Addiction Solution Source

Dr. Oz recently appeared on the Oprah show and offered a program to quit smoking. Along with Dr. Daniel Seidman and Dr. Mike Roizen, there is a helpful section on the Oprah web site for smokers who want to overcome both the “before” and “after” parts of living smoke-free. Motivated?

Four Steps to Quit Smoking

1) Addiction Self-Exam

2) Prepare yourself to go smoke-free,

3) Coping with life – This is one of the most important sections and covers coping with withdrawal, avoiding relapse, dealing with other smokers and relieving your anxiety.

4) Resources and support

Many smokers believe they need a cigarette most when their stress is highest. But is that belief true?

Research has shown that carrying raw or shelled sunflower seeds are particularly good for people trying to wean themselves from cigarettes. Every time you feel the desire to smoke, it is suggested that you go through the process of breaking seeds open and popping them into your mouth to munch on until the desire subsides. There are also other excellent nutrients.

The main problem with smoking is that the main addicting chemical in cigarettes, nicotine, destroys three of the natural, “feel-good” brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. These three natural chemicals are of two types, excitatory and inhibitory. The excitatory neurotransmitters – catecholamines – pep us up. The inhibitory one – acetylcholine – relaxes us.

When your brain’s ability to make its natural nicotine-like substances (acetylcholine or catecholamines) is totally suppressed, you’re compelled to find the artificial chemical (nicotine) to fill those receptors in your brain. Something has to go in there to keep your mood even. The absence of anything to fill these receptors causes the unpleasant symptoms known as withdrawal. This is why nicotine is addictive.

So, the easiest way to quit smoking is to put the right supplements in the brain to get it chemically balanced and to get the neurotransmitters operating normally.