, and to keep yourself motivated, you can always reward yourself for your milestones. Be it one week or a year of being smoke-free, celebrating these wins allows you to see how far you have come.
• If your smoking habit was triggered by peer pressure or high-pressure situations, that’s precisely what you need to avoid. You don’t want to put yourself in situations where you’d end up in a complex problem with an urge to go back to smoking.
• Write down a list of reasons you quit smoking—health benefits, financial savings, improved appearance, or the example you’re setting for loved ones. Whenever you feel the urge to smoke, refer to this list.
• Many people smoke to navigate through life’s challenges. Instead of going back to your old ways, you need to find healthy coping mechanisms that prevent the nicotine urges from returning.

Embrace a Smoke-Free Life!

Quitting smoking cold turkey is a pretty rewarding experience but highly challenging. If you are struggling with this habit, it is always great to wean off gradually. Ryze’s Flavoured Nicotine Gums could be a stepping stone towards a smoke-free life.

Take Ryze’s 21-Day Challenge to embrace a life in which you don’t have to choose smoking to feel better and relax.