Sunday, November 15, 2009

Can Using Nicotine Patches and Gum Help You Quit Smoking?


If the problem people have with quitting smoking is that they are addicted to nicotine, why would they want to put more of what you're addicted to in your body in the form of patches or gum as your attempt to quit? That would be like an alcoholic taking seven shots of Jack Daniels and a six-pack of Bud a day in their quest to quit drinking.

I believe you need to come from a completely opposite phi! losophy and perspective. I believe you must flush the nicotine that is already in your body, out. The nicotine levels in the body dictate the levels of cravings a smoker experiences, so the nicotine must be removed. Secondly, there must be a calming substitute in the body to replace the calming feeling that nicotine creates so they aren't quitting cold turkey. Thirdly, you must deal with the habitual behavior.

Habits are created over the years and can be difficult to break even if no physical addiction remains. A good aromatherapy oil blend can help to break the habitual behavior in several ways. First, it is placed wherever the smoker normally keeps their cigarettes. Then, when needed, a few drops of the oil are brought up to the lips (like a cigarette) and the aroma is inhaled with several deep breaths from the diaphragm (like a cigarette). The action is similar to smoking, and clos! e enough to trick the brain into the new behavioral pattern. A! dditiona lly, it plays into a well known psychological phenomenon in the stop smoking field known as the "two minute rule". Typically, if a smoker can resist the craving for two minutes, the intense feeling passes. Aromatherapy gives them something to do for that timeframe.

By Judy Brown

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