Set Yourself Free – Quit Smoking !

Introducing an individualized naturopathic program to help you quit smoking

From a naturopathic perspective, the reasons for an imbalance in health or the reasons why someone has become a smoker are unique for each person. This is why a treatment protocol should be tailored to the individual. In a nutshell, this is the holistic approach. Holistic medicine involves nutritional advice, counseling and targeted nutritional, herbal and/or homeopathic medicines that address the root causes.

Quit smoking programs – Why one size fits all doesn’t work

There is a range of retail products available to help people quit smoking. Some herbal formulations and patches provide symptomatic treatment aimed at calming the nervous system. However, a naturopath should first assess where the individual patient is at when addressing nervous system symptoms: Is stress the overriding state or is it fatigue and exhaustion? This needs to be specifically addressed.

Other approaches, such as hypnosis, attempt to induce behavioural changes but don’t address the biochemical drivers of addiction, such as the physiological effects of stress or fatigue, blood sugar dysregulation, imbalances in brain chemistry, etc.

Nicotine replacement therapy aims to wean smokers off nicotine by replacing the nicotine the body craves via an alternative route – patches. But just think how difficult is it to wean yourself off substances you crave (e.g. biscuits or chocolate) by cutting down….

The latest in prescription drug therapy is Champix (varenicline) by Pfizer, though serious side effects have been reported: http://www.ismp.org/quarterwatch/chantixreport.asp. This drug targets the brain’s chemical messengers in the area controlling our sense of reward that is otherwise triggered by smoking a cigarette. However, specific nutritional supplementation can also stimulate the brain’s reward chemicals without any detrimental consequence for your health.

Your individualised naturopathic Quit Smoking plan is a two-phase program - the Set Yourself Free Quit Smoking Program

* * * * * * * * * * *

Your naturopath, Gabriela, at Artemisia Natural Medicine in Brisbane will guide you through the Set Yourself Free Quit Smoking Program.