Fibromyalgia is a disease that affects millions of Americans, and is a chronic and debilitating condition that can severely impact the quality of life. For most people suffering from fibromyalgia, the chronic pain is the most bothersome part of this condition. This disease is characterized by pain that affects the entire body when tenderness in joints, tendons, and muscles appears. The most common areas where pain is experienced include the joint areas, the shoulders, back, neck, and hands, but any body part can be affected by fibromyalgia. Because this condition affects every person differently, the range of symptoms can be diverse. Even worse, because this condition varies so much, fibromyalgia patients may not know from one day to the next how much pain they are going to be in. If you or someone you know is suffering from fibromyalgia, there are a number of things you can do to treat this pain, and regain your quality of life. Managing the primary symptoms of fibromyalgia will be the best way to find relief in your life. For most fibromyalgia sufferers, this means putting an end to pain as much as possible. Recent research suggests that exercise is a very effective way at alleviating pain, but unfortunately, the pain of this condition prevents many from doing so. As a result, many fibromyalgia sufferers will forego exercise, and this may lead to them becoming unfit, or unhealthy. What many people do not know is that this could actually lead to fibromyalgia becoming worse, and more painful. If you are struggling with fibromyalgia, talk to your doctor about starting some physical therapy or a soft exercise program that will get you moving, and release pain relieving endorphins into those tender joints. Another thing you may want to try if you have fibromyalgia, is begin researching various diets that are used by fibromyalgia patients. Science tells us that there are ways to change the chemistry of pain, and many fibromyalgia patients have found effective ways of doing this through diet. Some of the most common symptoms reported in fibromyalgia include constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain or gas. Changing your internal chemistry with some natural changes to your diet, may be a very effective way of managing your fibromyalgia pain and some or all of these abdominal symptoms. Be sure you include high fibers in your diet, and regularly consume fruits and vegetables in order to alleviate some of your abdominal discomfort. When diet and exercise alone are not enough, you will want to have a good relationship with your doctor to ensure you are on a good pain management program. Many medications such as Ultram are being used today as an effective choice for pain relievers. Prescription medication like Ultram works as an anti-inflammatory and targets those tender and inflamed joints and tissues. Often enough, anti-inflammatory agents are chosen over narcotic type pain relievers, as anti-inflammatories such as Ultram target both the cause of the pain, and the pain itself. If you are looking for a fast and effective way to treat your fibromyalgia pain, talk to your doctor about trying anti-inflammatory medication. Pain relief could be just around the corner.
Archive for November, 2010
You hear about botox everywhere these days. A relatively simple procedure can lead to a clearing of wrinkles and, consequently, a more youthful appearance. The Botox procedure was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in April of 2002. Botox is the trade name for Botulism Toxin A, which is actually a form of food poisoning! There are several different Botulism toxins, ranging from Botulism Toxin A to Botulism Toxin G. Botulism is caused by the ingestion of the bacteria that is known as clostridium botulinum. Botulism is actually a neurotoxin that is released by the bacteria once ingested. The side effects that are caused by ingesting this neurotoxin can be as serious as paralysis! People have died in the past from botulism due to the fact that the neurotoxin can cause the respiratory muscles to shut down, causing an inability to breathe. In short, the neurotoxin attacks the body by attaching itself to nerve endings, causing them to not be able to release acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for contracting muscles.
Botulism injections are performed to effectively paralyze the muscles of the face, stopping them from moving and consequently causing a lack of wrinkling due to muscle movement. After Botox is injected, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to freeze the muscles. The effects are not permanent, and a Botox treatment can last anywhere from three months to eight months. People that use Botox for beauty often arrange gatherings in which several adults perform the procedure, with such catchy themes as “Botox and Bagels”. A Botox injection usually costs somewhere between 250 and 500 dollars per shot. Botox injections are generally well tolerated, but they should not be performed on anyone who is pregnant, nursing, or on an antibiotic regimen. If you are thinking of getting a Botox injection, check with your doctor to ensure that the procedure will go properly for you. Botox may interfere with medications that you may be taking, so it’s generally best to speak to a doctor before getting an injection.
In addition to aiding those who wish to clear their face of wrinkles, Botox has been used to help several medical conditions. When botox was first used clinically, it was employed to treat neurological disorders. Writer’s cramp can be alleviated by a Botox injection, and facial spasms and spasmodic dyphodia have been under consideration for Botox treatment.
Chronic kidney disease is defined as kidney damage or a decreased kidney glomerular filtration rate of less than 60, for 3 months or more, irrespective of the cause. This results in a progressive decline in kidney function, resulting in accumulation of toxic waste products, excess water and salts, increased blood pressure, anemia and many other complex symptoms. Chronic renal failure is divided into Stages I – V, out of which the first three stages are asymptomatic, and usually discovered incidentally, while doing routine blood tests.
The management of chronic renal failure consists of treatment of the underlying cause if possible, aggressive treatment of high blood pressure and other symptoms, liquid and diet control, cessation of smoking, and finally, with end-stage disease, resorting to dialysis or a kidney transplant.
The Ayurvedic treatment of chronic renal failure is based on three principles: (i) treating the damaged kidneys (ii) treating the body tissues (dhatus) which make up the kidneys and (iii) treating the known cause.
The damage done to the kidneys can be repaired using medicines like Punarnavadi Guggulu, Gokshuradi Guggulu, Gomutra Haritaki, Chandraprabha Vati and Punarnavadi Qadha (decoction). Herbal medicines useful in this condition are: Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata) and Patol (Tricosanthe dioica).
According to Ayurveda, the kidneys are made up of the “Rakta” and “Meda” dhatus. Treating these two dhatus is also an effective way to treat the kidneys. Medicines used are: Patol, Saariva, Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Chirayta (Swertia chirata), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Chandan (Santalum album) and Shunthi (Zinziber officinalis).
Lastly, the known cause of chronic renal failure is treated using medicines which also act upon the kidneys. Vascular (related to the blood vessels) diseases like renal artery stenosis and inflammation of the artery walls(vasculitis) can be treated using medicines like Arogya Vardhini, Tapyadi Loha, Mahamanjishthadi Qadha, Kamdudha Vati, Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Bhrungraj (Eclipta alba), Saariva, Kutki and Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina). Primary glomerular diseases like membranous nephropathy and glomerlonephritis can be treated using Punarnava, Gokshur, Saariva and Manjishtha. Secondary glomerular disease resulting from diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis etc. can be treated accordingly, using the medicines appropriate for those diseases. Similarly, suitable Ayurvedic medicines can be given for other causes like polycystic kidneys, prostate enlargement and neurogenic bladder.
The advantage of using Ayurvedic medicines in chronic renal failure is that in most patients, the kidney damage can be either partly or fully reversed, the frequency of dialysis can be reduced, and the increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases can be significantly reduced. Thus, Ayurvedic medicines have the potential for an important therapeutic contribution in all the stages of this condition.
For patients with chronic renal failure intending to take Ayurvedic treatment (or for that matter, any alternative treatment), the following points should be kept in mind: (i) all patients should be under the regular supervision and treatment of a qualified and experienced Urologist (ii) Ayurvedic medicines should be taken in the form of additional treatment, and should not replace other, regular treatment or dialysis and (iii) the attending Urologist should be informed of the decision to start Ayurvedic treatment.
Benzene Leukemia Exposure
Benzene exposure has been linked in numerous studies to causing leukemia. Exposure to benzene and the development of leukemia or benzene related leukemia have been highly publicized over the recent years. Statistcs are showing that there are approximatly, 10,000 benzene related leukemia deaths per year in the US alone.
Benzene Information
Benzene is a known carcinogen in humans and causes benzene related cancer. Breathing benzene vapors may cause immediate death and other exposures to the chemical have been linked to various forms of leukemia, most notably Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).
Interesting Benzene Leukemia Facts
1. The use of benzene as a solvent was banned in the United States more then 20 years ago.
2. Benzene ranks # 6 on the CERCLA Hazerdous Substance List.
3. Almost 300,000 people per year are exposed to benzene in the workplace.
Benzene Leukemia Side Effects
Benzene is a known carcinogen in humans and causes benzene related cancer. Breathing benzene vapors may cause immediate death and other exposures to the chemical have been linked to various forms of leukemia, most notably Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).
Acute Benzene Side Effects
Acute (short-term) exposure will commonly be associated with the following benzene side effects:
1. Irritation of the eyes and skin
2. Irritation of the nose and throat
3. Dizziness and lightheadedness
4. Headache and vomiting
5. Convulsions and coma
6. Rapid heart beat
7. Sudden death
Chronic Benzene Side Effects
Chronic (long-term) exposure will commonly be associated with the following benzene side effects:
1. Benzene Cancer
2. Leukemia, most notably Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
3. Reproductive harm (teratogen – an agent that can cause malformations of an embryo or fetus)
4. Drying and scaling of the skin
5. Damage to blood cells? aplastic anemia
Is there a medical test to show whether I have been exposed to benzene?
Several tests can show if you have been exposed to benzene. There is test for measuring benzene in the breath; this test must be done shortly after exposure. Benzene can also be measured in the blood, however, since benzene disappears rapidly from the blood, measurements are accurate only for recent exposures.
In the body, benzene is converted to products called metabolites. Certain metabolites can be measured in the urine. However, this test must be done shortly after exposure and is not a reliable indicator of how much benzene you have been exposed to, since the metabolites may be present in urine from other sources.
Other Benzene Leukemia Resources
If you or a family member have been diagnosed with benzene related leukemia there are many helpful resources on the Internet. Most notably, The Leukemia Society and The Benzene Leukemia Orginization.
The process of making New Years resolutions dates back to the Babylonians. The most popular resolution at that time was to return any borrowed farm equipment to its rightful owners. Although returning borrowed farm equipment should be high on our priority list there is often more pressing needs in our life.
In today’s society we tend to make New Years resolutions that require tremendous amounts of self discipline such as losing weight, quitting smoking and/or drinking, starting an exercise program, or vowing to never again kick the neighbors dog.
The fact is that you should quit smoking because breathing is a good thing. We should start exercising because it is important to be healthy. And we should not kick the neighbor’s dog because it is not nice and you might end up in a cell next to Michael Vick.
Perhaps instead we should make resolutions that should be easy and perhaps even fun. We could take measures to reduce our stress. Let’s force ourselves to have fun and enjoy life. Life is short. Trite but true. It is not all that serious.
I have multiple New Years resolutions this year. I will see Jimmy Buffet this year. I am required to see one theatrical play. I will go out at least one night and spend a stupid amount of money on a steak for no other reason than it is nice to treat yourself once in a while. I will attend three major sporting events, college or professional. There will be at least one long weekend and one week long trip because you need some down time to recharge your batteries. I vow to explore and visit places locally that I have never been.
Last but not least, I will take every available opportunity to let my family know how much I love them and how important they are in my life.
I think it may be a mistake to always focus on what we should not be doing instead of taking a look at what we should be doing.
Here’s to a fantastic year.
We are living in a tough economy with a shaky job market and an even shakier real estate market. For today’s man, this means that stress is high and quality of life lowers with every stressful life event. Unfortunately, this often means that the very things you use in life to combat this stress are affected as well. For many men this means romance, and there can be nothing more frustrating than having stress make its appearance in your sex life. Believe it or not you are not alone, and stress is a factor for many men today that are trying to keep their heads above water. If you are finding a lot of stress in your life, read here to find out how much it could really be hurting you, and what you can do about it. Finding ways to combat stress and reboot your love life may be just a few minutes away.
When it comes to stress affecting your love life, age plays a role as well, no matter how much you want to ignore your age number. The fact is that the older you are, chances are, the more responsibilities you have, and the more stressful life is for you all around. To make matters worse, as the years begin to pass for, you are certainly going to see some changes in how your sexuality functions as well. Aging and decline in sexual functions is a part of life, is perfectly normal, and it happens to every man. When this happens, you need to focus on not panicking, and consider these changes as little problems that are completely solvable.
If you go into the aging process expecting these changes instead of fearing them, you will be able to troubleshoot and effectively problem solve any sexual difficulties you may experience. But when we are dealing with life issues as significant as today’s recession, the economy, war, and changing politics, stress can affect a man, and his libido without you even realizing it. Numerous studies have shown the physiological effects of stress on your health. That being said, given that we know that sex is a physiological part of life, stress is going to affect this area as well.
As we age, our testosterone levels drop, and this occurs with or without stress. Unfortunately, when our bodies are stressed, so is our brain and our endocrine system, the two major players when it comes to hormones and sex. The more stressed you are, the slower these elements will function, and your testosterone levels will dip and sway with the tides of your stress. What does this mean? Bad sex for you, if you are even able to relax enough to get any at all.
If you are looking for ways to alleviate the stress in your overall life, and reboot your love life once again, your answer may be something as simple as Viagra. Today there are many ways that you can combat the stress of a hectic lifestyle, but whether you are trying standard Viagra or generic Viagra, taking this medication combats both problems at once. Now don’t you wish everything in life was so easy?
After the macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates, food is known to contain an ever-growing list of nutrients known as micronutrients. The word micronutrient signifies that they are found in small amounts compared to the macronutrients. The first micronutrients, vitamins, were first identified in the early 1900s. Most act as co-enzymes in larger chemical “equations” which regulate the structures and functions of all cells in your body. If you can imagine a math equation without the equals sign, you can imagine what might happen in your body if a cell is missing one of these vital nutrients at a critical moment. Cellular jobs may simply not occur due to the lack of any one of these vitamins. Because these needs are occur regularly throughout life, it is your job to ensure that your body is not missing any of these vitamins from day to day.
Some micronutrients are not called vitamins, simply because they do not fully meet certain chemical or biological definitions. Even so, some of the micronutrients are considered as important as vitamins or they are required for the vitamins to function in the body. Folate is a great example and is now recommended as a supplement for pregnant women because of its proven effects in reducing neurological birth defects.
Here are some of the functions of the known vitamins and related micronutrients according to the National Institute of Health.
Vitamin A helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it generates the pigments that are necessary for the working of the retina. It promotes good vision, especially in dim light. Vitamin A may also be required for reproduction and breast-feeding. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A that has antioxidant properties, helping the body deal with unstable chemicals called free radicals.
Thiamine (B-1) helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart and for healthy nerve cells, including those in the brain.
Riboflavin (B-2) works with the other B vitamins and is important for body growth and red blood cell production. Similar to thiamine, it helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.
Niacin is a B vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin and nerves. It is also important for the conversion of food to energy and may have cholesterol-lowering effects.
Vitamin B-6 is also known as pyridoxine. The more protein a person eats, the more vitamin B-6 is required to help the body use the protein. It aids in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of normal brain function. It also assists in the synthesizing of antibodies in the immune system.
Vitamin B-12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism. It, too, helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system.
Pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of food. It is also essential in the synthesis of hormones and cholesterol. Biotin is essential for the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates, and in the synthesis of hormones and cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed for the functioning of cell membranes, particularly in the brain.
Folate (folic acid) works with vitamin B-12 in the production of red blood cells. It is necessary for the synthesis of DNA, which controls heredity as well as tissue growth and cell function. Any woman who may become pregnant should be sure to consume enough folate — low levels of this substance are associated with devastating birth defects such as spina bifida. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid to help reduce the level of such birth defects.
Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps in the absorption of iron, and helps maintain normal connective tissue. It also promotes wound healing and is an antioxidant.
Vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” since it is manufactured by the body after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine three times per week is adequate to produce the body’s requirement of vitamin D. This vitamin promotes the body’s absorption of calcium, which is essential for the normal development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain adequate blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, which are minerals necessary for many functions.
Vitamin E is also known as tocopherol and is an antioxidant. It is also important in the formation of red blood cells and the use of vitamin K.
Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not coagulate. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly.
You may notice some missing letters in this list of vitamins. This is because some letters were assigned to chemicals which were later reclassified as something other than a vitamin. This doesn’t mean they’re not important. For example, the essential “Omega 3 fatty acid” was once classified as a vitamin and now exists at the top of a newer category of essential fats.
Understanding micronutrients, and their importance, adds a vital piece to the puzzle of achieving and supporting optimal health. There are other categories of micronutrients and in the next article we’ll continue to explore these vital components of a healthful diet.
Once you are hooked on drugs, it will take a time to recover. Withdrawal symptoms and a sense of euphoria will always be at hand for those who have been victims of drug addiction and wanting to change.
But with the introduction of a cocaine vaccine, all the pains and burdens of a recovering patient will soon be over. Recently, a couple, who were both doctors, presented their innovative cocaine vaccine, which is believed to be the first in the market that will ease the treatments for drug addicts.
Baylor College of Medicine researchers Dr. Tom Kosten, a psychiatry professor and his wife Therese, a psychologist and neuroscientist in Houston joined forces in creating a remedy for cocaine addiction. Dr. Kosten said with their discovery people who have the eagerness to stop taking cocaine will be helped by the new vaccine.
As the vaccine is injected to the patients, the victims will no longer feel the special “highness” and the satisfaction that they used to experience should they be tempted to take again prohibited drugs. Most will surely refrain from taking in cocaine as they will be losing interest in what they used to take.
Based on initial clinical studies, the vaccine attacks the immune system. This results in the inability of the body system to recognize the cocaine taken in, whether cocaine or other variants, responsible in stimulating brain activity and generating a sense of highness among drug addicts.
The vaccine, according to the researchers, inactivates the molecules of cocaine and prevents them from getting into the brain. As this happens the drug-taker will not experience euphoria or a special feeling of highness.
Dr. David Eagleman, a neuroscientist of the same hospital, said this is a great discovery since most scientists for the past decades were analyzing how to block the pathways of the drugs like cocaine going to the brain. But with the new vaccine, it is a solution to that long problem.
The vaccine has already been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for trial, which will be tested in spring. If this will work, this will be helpful in rehabilitating the conditions of the drug patients. But critics are saying this may not work in some patients.
Is there a porn addiction cure? The simple answer is yes, there are cures for any addictive behavior as it is not something hard coded into you that you cannot overcome, there is always a way to change the course of your life with some hard work and an honest and open mind.
All addiction is caused by some base issues that drive people to addictive behavior, most often it is used as an escape from something in their lives and becomes so ingrained it starts to take over their life destroying relationships and friendships and costing you enormous amounts of time and money!
To counter sickness of the mind like this the base cause of the problem must be identified and isolated so you can find a way to change yourself to overcome this. Just stopping excessive porn viewing will yield nothing in the long run unless the reasons behind it are not exposed and solved.
The most common cause of porn addiction is probably low self esteem which can manifest differently in every person so there is no one easy solution to the problem but as long as you can find this cause or perhaps others you have won your first major fight against addiction.
So when we talk about a porn addiction cure we are actually talking about a cure to a deep seated problem within someone’s psychological makeup that may have been festering there for years and years. How you solve these issues is something very personal and the entire psychiatric industry is still finding new and inventive ways to help or make money out of people with mental issues but the advice I offer is that if you are of strong enough will to find these problems honestly then you can take them, break them down into smaller little problems that you can find some way of reconciling or overcoming.
So is there a porn addiction cure? yes, but it has to be you who finds the solution as long as you have the right resources and support!
A drug addiction is strongly desiring to take a drug that makes you feel good. For example, snorting cocaine makes you energetic, alert, euphoric, with increased mental clarity. Once you’re addicted to a drug, abstaining from it becomes a nightmare. For example, abstaining from cocaine can cause agitation, depression, extreme fatigue, anxiety, angry outbursts, lack of motivation, vomiting, shaking, irritability, muscle pain, and disturbed sleep.
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
Simply put, what keeps you addicted is that taking the drug makes you feel good, and avoiding it makes you feel awful. This coincides with Thorndike’s Law of Effect: If a reward follows a particular behavior, that behavior probably will be repeated; if a punishment follows a particular behavior, that behavior probably won’t be repeated.
For example, feeling good is your reward for snorting cocaine; feeling awful is your punishment for avoiding cocaine. So what are you going to do? This is why it’s so difficult to abstain from an addiction.
You have a drug addiction and can’t quit. Now what? Don’t despair; there’s a way out. The trick is seeing your addiction differently – seeing it for what it really is.
Unemployable, Lonely, and Sick
Though taking your drug makes you feel good immediately, it makes you feel awful in the long run. For example, snorting cocaine will eventually cause health problems such as heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, gastrointestinal problems, convulsions, nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms, and coma. If you think that these health problems are bad, long-term cocaine snorting causes social problems such as lying, stealing, absenteeism at work, and sometimes even prostitution.
So basically, long-term cocaine use causes you unemployment due to your work absenteeism, loss of friends and family due to your lying and stealing, and sickness due to cocaine’s damaging effects on your body. Cocaine ultimately transforms you into a loser – unemployable, lonely, and sick!
Other popular recreational drugs such as crack, heroin, crystal meth, Vicodin, ecstasy, and OxyContin also ultimately transform you into a loser – unemployable, lonely, and sick!
Thorndike’s Law of Effect Revisited
Now let’s revisit Thorndike’s Law of Effect: If a reward follows a particular behavior, that behavior probably will be repeated; if a punishment follows a particular behavior, that behavior probably won’t be repeated.
Being unemployable, lonely, and sick is your punishment for taking your desired drug over time; being employed, loved, and healthy is your reward for avoiding your desired drug over time. So what are you going to do?
Classical Conditioning
Wait a minute! Reading this article won’t help you! Once done reading, you’ll go back to snorting cocaine, smoking crack, shooting heroin, popping OxyContin, or whatever it is you do.
That’s why I’m introducing a powerfully effective self-help intervention that you must do regularly. This self-help intervention is called Classical Conditioning. Simply put, Classical Conditioning consists of pairing a particular feeling with a particular event over and over again until they become automatically associated with each other.
Let’s say that you have a cocaine addiction and want to quit. So instead of feeling good after snorting cocaine, you want to feel awful. What makes you feel awful? Electric shock? Okay, we’ll use this.
So each time you snort cocaine, you give yourself a severe electric shock. You feel awful each time. Eventually, you’ll automatically associate snorting cocaine with feeling awful – without the electric shock! Thus, curing yourself of cocaine addiction.
Nevertheless, electrically shocking yourself isn’t socially acceptable and will attract unwanted attention. We need something more discreet. What’s more discreet than the hidden thoughts inside your head? Can you use your thoughts to make yourself feel awful? Let’s see.
You just snorted cocaine and want to make yourself feel awful for doing it. So you think, “By using cocaine, I’m making myself into a complete loser. I’m now becoming totally unemployable, lonely, and sick. Worthless. Useless. A hopeless piece of crap. Good for nothing.” How do you feel? Awful, right?
So if you think along these lines each time you snort cocaine, you’ll eventually learn to associate snorting cocaine with feeling awful – without using your thoughts to make yourself feel awful! Thus, curing yourself of cocaine addiction.
Points to Ponder
This article is tailored to those addicted to hard drugs such as cocaine, crack, heroin, crystal meth, Vicodin, ecstasy, and OxyContin. Nevertheless, the intervention discussed here can be used, with some minor adjustments, to overcome addictions to the softer drugs.
For example, smoking cigarettes doesn’t necessarily cause unemployment or loneliness. But it does cause health problems such as emphysema, heart disease, stroke, cancer, birth defects, green teeth, and spider veins. So rather than thinking of yourself as becoming unemployable, lonely, and sick each time you smoke a cigarette, you just simply think of yourself as becoming sick.
Conclusion
In the past, drug addiction was seen as an overpowering and unmanageable disease. And the addict, using his own willpower, was seen as powerless against this disease. Therefore the addict was encouraged to join a support group that might lead him to a spiritual awakening.
Currently, drug addiction is seen as self-destructive behavior maintained by the reward of taking a drug (feeling good) and the punishment of abstaining from it (withdrawal symptoms). Given this, a scientific intervention such as Classical Conditioning can effectively cure it.
Though I’m scientifically inclined, I do believe in the power of prayer; since I’ve seen it work in my own life. So by all means, pray to be free from your addiction; then go forth and free yourself with Classical Conditioning.