Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine is a Toronto naturopathic clinic dedicated to providing safe and effective treatment of a wide variety of health conditions using natural therapies and the principles of naturopathic medicine.
An important element of smoking cessation is managing nicotine dependence. Nicotine dependence is well treated using naturopathic medicine. Nicotine dependence is an addiction to tobacco products (e.g., usually cigarettes) caused by the drug nicotine. Nicotine dependence refers to the inability to stop using the nicotine-containing product.
The cause of nicotine dependence is the chemical nicotine found in cigarettes. It increases the release of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) called dopamine that cause temporarily pleasant physical and psychological sensations. There are more than 60 known cancer-causing chemicals, and more than 4800 other harmful substances known to be present in cigarettes. Smoking can cause harm to almost every organ in your body and is related to significantly increased rates of heart disease and stroke, many cancers, lung diseases, diabetes mellitus, infertility and impotence, a variety of obstetrical concerns (e.g., increased risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery and newborn complications), colds and flu and premature death, and impaired senses (e.g., smell, taste) and “aging”.
Professional healthcare should be sought out if you smoke.
Symptoms of nicotine dependence
Possible symptoms of nicotine dependence include:
• Continuing to smoke (or use other tobacco products) after one or more serious attempts to stop
• Giving up social or recreational activities to smoke (or use other tobacco products)
• Craving for tobacco products
• Anxiety, irritability and restlessness
• Frustration or anger
• Depressed mood
• Poor concentration
• Increased hunger
• Insomnia
• Constipation or diarrhea
Assistance with smoking cessation at Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine, the goals of a smoking cessation program are to reduce the intensity and frequency of tobacco cravings, to manage associated health conditions, to provide on-going psychological support and prevent relapse.
Conventional assistance for smoking cessation may include counseling, and variety of medications, including nicotine replacement therapy (e.g., nicotine patch, nicotine gum) and non-nicotine medications including antidepressants. These medications may have short- or long-term side effects. For this reason, you may choose to try natural treatment to possibly avoid use of conventional medications, or together with conventional medications in order to decrease dosages of conventional medications required to stop smoking.
Naturopathic treatment of any chronic health concern must be recognized as a process that involves identifying specific treatment goals, a thorough understanding by your naturopathic doctor of all factors affecting your health, including physical, psychological, emotional and lifestyle factors, development of a comprehensive treatment plan and execution of that plan through periodic monitoring and adjustment.
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine a typical approach to creating a smoking cessation program may be to identify and address underlying factors in your lifestyle (e.g., stress management issues, peer group who smoke) or general health (e.g., depression) that may obstacles to successful smoking cessation, use of acupuncture or botanical (herbal) medicines to decrease severity of tobacco cravings and on-going counseling support to increase your odds of success.
Where appropriate, a number of therapeutic options are available, to be used alone, or more often in a complementary fashion, including:
• Lifestyle counseling
• Relaxation techniques
• Acupuncture
• Botanical (herbal) medicines
• Homeopathic medicines
• Nutritional supplements
• Cleansing protocols
• Exercise prescription
References
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Nicotine Dependence [Online]. [cited 2010 Jan 16]; Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nicotine-dependence/DS00307.