While attending acupuncture school in Florida, I saw a bumper sticker that I absolutely loved:
“If anything can go well, it will.”1
That’s Murphy’s Law turned on its head!
We can apply the same idea to smoking cessation. Perhaps instead of thinking “I want to quit smoking” try:
“I want to keep breathing!”
Unfortunately, I’ve seen firsthand a loved one suffer from the ravages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and emphysema.
I’ve also seen the resilience and creativity of another loved one replace cigarettes with black olives for a week. This former pack-a-day, roll-your-own smoker is now happily repelled by the smell of cigarette smoke.
Some people are able to overcome a smoking addiction on their own, others need external support
Acupuncture can help reduce nicotine cravings thereby reducing the risk of cancer and other smoking-related diseases. In addition, acupuncture has been shown to decrease anxiety-like behavior following nicotine withdrawal in rats.2
There is an online community devoted to freedom from tobacco through acupuncture.3 Acupuncture helps overcome addiction, especially when done regularly and in combination with education and/or counseling.4
1 http://ifanythingcangowellitwill.com/geneslaw.php
2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22745061
3 https://quitza.com/groups/1090/quitting-smoking-with-acupuncture
4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18060697