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Depression due to smoking
I suffer from bouts of depression brought on by the fact that I cannot seem to give up smoking. Can you suggest any foods or remedies that might help?
Everyone has a ‘How To Stop Smoking’ story and it often tickles me to see that whenever someone is telling me about a wonderful new Quitline or patch, they are usually stubbing out a fag as they do so. The fact is, you can only stop smoking for good when you are really ready to make the big changes this will call for.
You will probably, for example, have to avoid other smokers until you can sit with them without craving a cigarette and you will probably need to avoid drinking alcohol for a while too since the two usually go hand-in-hand. It takes three months for all traces of nicotine to leave your system. After that, any cravings you suffer are psychological. It helps to know this because when you do feel you must smoke, you know it is your mind playing tricks and that the craving will pass.
The good news is that there are some excellent natural products which will ease you through your withdrawal from a substance many doctors now consider more addictive than heroin. In your shoes, I would use a nicotine replacement patch for the first fortnight so that you break the psychological habit of lighting up without suffering the physical cravings at the same time.
You will be so proud of yourself by the end of this “No Smoking” fortnight that you will be ready to try two simple but highly effective herbal remedies. Aim Calm is made by Napiers and contains hops, skullcap, valerian and vervain. It costs £6.50 for 100 tablets and works by calming the nervous system.
You should also take Napier's Lobelia cough syrup (£4.25) which has been shown to reduce cravings by latching on to the same receptor sites in the body as nicotine. It will also soothe a smoker’s cough and help clear the lungs. Lobelia contains a number of powerful herbs, so should only be used under the guidance or recommendation from a practitioner. You can get both products from Farmacia (0171-831 0830) the combined complementary clinic and pharmacy. Check out our article called Depression to help tackle your associated depression.