Hearingaidspittsburghpa.com

By Lester F. Shapito, M.D.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer in the United States. Smoking is the
biggest risk factor for lung cancer. Quitting smoking is the single most effective way for a
person to reduce the risk of getting lung cancer.
There are many "gimmicks" to stop smoking, some of which are: 1) Nicotine Patch 2)
Nicotine Gum 3) Nicotine Nasal Spray 4) An Ear Ring 5) Acupuncture 6) Hypnosis 7)
Zyban 8) Chantix.

Nearly all of these methods fail in the long run because they are aimed at treating the
symptom and not dealing with stress which is the underlying cause of smoking. In addition,
the FDA recently has issued a warning that Zyban and Chantix may increase the risk of
serious Neuropsychiatric symptoms.
In this article we will present a method to quit smoking that uses no drugs or chemicals.
When starting the program, one must count the number of cigarettes that he or she smokes in
a 24 hour period. That number is the amount of cigarettes that is permitted to be smoked
each day of the first week. One must promise that this number will never be exceeded. Each
week the number of cigarettes that is permitted is decreased by one. As a new number is
reached each week, it becomes the new limit which cannot be exceeded. For those who are
accustomed to having a cigarette at bedtime, it will take some planning, because people tend
to use up the permitted number of cigarettes before bedtime. Some people find that at a
certain point it might not be possible to continue decreasing the number of cigarettes each
week. Do not get frustrated! This difficulty is not a failure; it is called a plateau. If this
obstacle occurs, one simply must stay at the plateau number until he or she regains the ability
to resume decreasing again. Remember, the only way to fail is to increase the number that
has been reached.
To become a non-smoker, one must overcome the problems of both Physical Addiction and
of Psychological Dependence. Cigarettes are a drug, and addiction is the physical need for
them. If a person is a smoker and then suddenly does not get the drugs contained in
cigarettes, withdrawal symptoms will occur, such as anxiety, irritability, and agitation. To the
best of my knowledge, no one ever has developed withdrawal symptoms by decreasing
the daily number of cigarettes by one each week. Psychological dependence is when
people feel unable to relax, enjoy a meal, or concentrate on important matters without a
cigarette. Psychological desire can be overcome by the formation of self-discipline. Gaining
gradual control of the smoking habit means that cigarettes will no longer be controlling the
individual. Becoming a non-smoker and understanding what it takes to become “smokeless”
helps to give one a firm resolve not to smoke. This resolve enables and strengthens the
individual's ability to overcome any previous desire for cigarettes and to remain a non-smoker
for life.

Source: http://www.hearingaidspittsburghpa.com/files/54741488.pdf