While tobacco products like chewing tobacco and snuff do not involve smoking, they still pose great health risks such as cancer and a slew of degenerative oral conditions. Much like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco contains highly addictive nicotine. The nicotine addiction combined with possible psychological and habitual dependence caused by chewing tobacco makes quitting very difficult. There are many approaches to quitting chewing tobacco altogether. Choosing the right method for you can be instrumental to your success.
Counseling and Support Groups
A strong tobacco cessation program helps chewing tobacco users deal with the difficulties of quitting. Whether these programs include one-on-one counseling, group counseling or a combination of the two, they focus on providing support, guidance and encouragement for chewing tobacco users who have made the conscientious decision to stop using.
Telephone-based help programs connect callers in need of guidance and support with trained tobacco cessation counselors. This support may include assistance with devising a personalized quitting plan that takes your tobacco use patterns and individual struggles into consideration. Having a counselor can also help you avoid common and identifiable mistakes that lead to setbacks.
Surround yourself with people who support your decision to quit chewing tobacco. These can be family, close friends and other committed chewing tobacco quitters. On the other hand, avoid scenarios that may contain chewing tobacco or people who may encourage your chewing tobacco use.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) involves the gradually decreased use of nicotine replacements or substitutes to lessen and eventually break the physical addiction of nicotine from chewing tobacco. Nicotine replacements and substitutes come in the form of nicotine gum, patches, prescription lozenges, inhalers and nasal sprays. These may help curtail nicotine cravings that cause you to chew tobacco. The gum may prove particularly effective because it is used similarly to chewing tobacco in that you chew some and rest it between the cheeks and gums, allowing nicotine to absorb through your mouth's tissues.
Because nicotine replacements only address physical dependence, chewing tobacco users should use them in conjunction with support groups and counseling.
Nontobacco snuff and chewing products ease some of the habitual addiction of chewing tobacco by allowing you to still put something in your mouth. They also can be made of herbs and plants such as mint or caffeine that stimulate you in other ways.
Prescription Medications
Doctors prescribe nicotine withdrawal patients with antidepressants such as Bupropion to help quell symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Consult your doctor and request a prescription for Bupropion if nicotine withdrawal becomes particularly painful psychologically.
Varenicline interferes with the brain's nicotine receptors. Doctors assign these to lessen the pleasurable stimulation of nicotine and quell symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Numbness to the enjoyment of nicotine may also decrease desire to chew tobacco.
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