Becoming a Non-Smoker
Acupuncture can be very effective in helping to relieve the withdrawal symptoms
experienced by those giving up tobacco. As a result of treatment the craving and
other symptoms such as irritability and agitation become less pronounced. However,
these symptoms will still often be noticed, so a person's determination to succeed
is still called for and I advise people to prepare for giving up.
As part of this preparation, I recommend reading "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking",
a Penguin book by Allen Carr (available from bookshops or myself). Most people
find this book enormously helpful both before and during the giving up process.
Not a sacrifice
Allen Carr argues that giving up smoking is not a sacrifice because smoking as
such is not enjoyable. What makes it seem enjoyable is that smoking a cigarette
temporarily relieves the withdrawal pangs that stem from nicotine addiction.
"The enjoyment that a smoker gets from a cigarette is the pleasure of trying
to get back to the state of peace, tranquillity and confidence that his body
had before he became hooked in the first place ... it is like the pleasure of
removing a pair of shoes that are too tight."
Seeing through the myths
The biggest obstacles to giving up smoking are not the physical cravings for
nicotine. (These periodic, empty, insecure or restless feelings disappear after
a few days.) The main obstacles are the myths that advertisers and smokers
themselves foster about smoking: that, for instance, cigarettes "help you
relax", "relieve stress", "aid concentration" and "give you confidence".
How can nicotine, a stimulant "help you relax" (except by temporarily reducing
the craving for nicotine)? In fact, you can never fully relax if you are a
smoker.There is always that hunger for nicotine that must be satisfied.This
craving also stops you concentrating, increases stress and decreases confidence.
Treatment
Treatment usually involves two or three sessions of acupuncture at weekly
intervals. Apart from reducing withdrawal symptoms acupuncture can help create
a general state of relaxation in which the energies of body and mind flow
smoothly and freely.
The first session includes a full investigation of the person's health in
general and this means that, if appropriate, other health problems can be
treated as well as the nicotine addiction.
What motivates us best is not fear or guilt but rather enjoyment; the
satisfaction and improved quality of life from being a non-smoker. Giving up,
of course, considerably enhances one's self-esteem and gives one a greater
sense of control over one's own life.
Caffeine intake
At the risk of sounding a spoil sport, it is advisable to reduce your coffee,
tea, cola and chocolate intake. All of these contain caffeine. Nicotine helps
the body eliminate caffeine more quickly. When you cease smoking, caffeine
levels in the body will tend to rise (unless you cut consumption considerably)
making you feel more tense and agitated.
"Cutting down" - A blind alley
"Cutting down" rarely works. It gives you the worst of both worlds.
Considerably reducing your cigarette intake results in a level of withdrawal
pangs not much different from that experienced in the first day or so after
stopping smoking completely. Not only that but, because you continue to imbibe
nicotine, the withdrawal pangs continue indefinitely (whereas if you cut out
cigarettes withdrawal pangs continue only for a few days). Living with this
constant frustration - with no end in sight - is not possible, so consumption
usually soon returns to its original level. Worse still, it reinforces the view
that you "need" cigarettes.
Cutting down as a prelude to giving up is equally non-viable. It extends the
traumatic, uncomfortable period and saps your motivation to give up.
A positive approach
Should you get cravings during the withdrawal period, instead of thinking "I
need a cigarette", say to yourself: "This is my body registering its addiction
to nicotine. Very soon I'll be free. I won't have to experience these cravings
much longer - unlike smokers who, on top of all the other unpleasant aspects of
smoking, will have to suffer these cravings for as long as they remain addicts".
With this approach, the cravings become more of an incentive not to have a
cigarette than to have one.
|
Becoming a Non-Smoker