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209987 tn?1451935465

Time to quit!

Okay...so I've tried so many things in the past to relieve anxiety, and none have helped much...gave up coffee, but then started back up again...which was stupid because it really WAS helping.

As most of you know, I have a doctor induced phobia of taking pills...even the thought of taking herbal supplements scares the daylights out of me because of all the BAD experiences I've had in the past with medications. Even taking vitamins scares me...silly I know, but...true.

Anyway...thought it's about time to quit smoking as well. I've read the literature...I know how bad smoking is...I know it CAUSES anxiety and does not relieve it in any way, shape, or form.

Now is a very good time to quit because I have the urge to do so. I have been having very bad chest pains for the past week now...not sure if they are anxiety induced or not, but I don't care...I need to stop smoking, and need to do it now!
I am reading Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking ( which someone on here suggested about a year or so ago)...other methods have failed me miserably.
Allergic to the tape on the patches, can't chew gum, keep swallowing the lozenges, etc.

Allen says in his book that there should be no added anxiety when trying his method...but for those who have a preexisting anxiety condition? I'm not so sure.
Anyway, I've heard that certain smells can alleviate anxiety. I know this to be true to a degree, because the smell of Avon's Soft Pink bubble bath always used to make me feel soooooooo good....I would relax and fall asleep just smelling it.
But of course, like all good things, they took it off the market because they needed to make room for NEW  ( "nasty smelling " IMHO ) aromas...at least that's the excuse they give when you call them or write to them.

So...anyone know of any other nice smelling products or such that may help?
Lavender doesn't cut it with me anymore...makes me nauseous and gives me headaches now.
Can't even drink the lavender tea...which used to help.
There are many essential oils out there, but not sure which would be the best...also not sure of exactly how to use them. Do you put them on your skin? In a pot of boiling water?  

Thanks in advance to all.
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Avatar universal
Scents are tricky, because while you may like the scent of, say, Tide, it also contains toxins, so you really don't want to breathe it in.  Real, pure essential oils are what are used in aromatherapy.  Because they're real, not synthetic like perfumes, the scent doesn't last very long, so you do have to reapply them.  There are many ways to use them -- burning, as with incense, putting them in water and heating the water, vaporizers, or just applying them to the body or spraying them into the air.  The substances from which the oils are made determine the expected effect; for example, lavender is used a lot because lavender as an herb is a relaxant.  Peppermint, on the other hand, tends to excite the senses, so it's considered energizing.  Know what the herb does, and that's what the essential oil does.  In your case, however, you just want a smell to associate good feeling with, so any oil you like will be right for your purposes.  As for quitting tobacco, it very well might cause added anxiety in the short term; it's an addictive drug, and you will go through some level of withdrawal.  How much you really have committed to quitting has a lot to do with how hard it is -- it's obviously easier once you've decided you really don't like the stuff anymore and are only doing it because you're addicted to it.  As for the comment about espresso, if you really do have an anxiety problem, do avoid that.  Coffee isn't balanced -- it's just agitating.  Some people like agitation, some don't.  Green tea, on the other hand, is balanced, containing relaxants as well as stimulants, so if you really have a Jones for caffeine, tea leaves a lighter tread.  As for hypnosis, it did nothing at all for my anxiety problem, but it felt great during the hypnosis, so there's nothing to lose there.  Therapy does help some people, and most therapists today don't go into your childhood anymore for anxiety problems -- in fact, the type of therapist you'd want to try first for an anxiety problem is a cognitive therapist, and they don't give a whit how you got the way you are, they just work on the future.  But you need a good one and you need to believe, because therapy isn't fact-based -- double blind studies don't look too good, and claims of success are wildly exaggerated as with any form of medicine.  None of it works as well as advertised, but it's still often the best thing we've got.  Good luck, and belief in good results is, I've learned to my own disadvantage, is the best gauge of success.
Helpful - 0
1530171 tn?1448129593
Hey tschock.

Transdermal Magnesium Oil treatments. Best delivery, no issues
Your bod will love it!

Extreme measures are a bit too drastic.
A little caffeine is OK for you. Fair trade organic, 1-2 espressos is fine
and it helps our latin-american brothers at the coffee plantations make
a decent peso.

Ever considered Hypnotherapy? It's HUGE with the "right" Hypnotherapist!
Ask me. My main Modus Operandi now.
It cuts through the chase, gets down to the core issues-let's face it,
most people don't know boot what happened to them when they were 4,
or why they wake up at 3am and all their hair points to the ceiling.

Common now, how many years of couch therapy can anyone endure?
No, I'm not knocking my fellow clinical psychs , b/c that's how their trained

It's all in the subconscious, the good, the bad and the ugly.
So Hypnotherapy rearranges the subconscious, changes the programs while the conscious mind is taking a siesta, so when the therapist pulls the client's Sombrero up, the client opens his eyes and  asks: "Amigo, how come there's a pack of cigarillos in my shirt pocket"?
" Do I look like a smoker to you"? Because I don't feel like one.

Seriously, this is extremely effective for a gazillion different issues.
I have seen people go from the gutter to the butter in just a few sessions.
Very result oriented. Just don't opt for one session to see how it goes.
It doesn't!!!  You can't expect lifetime issues to just vanish in one visit
(some smaller issues might). Unless you're diagnosed  de-illusional!

Gotta catch some ZZZs.
Cheers!
Niko

PS
I'll ask my daughter about the right essential oil,
she's the  aromatherapist.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Lower the dose of Magnesium!
Green tea will reduce your caffeine intake by about 70%. One cup of coffee contains 100-150mg of caffeine; a cup of green tea has only about 25mg of caffeine.The caffeine content of different types of green tea can vary; also a longer brewing period can result in more strongly caffeinated tea.
Green tea has other stimulants. theobromine and theophylline, may affect heart rate and the central nervous system in a way somewhat similar to caffeine. These substances are also found in chocolate.

The stimulant effects of caffeine, theobromine and theophylline in green tea may be balanced by another substance in the tea, the amino acid L-Theanine which simultaneously calms the nervous system and enhances concentration abilities.

Consider your reasons to eliminate caffeine.Such as anxiety, irritability or insomnia after drinking coffee, consider whether these might be related to the number of cups you drink per day, the time of day when you consume coffee, and what you add to your coffee to sweeten it. You may want to try cutting down on the number of cups you drink per day, switching to another beverage after early afternoon and/or cutting down on the sugar you add to your coffee. There is increasing evidence that caffeine is not as much of a dietary culprit as experts previously thought. For example, some studies indicate caffeine intake may have a protective effect against Parkinson's disease as well as liver and colorectal cancers.
Helpful - 0
180749 tn?1443595232
Follow the alternative nostril breathing (anulom vilom pranayam) for 10 minutes 4 to 5 times a day (or before each smoke break). You will feel the brain is happy and the lungs function better.
April 19 ,2012
Helpful - 0
209987 tn?1451935465
Ah...magnesium...my worst enemy. It acts like an enema on me. lol!

I already avoid most of the things you listed due to allergies and migraines. Haven't had a migraine in years after giving up diet cola. Nasty stuff that Aspartame. Unless it's made with real sugar I don't ingest it.

Guess the coffee will have to go again...does this mean the once a month chocolate too?

I don't  see anywhere on this box of white tea that it is caffeine free or even herbal for that matter. Is it?
Had Chinese food last night...the big sign on the building says that the food is MSG free...but I don't think I believe it after the night I had last night.

Thanks for that info!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00536/reduce-stress.html

Evidence shows that monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other excitotoxins in foods and beverages can cause panic disorder in experimental animals that  we are seeing in humans. Low magnesium can intensify this!

Avoid excitotoxins in your food. These include MSG, aspartame,
hydrolyzed proteins, vegetable protein, isolated protein, soy products (including soy protein isolates,soy protein and soy milk), natural flavoring, sodium or calcium caseinate and others. These food additives cause brain excitation and have been
shown to target a set of neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe. They are key to emotions.
Have at least 5 servings a day of vegetables. Many of the flavonoids reduce anxiety.I know you don't like taking supplements!! But the best are hesperidin, quercetin and curcumin. All are available as supplements. I suggest 250mg. of each three times a day. Quercetin comes in a water-soluble form. Otherwise it must be dissolved in either fish oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
Reduce your fats  especially saturated fats and omega-6 fats (vegetable oils, like corn, safflower, peanut, sunflower, soybean and canola oils).  Animals on high-fat diets give off more cortisol and take longer to recover from stress than those on low-fat diets. Magnesium is a natural calmative agent. White tea contains a flavonoid that can calm the brain and reduce
anxiety. Avoid caffeine!!
Helpful - 0
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