|
Towards a smoke-free future
Goodwood Court Medical Centre & The Eaton Centre
- Every year, around 120000 smokers in the UK quit by dying as a
result of smoking.
- Every week 7000 smokers quit by realising the health gains of not
smoking.
- Every day you stop smoking you will save money and pay less tax to
the Government
Giving-up is NOT easy and we recognise this. We are
here to offer you help in a variety of ways in order to assist you in
quitting.
It takes a lot of strength and will power to give up. Many people
relapse and have to start again. It does not matter how many times you
give-up, the important thing is that one day you will and from that day
your body will start to repair the damage.
Websites:
http://www.givingupsmoking.co.uk (UK health education
site … informational)
http://www.quitnet.org (This is american but well
worth looking at… by registering your intention to quit, you will
receive personalised emails to encourage and help you to give-up… it
even tracks the number of hours and days you have been smoke-free)
http://www.quitnow.info.au (Australian - images and
information about smoking and the damage it causes)
http://www.iquitonline.com (Aimed mainly at Teenagers
- sponsored by the UK Comic Company)
Helpline: 0800 169 0 169
Available 7am to 11pm daily
Special Helpline for pregnant women who smoke: 0800
169 9 169
Aids to stopping smoking
Will power
This is the most significant aid to stopping smoking. Whether you
have been shocked into stopping because of personal or family illness.
Whether you have decided that you have donated enough taxation to the
Government. Whether your children comment on how awful stale tobacco
smells. Or whether you have sensibly decided to give it a go….. your own
will-power is a necessity for stopping smoking. If YOU don’t want to
stop, then you will find great difficulty in achieving the desired
outcome of being a NON-SMOKER.
Nicotine replacement therapy
In recent years the availability of nicotine replacement therapy has
helped many heavy smokers achieve a smoke-free status without having to
"cold-turkey" the process… this allows the smoker to stop the physical
process of using cigarettes while maintaining a level of nicotine in the
blood stream which stops the cravings. Once the ritual of lighting a
cigarette and watching half of it waste away in an ashtray before
finally stubbing it out has been broken, then the amount of nicotine
replacement therapy is gradually reduced. Nicotine replacement therapy
is available in a number of forms… nicotine gum, nicotine tablets which
dissolve in the mouth, nicotine nasal spray, nicotine inhaler and
nicotine patches.
Many of these therapies are not available on prescription although
some are still available for limited prescribing. If the NRT is not
available on NHS prescription it is possible to obtain it on a private
prescription which will allow you to purchase it free of VAT. Please
discuss this with your doctor.
Distraction techniques
Much of smoking is habitual and ritual.
Certain situations result in reflexly reaching for a cigarette.
By changing your daily schedules or by finding other distractions
(why not take up painting or even knitting) then you will find that your
need for cigarettes is lessened.
Decreasing other stresses
Those who feel that they are in stress inducing situations or jobs
feel justified in smoking. There are many of us in equally stressful
jobs or circumstances who do not smoke. Stress itself is not a reason
for smoking. However it is difficult to become a non-smoker if you feel
that your lifestyle will not support such a change.
Look at your life and the stresses that integrate into it. Can
anything be changed - would a holiday help - will your work colleagues
help you to change - is smoking an excuse for not changing your
lifestyle?
Many people who work in smoke-free environments have to leave their
work place to smoke. It has been "acceptable" practice for people to
take "smoking breaks" which means that they get away from the telephones
ringing for 10 minutes while non-smokers do not get such
stress-relieving breaks. If you become a non-smoker, you will not be
able to take such breaks … this will need to be considered carefully as
such may easily swing you back to smoking again. Plan it carefully.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is but one of a range of complementary therapies that
can assist with stopping smoking. It works by subconsciously associating
the thought or taste of cigarettes with distasteful situations. It can
work for some people and not for others.
Mr Andrew Spence has previously worked as a Hypnotherapist at
Goodwood Court Medical Centre and would be pleased to discuss with you
how he might be able to assist. Phone him on 509793
Bio-Rhyhm feedback
Miriam Greene is a Biorhyhm feedback therapist and kinesiologist who
works at The Eaton Centre – she may be contacted by phoning 733620
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is able to decrease obsessional activities by stimulating
appropriate acupuncture points in the body. Acupuncture has been used
for hundreds of years and has developed into a recognised treatment for
many conditions.
Pathways to Health offer low-priced acupuncture for any form of
chemical addiction at The Eaton Centre on a Friday morning… just come
along from 9.30 or phone to discuss. (733620)
Drugs which decrease reliance on Nicotine
This is a new group of therapies with one licensed drug at present in
the UK.
Bupropion is an antidepressant medication which seems to alleviate
some of the withdrawal symptoms. Its efficacy does not seem to be based
on its antidepressant properties… it helps to double the success rate
compared to placebo.
There are side effects - dry mouth and insomnia being the most
common. Those who have had epilepsy or any other form of seizure or
those with eating disorders should not use this medication.
Treatment with bupropion should start about a week before the smoker
stops smoking. This allows a level of chemical to be present during the
early phase of the quitting process. If the person quits as agreed, then
treatment continues for up to three months - depending on the individual
response - and is stopped cleanly at the end of the quitting period.
Bupropion is currently available on NHS prescription for those who
can commit to the quitting process and who achieve smoke free status
within two weeks of starting the medication.
Homoeopathic treatment also reduces the addictive nature and is less
complicated than many other prescribable items. This medication is
prescribable on the NHS but also costs about £3.90 a pack without a
prescription – "Homoeopathic Aconite strength 6C" two tablets taken
three times a day starting initially three days before stopping smoking
in order to depress the addictive centre of the brain and then continued
for six weeks afterwards will decrease – often very successfully – the
cravings associated with quitting.
Filtered Tips
When planning to give-up, remove all the accoutrements of smoking
- ashtrays, cigarette lighters, air fresheners, cigarette
memorabilia etc.
It is very difficult for one member of a household to become a
non-smoker when other will still be smoking - try and make it a
family affair rather than an individual ideal.
Have something to aim for in the future… perhaps the money you
save could go towards a new carpet to replace the one with the
cigarette burns in it… calculate how much you are spending a day, a
week, a month, a year on cigarettes/other tobacco
Have a look at the websites or phone the National Helpline -
callers to this helpline are able to obtain a range of appropriate
information leaflets, ask about smoking cessation services in their
local area and receive help and advice from specialist advisors….
This is free, non-judgmental and is designed to be tailored to each
individual's needs to help them become a non-smoker for good.
You are a NON-SMOKER… you have not "given-up" smoking as that
will subconsciously make you feel that you have stopped something
you enjoyed.
How to become a non-smoker in seven simple steps.
Name a quit day, a few days or weeks away, and use
the in-between days to prepare for quitting.
Make a list of your reasons for quitting, and any reasons you
might have for continuing to smoke. Make sure you really want to
quit this time.
Keep a cigarette survey sheet for a day or two to analyse your
smoking pattern.
Work out what you will do in different smoking situations:
-what distractions or substitutes will you have around for when the
cravings come?
-do you need to practise a relaxation exercise?
-what will you say if someone offers you a cigarette?
-will you need to arrange to be able to talk to a friend in any
desperate moments?
The night before the quit day, have your last
cigarette, but make sure you don't enjoy it - smoke an old stale
one, or smoke out in the rain - just make sure it isn't a happy
memory. Then get rid of all you smoking equipment - ashtrays,
lighters and any spare cigarettes.
On quit day - think positive! You've made your
plans for coping, so put them into action. Make a note of any
particularly difficult moments during that day, and rethink your
plans if you need.
Drink lots of water and juice (try to avoid caffeine) and have some
low-calorie nibbles on hand. At the end of your first day, reward
yourself even if no-one else does! Spend your cigarette money and enjoy
it - you deserve it.
Later days - repeat step six as long as you need to. Go back to
your list if your will-power flags, and keep rewarding yourself for
every smoke -free day. Don't panic about the odd lapse - simply
review your plans for the difficult moments and change them if
necessary.
Start calling yourself a non-smoker -
YOU ARE!
How we can help you
If you are serious about quitting smoking, then do come and have a
chat with one of the doctors or nurses at our medical centres.
We can help you by noting your intention, by advising on suitable
therapies which might help you succeed and by involving the use of other
sources of help.
If we do prescribe substances to help you give up, then we will see
you frequently during the quitting process to ensure that the medication
dose is correct for you.
When you have quit, then we will note it on your medical records to
ensure that you are not charged additional premiums should you later
take out life assurance
|
