“There are just two keys to breaking an addiction and though they can help to quit any addiction, this article focuses on smoking for folks who are tired of smoker’s breath, $6/pack and health problems,” says Dr. Richard Ruhling who helped 100 people to quit in a 5-Day Plan at the University of AZ when taking Internal Medicine 40 yrs ago. 

The first key is the strength of the strategy one follows to quit. The 5-Day Plan has helped well over 30 million people to quit since it’s beginning nearly 60 years ago. (Google) The success is due to its physiologic design (below) to minimize craving and withdrawal symptoms so that if a person follows the program, most people succeed.

The second key is the strength of commitment to quit. If a person is offered $1 million to quit, most people would find a way to do it, even if they had to be locked up 5 days!

Life and health are worth more than a million dollars. Smokers are slowly trading life and health for the pleasure of satisfying a self-inflicted addiction, a monkey on their back that they would gladly give it up if they knew how and at $6, a pack a day will cost them $100,000 in 40-some years!

The wasted money is not nearly so bad as the loss of health that ‘healthcare’ can’t buy.

Young men, average age of 26 who died suddenly in motor cycle accidents had their lungs studied under a microscope. They had bronchiolitis with fibrosis–changes that are seen in emphysema, a disease that comes years later, but early changes were seen in all of those who smoked, rarely seen in a non-smoker.

The point is: changes are occurring, whether the smoker feels it or not, and the last months of life are spent in bed struggling to breathing oxygen through a tube where smoking is not allowed–the end is not good.

Most people told themselves when they started smoking, “If this gets to hurting me, I’ll quit.” It’s time to do that because the hurt is a silent damage that one can’t feel until it’s often too late. The smoker has everything to gain and so little to lose to give this program their best effort,” says Dr. Ruhling.

There are other reasons, like doing it for spouse or to be an example for one’s family. They say kissing a smoker is like kissing an ash tray. One of the most powerful motives is religious belief or as Shakespeare said, “to thine own self be true.”

Millions of smokers believe in God, but if they think God intended us to inhale smoke, He should have made our nose with a single opening and a stronger filtration system, says Ruhling. He believes God designed the body as a living temple for His Spirit that He gives to every person to guide them to know right from wrong–smoking is wrong!

The key to success in quitting is to keep the motives in mind and stay with the plan.

Cutting down on cigarettes is like cutting the tail off a dog, one inch at a time. Tapering the habit does not work. The next cigarette is the whole habit. Quit “cold turkey.”

The best time to quit may be a Thursday night so a person can tough it through Friday at work and not have to cope with stress of work on Saturday and Sunday. Why not start December 27? With the following rules, one can be over the hump by New Year’s Eve, but do NOT celebrate with alcohol or you are likely to blow smoke again.

The craving is physiologic, like the urge to go to the bathroom. If one says a decided No, the craving goes away for a while but returns like the need to go to the bathroom.

Having a strategy to stall it off is helpful. When urge to smoke comes, do the following

1. Repeat your decision and commitment–“I choose not to smoke.”

2. Take some slow deep breaths–hold it for a few seconds and exhale till you can’t squeeze any more air out. Think of this as a lung exercise. The deep breathing helps cope with stress by a mechanism that we don’t have space to explain here.

3. Get a drink of water. Think of it as washing nicotine out of your body. The sooner it’s gone, the easier life will be for you.

4. Go for a short walk. If at work, go to the fountain or bathroom. If at home, around the block or to the mailbox is good. Dress warm and breathe deep.

5. The most important part of this program is this: Do NOT drink coffee, tea or colas! The caffeine excites nerves that will cry for a smoke to calm them. The caffeine and nicotine are both alkaloid neurotoxins  that work in opposite directions to keep the smoker in balance. The caffeine will drive the person back to smoking. Headache can be due to caffeine withdrawal; take an aspirin or Tylenol, but not anything w caffeine.

A mayor told Dr. Ruhling that he had tried to quit many times, but this was the easiest.

To wake up without coffee, go to bed early. A warm tub bath helps to relax the nerves. Set your alarm a half hour earlier. Dress warm and go out for a brisk walk around the block. Then take a hot shower for 3 minutes and turn the hot water off for 15-30 seconds of cold. You won’t have a heart attack and the lift you get will keep you alert all morning without any need of coffee or the let-down that comes with caffeine.

7. Alcohol is big risk #2. The smoker has to decide, which is more important and everything must align with the choice and decision to quit. Good motives should not be jeopardized by a bad decision for a cup of coffee or a beer. And once quit why go back to these bad habits. Dr. Pavlov said coffee is “Bad Habit Glue!”

8. Just as alcohol affects the brain and willpower, there is a similar effect from a heavy meal. It draws blood from the brain to the stomach and smokers are used to having a smoke after a meal. They must break this pattern for the first few days of quitting.

Some physicians recommend fasting for the first day. Fasting intensifies will power and doing so allows maximum blood to the brain for clear thinking. Especially to be avoided during the 5 days are high fat, high protein meals and a full stomach. Eat less.

If a person does not want to fast, they can get an assortment of fruit juices to help the body detox and cleanse itself. This can be done with good results for day 1 and then light eating of fruit and juices for day 2 and 3, after which they are over the hump.

Break the habit patterns. Sitting in same “smoking” chair is unwise. Go out for a walk in the fresh air after meals.

For years a cigarette has brought comfort like an old friend. Change that association by wearing a strong rubber band on the wrist and when the craving comes, give that rubber band a big snap so that the brain gets pain with the desire to smoke!

Whether or not you believe in God, ask Him to help you! Communists who don’t believe in God have said, “God, if you exist, help me,” and they have found help.

If a buddy or friend would support quitting, call for a chat when things are tough. Think of the next cigarette as the whole habit. It you don’t smoke it, you will be free. Regarding habit, after time erase the “h” and you still have abit; more time and you still have it. Like AA, recognize a weakness and don’t put yourself in harm’s way.

If a person is used to a night out at the bar, finding a different way to celebrate and choosing some non-smoking friends to associate with is important.

Do not trade the smoking for eating every time the craving comes. Millions have quit without doing so. If you want something to do with your hands, open a pack of gum, or carry some lemon slices in a plastic bag for a few days–they cut the craving!

For smokers, your NEW START for the New Year includes Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust in God. Use as many of these as you can, each time you get a craving, and as Zig Ziglar said, “I’ll see you at the top!”

For helpful supporting materials, visit http://RichardRuhling.com and click donate button 

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