Saying Farewell to the Marlboro Man
Acupuncture is a Recommended Option for the Determined Quitter
Sep 19, 2009
It’s difficult to explain the beauty of a cigarette to someone who has never experienced nicotine love. In fact, it’s impossible to explain the pleasure drawn from smoking to a non-smoker, a pleasure extending far beyond the chemically produced emotions of satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness. However you define that wonderful relationship you’ve established with nicotine sticks, it can be agreed that it is more than just a breath of sweet toxic air: it is a way of life.
And just like everything else deemed unhealthy but oh-so-pleasurable, it is a relationship that must come to end. The physical detriments attributed to smoking are undeniable, and most smokers feel a sense of guilt whilst they engage their ‘cancer sticks’. In fact, most smokers want to quit smoking, but the thought of quitting is as scary as the potential for emphysema, and so it goes that the quit date comes and passes, and the Marlboro miles still add up.
Help is Just a Doctor's Call Away
Recent innovations in ‘no smoke’ technology have yielded non-nicotine methods of smoking cessation, such as the prescription medications Wellbutrin, Chantix, and Zyban. There are also those methods of smoking cessation which contain nicotine, such as the patch, inhaler, chewing gum and throat lozenge. The options for the determined smoker are endless, and can usually be decided upon with the advice of your doctor.
Acupuncture for the Determined Quitter
However, one proven method for smoking cessation, for which you will not see an ad on television, is as old as the first crop of pipe tobacco, and as effective as any breakthrough treatment. Acupuncture is a proven method for quitting, aiding in craving reduction, weakening withdrawal symptoms, irritability, restlessness, and the shakes. What makes this form of treatment unique is that it is highly specific to you. An acupuncturist typically begins with an examination in which he diagnosis imbalances within the body and mind, thereby understanding the totality of the addiction and how best to create a plan designed exclusively to heal his patient.
The needle treatment itself is again patient specific; everyone’s biology is different, and each patient is custom treated regarding his unique overall assessment. However, the needle treatment targets points within the ear and the body which are thought to stimulate the organs and energy fields that are most commonly related to smoking.
Unique Benefits of the Acupuncture Approach
In addition to the acupuncture, the eastern approach to the cigarette condition involves other proven methods which compliment the success of the needles. Below are a few tips to help kick the habit once and for all:
- Practice breathing exercises, which would not only replenish the lungs of oxygen, but also focus your attention away from smoking and onto the fact that you have quit smoking.
- Reward yourself with healthy gifts, small inspiring incentives with the money you would have been spending on cigarettes.
- Read books on eastern philosophy, health and meditation in order to broaden your horizon and understand a different approach to your body
- Develop new habits, such as a 30-minute walk routine, or a cup of tea instead of a smoke break
- Have a support system, people who can hold you accountable so that you are less likely to slip up
Remember, the road to becoming positively smoke free is a difficult one, so prepare yourself; be armed and ready with a fierce attitude and a strong will to quit!
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