HARTSVILLE —
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and The Fantastic American Smokeout that both emphasize the need for individuals to kick the smoking habit. all habits, whether good or bad, are a form of learned behavior. That is why behavioral methods have found a niche in helping some people stop smoking. a person can learn to dislike smoking and learn to replace smoking with healthier habits.
One behavioral method is the rapid smoking technique. here, a person inhales the smoke once every six seconds until he no longer wishes to take another puff. This will make a person feel like the first time he smoked a cigarette – not too well. Over time, a person will learn to associate smoking with an unpleasant experience and craving a cigarette will be associated with revulsion rather than pleasure. This technique is honestly successful with a one-year cessation rate of up to 70 percent. This is very high compared to most methods.
A similar method, the satiation smoking technique, involves tripling the amount a person smokes in a period of 20 to 45 minutes. When this method is used along with relaxation training and stress management, the results are reported to be as high as 60 percent.
Several other methods are also available, but generally considered less effective. these include hypnosis (where results may depend to a fantastic degree on the skills of the therapist) and acupuncture.
Support groups are useful in many ways. other smokers can provide support and incentive and suggest coping behaviors that have worked for them. a person cannot expect to give up smoking and not replace it with some other activity.
These behavioral methods have not gotten their due respect, with many people looking for an simpler way in the form of a pill or patch. whatever it takes though, the vital thing is to stop smoking.
This health article was provided by Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center. call (843) 339-4563 for more information. Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center …quality healthcare, close to home.