The Addiction - Why is quitting so hard?→

You are breaking a powerful addiction your body has to the nicotine in tobacco. You also have to break tough habits and deal with strong emotions you have around smoking.

Understanding the addiction, your smoking habits and your emotions you feel when you want to smoke are important when you build a quit smoking plan. You’ll want to prepare yourself to deal with withdrawals, triggers and cravings.

Physical addiction

Tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco) has nicotine in it. Nicotine is a very addictive chemical. Within seconds of entering your body, the nicotine travels to your brain and gives you a temporary ‘feel good’ feeling.

Over time your brain changes. You need to smoke more to feel the same way.

Signs of nicotine addiction are:

• You lose control over when and how much you smoke. You keep smoking even though you know that it is harmful to yourself and others. You may start to feel trapped by smoking.
• You crave nicotine so much that you spend a lot of time and energy getting nicotine and using it.
• You feel withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking.
• You can't stop smoking when you try.

Habit (psychological addiction)

Tobacco use is probably part of your everyday routine. For example, many smokers say that they want to have a cigarette in these situations:

• drinking coffee
• after a meal
• break time at school or work
• around certain people
• drinking alcohol

You may also enjoy the ritual of handling, lighting and smoking cigarettes. Over time, you’ve trained yourself so that you want a cigarette when you do certain things. Smoking has become a habit that’s hard to break.

When you quit, you’ll have to change some of these habits to break the psychological addiction to smoking.

Emotions

Maybe you smoke when you feel a certain way.

You might feel:

• stress
• sadness
• anxiety
• boredom
• anger
• nervous

When do you smoke? How are you feeling before you smoke?

Emotions are big smoking triggers.

Knowing what you emotions are before you smoke will be important when you develop your quit plan.

Frequently Asked Questions about Laser Quit Smoking Treatment in Nova Scotia

Is Low Level Laser Therapy medically approved?
Low Level Laser Therapy is a non-medical procedure, As such, it is not covered by most insurance plans. However, many medical doctors and dentists do refer their patients. Halifax Quit Smoking Clinic uses CSA and FDA approved laser equipment. Worldwide thousands of professional health care providers use Low Level Lasers in their practices.

Is Low Level Laser Therapy safe?
Absolutely, Low Level Laser Therapy is completely safe, painless and drug-free. Certified Low Level Laser therapists use only approved proprietary protocols.

What part of the body is treated?
Low Level Laser is applied to specific acupuncture or energy points located on the ears, nose, hands and feet. The actual points vary depending on the specific problem being treated .

How long does a Low Level Laser Therapy session take?
A typical session takes between 45 and 60 minutes depending on each person's individual situation.

How effective is Low Level Laser Therapy to stop or quit smoking?
Results are exceptionally high compared to alternative methods such as the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, anti depressant drugs, cold turkey, stop smoking pills or potions and hypnosis, etc.

You can schedule a FREE Consultation online at www.QuitSmokingHalifax.com and/or phone the clinic at 902-818-QUIT (7848) 

Vitamins and Minerals for Post Laser Treatment Support

There are different vitamins and minerals that smokers, ex-smokers, and those who are trying to quit should take. Timing is also fundamental for some nutrients to prepare the body for when you quit smoking, and to boost the immune system for when you have already left the habit.

The following vitamins and mineral are among essential nutrients that you should take when quitting smoking.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is responsible in building the immune system and fighting off illnesses such as coughs, colds, prenatal problems, skin ageing, and more. When you smoke, as much as 40% of your vitamin C supply is stripped and excreted quickly from your body, making it reasonable to take an extra amount of the vitamin to balance things off. Once you are done with your final cigarette stick, you can decrease your intake to the prescribed level (approximately 1000 mg per day) to help you avert from nicotine cravings. The same vitamin is also effective in flushing out heavy and poisonous metals inside your body brought about by smoking, such as lead and cadmium.

Vitamin E  - Another vital nutrient, vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps remove free radicals from your system. When you get rid of the cancer stick, you will want to get rid of the residue that it left in your body. Taking the right amount of vitamin E helps rebuild damaged cells, strengthens the immune system, and reduces the risk of developing cancer and heart attacks.

B-Complex -  Smoking depletes your energy, making you feel exhausted without sufficient nutrients and oxygen in your body. B-complex, which includes B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 vitamins are essential in processing and breaking down your food and nutrients into usable energy for your daily activities. Make sure to take your B-Complex vitamins separately, at least an hour apart, since vitamin C is known to interfere with some B vitamins.

Magnesium -  When you smoke, your body’s magnesium levels drop and become imbalanced with calcium. As a result, calcium deposits are formed in the muscles of the heart. The latter, then, is unable to function normally. Deficiency in this mineral also leads to more serious conditions such as hypertension, liver damage, angina pectoris, and heart attack.

All the above Vitamins and Minerals for Post Laser Quit Smoking Treatment Support are available and in-stock at Halifax Quit Smoking Clinic

Low Level Laser For The Stimulation Of Acupoints For Smoking Cessation:

Low Level Laser For The Stimulation Of Acupoints For Smoking Cessation: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomised Trial And Semi-Structured Interviews

Journal of Chinese Medicine 86: 46-51.

Kerr, C.M., Lowe, P.B. & Spielholz, N.I. (2008).

Aim: to determine whether the application of laser acupoint stimulation to previously reported effective ear and body acupuncture points was successful in reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal, so promoting a complete cessation of smoking.

Design: The method used was that of a double blind, randomised controlled trial and semi‑structured interviews. Adult volunteers (n=415) were recruited following a television appeal. After initial screening and application of inclusion/exclusion criteria the volunteers (n=387) were randomly allocated to either of the treatment groups A or B or C. Intervention: Three laser therapy treatments on days 1, 3 and 7 of the programme and one sham treatment on day 14 (Group A) or 4 laser treatments carried out on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 (Group B) or Group C with four sham treatments on days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Sham treatments used an inactive probe identical in appearance to active probe. 

Findings: Groups A and Group B participants achieved a higher rate of non smoking than Group C. Of the two groups, four treatments (Group B) was more effective than the three treatments (Group A). The differences in the non smoking behaviors of all three groups were statistically significant. Subjective data reported a lessening of withdrawal symptoms after laser treatment.

Conclusions: Laser acupoint stimulation can assist in smoking cessation by reducing the physical symptoms of withdrawal.