Medically Treating Bad Habits. Is It Achievable?

Can bad habits be cured through medical treatments? Some say yes; they have succeeded in overcoming their addictions through science. There are many medical treatments for smokers and others who want to block their cravings.

For smokers, there is a variety of nicotine replacement options. Nicotine patches are probably the most popular for bad smoking habits. They can be adhered to the skin and forgotten until the end of the day. Or, if you are a person who suffers morning cravings, you can wear the patch all night. In any case, you do not have to be constantly thinking about your smoking.

Nicotine gum is also used by many people with these bad habits. It is handy for those who like to do something with their mouths. It cuts their urge to smoke at the same time. You just chew it for awhile, and then place it in between your cheek and gum. The nicotine will enter your bloodstream. Nicotine lozenges work much the same way.

You can get nicotine nasal sprays and nicotine inhalers through your doctor by prescription. The spray delivers an instant burst of nicotine to the system. The inhaler gives users an experience somewhat like smoking. It helps to wean you from your bad habits.

The downside of nicotine replacement is that you cannot cheat when you are using it. If you smoke when you are wearing a nicotine patch, for instance, you can trigger an episode of very high blood pressure at the very least. Your health will be in danger if you keep your bad habits up.

Many people now use prescription medications for relieving the destruction of these bad habits. Zyban has been used for several years now as a stop-smoking aid. This medication is also an anti-depressant. It helps to eliminate the urge to smoke.

It does not hurt your health (any more than smoking ever did) to smoke or use nicotine patches while using Zyban. However, many people report that they just do not feel like smoking any more.

Chantrix, or varenicline, is a newer medication for those who wish to quit smoking. It eases withdrawal symptoms and makes smoking less pleasurable afterwards. It has been shown to be even more effective than Zyban. It also has been show to help with alcohol addiction. This is helpful since many people drink and smoke in the same situations.

Addictive gambling is another of the bad habits that afflicts many adults. Gamblers seem to have cognitive distortions that prompt them to keep gambling until their money is gone. There may be some physical basis for this. There is now a new medication being studied that is supposed to curb those urges.

For some serious bad habits of opiate addiction, methadone has been used for over thirty years. It controls withdrawal symptoms that come on after quitting heroin, morphine, or similar drugs. It has a well-documented history of success.

While drug treatments of bad habits have their problems, there are some advantages, too. It seems that many of the treatments have helped people to stop addictive behaviors. This is not automatic, but comes with the medication along with a determined effort.