If you’re ready to call it quits when it comes to smoking (or any other addiction for that matter), consider acupuncture. When other methods used fail, many people turn to acupuncture. Increasingly, acupuncture has become the first approach chosen, as more people desire a non-drug, non-chemical approach to quitting. In some states, acupuncture is a treatment that is court mandated for drug addicts because it helps alleviate withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, irritability, anger, anxiety, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. This reduces the recidivism rate (rate at which they resume smoking or drugs again), therefore reducing the re-arrest rate.
Of the estimated 50 million Americans who smoke, 70% report that they want to quit smoking, but have failed. Nicotine is reportedly as powerful of an addiction as heroin, cocaine or alcohol. That’s pretty powerful!
Why quit? There are many reasons why smokers wish to quit. It may be because they want to protect the health of their family, or themselves, or because it has become more difficult to smoke in public. Some desire to quit because they’ve heard that cigarettes have about 4,000 chemicals, 43 of which are known carcinogens, as well as other toxins such as tar, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, acetone, DDT, formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene and Freon.
Whatever the reason, there are things you can do to help to quit. Exercise is helpful because it contributes to a sense of wellbeing and can be calming. Drinking herbal teas such as lobelia or valerian due to their anti-anxiety and calming effects can be helpful. Finding a way to relax, such as yoga, meditating, or martial arts such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong can be advantageous.
Detoxifying is also efficacious. This can be accomplished by acupuncture, detoxification programs or even simply juicing. If juicing, mostly green leafy vegetables are best. Juicing alone is probably not strong enough, but simply an adjunct. Drinking water and eating a diet high in fresh veggies and some fruit can help too.
Of course my favorite is acupuncture. Acupuncture is successful because of the many different factors it is able to help balance. Acupuncture helps reduce the feelings of stress, irritability, restlessness, anxiety, quick to anger, and the jumpiness many addicts feel. It also helps in restoring energy, yet helping the individual feel more relaxed and be able to handle stresses better. For some odd reason, after acupuncture, cigarettes taste terrible! They no longer have the mouth-satisfaction factor. Acupuncturists use needles that are one-time use, hair thin, surgical stainless steel. They are superficially inserted into points in the body and ear to produce effective results. Between treatments they may use ear pellets or tiny ear “tacks” which enable the person to give themselves “mini-acupuncture” stimulus in times of duress. This also helps their success. If you’re ready to call it quits to the cigarettes or other addictions, call an acupuncturist today!
© 2014 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
