| Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you will | | | | nicotine residue from the body. This allows the lungs to |
| ever do. Luckily, there are many tools to assist you in | | | | feel lighter, the voice less gravely, helps stop coughing |
| your goal of quitting smoking. Acupuncture is one of | | | | and improves digestion. There are helpful herbal |
| the most helpful tools and is very effective in helping | | | | formulas that your acupuncturist can prescribe for |
| break the addiction cycle. | | | | helping heal the lungs and refrain from smoking. One |
| Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles | | | | formula that all smokers, ex-smokers and those |
| into certain points on the body. These needles | | | | working on quitting should take is called ‘Yang Yin |
| stimulate the flow of qi (chee) energy throughout the | | | | Qing Fei’. This formula is a perfect balance of |
| body, helping to regulate the body's natural systems. | | | | herbs to clear out the lungs and stop coughing while |
| Many people are afraid of needles but acupuncture | | | | moistening the dryness of the lungs and sore throats |
| needles are extremely thin--usually the thickness of a | | | | that many smokers experience. |
| strand of hair--and the insertion is barely noticed. The | | | | Ultimately the true, heart felt desire to quit smoking is |
| needles are inserted very superficially in the skin and | | | | the most important predictor in successfully quitting. |
| retained in the body while the patient rests. | | | | Like other addictions, the first step is to admit you have |
| Acupuncture works by helping to regulate the body's | | | | a problem that you wish to change and then take one |
| natural energy flow, to reduce the cravings of nicotine | | | | day at a time. I often ask my patients why they wish |
| withdrawal, to calm the mind and ease anxieties, and | | | | to quit smoking. This may seem like a silly question but |
| to strengthen and benefit the lungs and clear phlegm, | | | | if the patient responds that they truly wish to make a |
| tar and nicotine residue out of the lungs. | | | | change in their life and quit this habit, the results are far |
| Often people smoke to deal with stuck energy in the | | | | better than someone who replies that they wish to quit |
| body that shows itself as feelings of anxiety, tension, | | | | smoking because their 'wife wants them to’. Or |
| anger or grief. Smoking a cigarette draws warm air | | | | because their 'doctor told them to quit’. Or because |
| deeply into the lungs and the nicotine hits our blood | | | | smoking is ‘too expensive’. These are all good |
| stream, then works its way into our brain allowing us to | | | | reasons to stop smoking but ultimately it comes back |
| momentarily feel relaxation and release from these | | | | to the patient’s personal desire for change in their |
| emotions. Acupuncture helps by regulating this stuck | | | | life. |
| energy and moving it along in the same way that deep | | | | This personal desire to improve their health and quit the |
| breaths or a few moments of quiet meditation will do. | | | | habit is a powerful force that is already moving the |
| Smoking allows us to feel relaxed quickly, but this is a | | | | patient in the direction that they wish to go. Ask |
| false benefit as the side effects of smoking are more | | | | yourself why you want to quit. Maybe even make a |
| detrimental then the feelings of anxiety we endure. It is | | | | list of the reasons and post it where you will see it. |
| understood in Chinese medicine that the emotion | | | | Remind yourself daily why you are making this choice. |
| related to the lungs is grief. This heavy, sad, stuck | | | | All the acupuncture, nicotine gum and hypnosis |
| energy of grief is alleviated by the movement of the | | | | treatments in the world will not help you quit smoking |
| lungs as we take a drag off a cigarette. It is important | | | | unless you have truly decided and reconciled yourself |
| to find other ways to move this stuck qi. You can start | | | | to this decision. Even if you have truly dedicated |
| by noticing and observing what you are really feeling | | | | yourself to stopping smoking you may have the |
| when you have a craving for a cigarette. Are you | | | | occasional ‘slip up’ where you smoke again. Be |
| actually sad or stressed out? Spend some time | | | | gentle with yourself; this is a process that will take |
| analyzing what the root of the emotion is. | | | | some time. Think of yourself as a ‘practicing |
| Acupuncture, particularly ear or ‘auricular | | | | non-smoker’ rather than thinking you will quit cold |
| acupuncture’, will help reduce the cravings for | | | | turkey and never smoke again. Avoid having |
| nicotine by stimulating receptors in our brains that | | | | unreasonable expectations of yourself. |
| nicotine usually binds to and create a break from the | | | | Some studies have shown that people desire a |
| cravings. Ear acupuncture can be done by any | | | | cigarette even 25 years after smoking! Rather than |
| acupuncturist or you can buy ‘ear seeds’ which | | | | feel that quitting is impossible, consider cutting back and |
| are little morning glory seeds on medical tape which | | | | slowly changing your life and patterns so that one day |
| are stuck on particular points on the ear. You can | | | | smoking no longer fits into your life or image of |
| research auricular acupuncture charts online or see if | | | | yourself. Addictions occur because of an evolutionary |
| your community offers an addiction clinic. These clinics | | | | feedback loop for survival. When humans have a |
| are often free and offer a short acupuncture session | | | | pleasant experience our brains record this positive |
| or the application of ear seeds to deal with a variety | | | | feedback and send us looking for more of this |
| of addictions. | | | | pleasant experience. People who are addicted to |
| One of the most powerful benefits of an acupuncture | | | | smoking do not have weaker self control than other |
| session is the way it calms your mind and eases | | | | people; in fact, they may have a more strongly |
| anxiety. People often smoke to mask feelings they | | | | functioning memory feedback loop. Acupuncture can |
| don’t wish to feel or face. Acupuncture helps to | | | | help stop this addictive feedback cycle and help you to |
| safely move these feelings out of the body. People | | | | create a new, positive sensory feedback cycle for |
| comment that they have more restful sleep, fall asleep | | | | your brain. |
| easier and sleep longer after acupuncture. | | | | Best wishes for a smoke-free life! |
| Finally, acupuncture helps to physically remove tar and | | | | |