Counselling and Addiction Therapy
There is evidence which suggests that advice and support from others makes a difference to long-term success in quitting smoking. There is some evidence from randomized controlled trials of approaches such as one-to-one, group and telephone counselling that smokers can and do quit. It has been observed that even a brief word of advice from a doctor can have a positive effect on cessation rates.
Approaches such as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be very effective but, because of the need to regularly attend clinics or group sessions they can involve significant commitments of time and money. They may also involve significant commitments of willpower as they are based on managing and overcoming (as opposed to ameliorating) the psychological and physical symptoms involved in smoking cessation. Because of this drop-out rates can be high.
However for those who "stick with the program" they can be effective.
It is worth noting that some writers on the subject recommend a strategy of combining Counselling and Nicotine Replacement Therapy in much the same way as those working with hard drugs addicts work with clients in conjunction with weaning down approaches such as methadone programs. Indeed I am aware of at least one Nicotine Replacement drug company setting up a phone based counselling program for the users of their products.
There is some logic to this and some evidence that the combined approach is more effective than either approach alone. However I would question the necessity of this approach given the time and cost commitment required and the evidence that NRT is not hugely effective anyway. I would consider this approach if all else has failed.
Internet and automated approaches
Newsgroups, interactive web-based programs and mobile phone quit smoking apps are all relatively new on the scene. Initial indications are that their effectiveness is questionable (Cochrane Review 2010 ref Wikipedia).
These approaches tend to be somewhat sterile in that while the advice and motivation approaches are sensible and logical, real human contact with its element of reassurance is absent.
Acupuncture and Laser treatment
Per Cochrane Summaries May 2011 "Acupuncture and related therapies do not appear to help smokers who are trying to quit."
The review looked at trials comparing active acupuncture with sham acupuncture (using needles at other places in the body not thought to be useful) or control conditions and did not find consistent evidence that active acupuncture or related techniques increased the number of people who could successfully quit smoking.
However, it did state that acupuncture may be better than doing nothing, at least in the short term; and found that there is not enough evidence to dismiss the possibility that acupuncture might have an effect greater than placebo. *
*(Ref: White AR, Rampes H, Liu JP, Stead LF, Campbell J. Acupuncture and related interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000009. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000009.pub3)
James Jameson has possibly helped more people to stop smoking than any other therapist in Ireland. His approach using Hypnosis and NLP is very highly effective and requires only one session. James would love to work with you either in person or via Skype.
For more information please visit James' website http://stopsmokingirl.com
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