Stop Smoking

The words are easy enough to say, but to actually put that last cigarettes out and break the habit is not something to scoff at. It’s hard. And not just because we say so. Did you know that 7 out of ten smokers you meet want to stop smoking but only 7% actually stop on their first attempt? Scary stats. We know. But there is a silver lining. The moment you put out that last smoke your body starts changing. And it’s an incredible change.

So, you want to Stop Smoking and quit right?

How about we throw a bunch of really important events that take place to your body the moment you dash out that last smoke and decide to embrace a free, healthier life:

Firstly, in under the first half hour – your blood pressure begins to lower. Blood flow and circulation begins to return to your hands and feet in its regular way.

Fast forward eight hours and the levels of toxic carbon monoxide in your bloodstream have reduced to half the amount. Oxygen begins to increase which aids as a remover of bacteria and other harmful substances. Oh and if you didn’t know already – it’s super important to have oxygen flowing freely in your body. Not so much with carbon monoxide. As you read this you are probably also coming to the realisation that you are in fact willingly gassing yourself every time you smoke. Stop Smoking it’s justAlso not cool.

Fast forward two days.

Now, believe it or not the chances of you having a heart attack are reduced substantially. Yes- when you smoke you could have a heart attack (one of the leading causes of death in men. Fun fact: About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States of America alone every year– that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.  Simultaneously, nicotine will no longer be present in your body and with that, you will begin to smell the flowers and perfume in your home and taste the amazing curry you so love. Yep, that’s right – Stop Smoking  and your sense of smell and taste  start to recover!

Let’s move on to 72 hours later, shall we?

Breath deep. Because your ability to take in more air has become easier. Your bronchial tubes are taking less strain as they are now doing what they need to do – take in air and not dirty poisonous smoke. BONUS:  Stop Smoking and you will feel more energetic, a great side effect to counter the anxiety and stress of quitting.

It’s been 2 weeks.

And then a quarter of a year, how’s the exercise feeling? Why do we ask? Because once you Stop Smoking you can walk a lot easier and your air suckers (respiratory system has recovered up to 30 percent!

The coughing, congestion and yucky internal phlegm you felt almost daily has gone? You must be in the magic 3- 9 month period of post smoking life! In fact your general respiratory issues have dramatically diminished. . The minute fibres in your bronchial tubes have begun to regrow, but you know this because your ability to handle mucus is obvious which by the way helps you clean your lungs of bacteria which lead to infections.

One year later once you Stop Smoking and guess what

– remember the talk of heart attacks from earlier? It’s been reduced to half and you have loads more energy, the same in fact as a non-smoker.

Half a decade later once you Stop Smoking and your chances of having a stroke are reduced to the same as that of a non-smoker. YES! 

At ten years smoke free (which is amazing by the way), you will have lowered your chances of getting lung cancer to that of someone who never picked up a smoke. Remember all those nasty chemicals (over 30) that you inhaled when you sucked in that burnt tobacco? Well they are almost all gone. It gets even better by the way. 15 years on and you now statistically have an equal risk of suffering a major heart attack as those that have never smoked.

For more information, call Houghton House now:

office hours: 011 476 1223

Click on the green envelope below and fill in our contact form, and one of our professional staff members will get back to you via email or phone, respecting your anonymity at all times.

You know why you should Quit Smoking.

You know what happens to your body when you Quit Smoking. But still, as you read this your palms become sweaty and your anxiety levels are on par with your blood pressure levels. Imagine having to give up that packet of smokes lying in front of you. Maybe it’s been something you have done for years. Maybe you have tried to give up several times. It doesn’t matter. Let’s just focus on the right here and right now.

It can be said that possibly not enough recognition is given to the fact that nicotine dependency is a serious addiction! Smoking is often seen as a really bad habit, and smokers should be able to drop that and Quit Smoking in a much simpler way than say cocaine. Add to that the many gums, sprays and patches available to help you wean yourself off cigarettes and the general consensus is that it’s something you can ace alone. Right? WRONG. It’s not just a case of a bit of a struggle for a few weeks and you are good to go. There is, on the whole none of the medical and moral support and understanding given to other substance abusers (e.g. alcoholics, heavy drug users etc.)

So, then, what do we do about it? If you want to Quit Smoking Well read on. We may have a bit of a push, a bit of a shove and a bit of a helping hand for you if quitting is what you want to do. Disclaimer: It’s not going to make it easier – but if you are serious, the following tips and advice may help in a real way.

Firstly ask yourself. Why do you want to give up? Like all addictions you must be the person that wants to quit. Peer pressure, awkward family conversations and someone else telling you to quit equals a recipe for disaster because you need to do it for you.

Let’s talk facts for a second:

Facts about the devastating things smoking can and will do to you is a great motivator towards quitting. Ponder upon these facts for a moment:

– Smoking is the most important risk factor for cancer and heart disease. If you dont Quit Smoking you are about three to five times more likely to contract cancer or heart disease than non-smokers.

–  Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals and 50 of these have been identified as carcinogens. Gross.

– Smokers have increased rates of other cancers, including cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, liver, kidney, bladder, oesophagus, pancreas, cervix, stomach, colon and rectum. Smokers are also at greater risk for leukaemia.

– Smokers are twice as likely to die from cancer as non-smokers.

– Smoking contributes significantly to the development of high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.

– Smoking causes chronic lung disorders like emphysema, asthma and bronchitis.

–  Smoking causes impotence and erectile dysfunction in men and low libido in men and women. It can also contribute toward difficulties in falling pregnant and birth defects.

And it’s not just medical:

here are some aesthetic issues you will have to deal with as if you are a smoker and you don’t Quit Smoking:

– Smoking causes premature wrinkling,

– Smokers have yellow teeth, and foul-smelling breath, hair and clothes.

– It costs a lot. But that’s obvious. Often our wallets are the loudest reminders that smoking isn’t a good idea.

Oh and smoking is quite selfish.  Smoking is bad for your family and those around you

• Children of smokers are far more likely to develop asthma and other chronic respiratory infections than those of non-smokers.
• They are also more prone to colds and flu and lose more time off school.
• Exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke on a daily basis, children also have higher risks of developing all the cancers, disorders and other medical conditions mentioned earlier in this post.

So here are a few tips to get you started:

Get hold of Houghton House Addiction recovery Centres and chat to them about their Smoking Cessation Programme. Talking to a professional is half the battle. Remember, you don’t need to Quit Smoking and fight this battle on your own.

• Think of a day to Quit Smoking. Make sure it’s around a month from when you decide to make a date. This gives you four weeks to prepare for nicotine withdrawal.
• Make a list of all the reasons why you want to stop smoking and read this list every day.
• Stick post its of these reasons everywhere. On your fridge, dashboard of your car, your computer screen, the mirror. Everywhere.
• TELL PEOPLE. No really, tell a dozen people around you that you are going to stop and on what day that will be.
• Find and make a note of the times and places which you associate with cigarettes. Think lunch breaks, first thing in the morning, after work etc. During the first four weeks leading up to your day when you decide to Quit Smoking don’t smoke at those times or at those places. This helps you to break the ‘habit smoking’ while still allowing you to smoke.
• Get moving!  Start an exercise program and maybe find a new hobby.  The exercise will improve mood and motivation levels and also gets you feeling healthy and more confident.  Try doing it every day for at least 30 minutes. Take up an interesting hobby, preferably one that you can do with your hands but don’t be too fussy. Throw some money at it and remember, once you Quit Smoking you will have some extra cash!

We strongly advise that if you want to Quit Smoking seriously, get hold of us so we can guide you towards the best path for your new life. Smoking is a difficult addiction to quit, but it can be done with a little perseverance and help!

For help or more information, call Houghton House now:

office hours:  011 476 1223

Click on the green envelope below and fill in our contact form, and one of our professional staff members will get back to you via email or phone, respecting your anonymity at all times.

Is porn addiction such a big deal?

The arrival of the Internet has not only changed the way humans communicate, study, do business and shop; it’s also changed our sexual behaviour dramatically. In fact, the consumption of porn online has mushroomed beyond control with more Porn Addiction sufferers that ever before.

A study in 2016 showed that a whopping 35% of ALL internet downloads consisted of “adult” material.

On the world’s largest porn site, people watched 4, 599 million hours of porn. That adds up to a staggering 525 000 years’ worth of hardcore porn viewing on a single web site in one year alone!

But, isn’t everybody else doing it?

Pornography is nothing new. For literally thousands of years, people have created erotic images – paintings and statues – for titillation and entertainment.

As humans, we are sexual beings, with a complex range of emotions and thought processes that dictate not only how we go about achieving procreation (a basic condition for the survival of any species), but also how we can enjoy sex for its own sake.

In the late 1880’s the first known soft-core erotic film was produced in France. Fast-forward to roughly 100 years later: Modern porn has been consumed world-wide in books, magazines, film and video.

Then the internet arrives – and the ease of access to porn (previously self-limiting) sends consumption off the charts.

In 1997 there were around 1 000 porn sites. By 2015, that figure skyrocketed to over 2,5 million. It’s estimated that around 65% of people aged 13-25 seek out porn at least once a week. With mobile devices as well as computers, it’s literally at your fingertips within seconds.

So what’s the harm in watching porn?

Attitudes towards porn have changed over the years. Many less conservative people see it as essentially harmless, a “victimless” crime (although the back-story of “actors” being badly exploited is no secret). The trouble is, excessive porn viewing has been shown to have many negative spin-offs that mirror the side-effects of severe addictions like alcohol or drugs.

What are the side-effects?

The most critical damage is seen in the breakdown of interpersonal relationships – with spouses, family members and at work.

Excessive porn viewing has been linked to stress, irritability and depression.

Desensitisation to pornographic images can result in real-life sexual problems: dissatisfaction with partners; a compulsion to experiment with different sexual practices and/or partners; difficulty with maintaining intimacy and increasingly, erectile dysfunction in men. Failure to reach orgasm is not uncommon.

Ironically, the initial sexual thrill of watching porn becomes subverted to a compulsive need that can destroy your sex life!

That’s scary stuff; how can addiction happen?

Our brains can be our own worst enemies. In the case of addiction – any kind of addiction – the brain follows a similar pattern of reprogramming itself to seek and prolong a “high.”

We know that drugs and alcohol produce a pleasurable rush of the neurotransmitter dopamine, along with other biochemicals, such as oxytocin, serotonin, adrenaline and endorphins.

However, substance abuse isn’t the only way to achieve this rush. In fact, sexual stimulation to the point of orgasm results in a massive release of dopamine etc. The brain craves the pleasurable sensation and so it demands more stimulation. The more it gets, the more it wants. But, as with substance abuse, the addict builds up a tolerance over time, which requires increased doses to achieve the same thrill.

Eventually, the addict is no longer watching porn for pleasure; he or she is simply trying to avoid the depression and stress that accompanies the craving. That’s where their online addiction negatively spills over into real life.

Does it qualify as a real addiction?

In the US the jury is still out when it comes to porn addiction. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, some authorities don’t recognize it as a “proper” addiction. In more tech-savvy countries like South Korea, China and Japan though, where “tech addiction” is already recognized, pornography addiction is listed as a subcategory. Interestingly, Online Gaming addiction is also listed, as the neurological effect is virtually identical.

Among the defining factors of any type of addiction are, the development of tolerance to the addictive substance, resulting in an irresistible compulsion to increase the frequency and amount of dosage.

 On that count alone, porn addiction is as real as any other type of addiction out there. 

How do I know if I’m addicted to porn?

 In this day and age, it’s nearly impossible to avoid porn completely. It’s not just out there, it’s everywhere. Popular culture, including music, film and advertising, has always thrived on sex. And the line between what’s acceptable titillation and porn has become increasingly blurred.

That said, here are some signs that you may have a porn addiction:

• Do you feel powerless to stop viewing porn?

• Do you spend more time or money on porn than you intended?

• Have you tried unsuccessfully to cut down/stop viewing porn?

• Do you spend a lot of time viewing porn, thinking about porn, or engaging in activities that will give you access to porn?

• Do you neglect family, social, or work obligations to view porn?

• Have you experienced negative consequences (e.g. getting into trouble at work, fighting with your partner, sexual dissatisfaction) as a result of watching porn?

• Have you continued to use porn in spite of these?

• Do you consider giving up other activities up opportunities to have more time to use or view porn?

• Do you go to great lengths to conceal your porn use?

• Do you feel anxious, stressed, or irritable if you can’t access porn?

• Do you find you seek more and/or harder porn to get aroused?

• Have you found yourself wanting to act out porn, e.g. by seeking out other relationships either online or in real life?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions you may be addicted or becoming addicted to porn.  

Kenneth Wilson ( shown Left ) is currently the Director of Houghton House Outpatient Services.

As a registered Counselling Psychologist he deals with Love addiction and sex addiction. Which are seen as are intimacy disorders and needs for control, power, love or affection. Like all addictions, intimacy disorders like sex addiction and love addiction are progressive in nature. More Details at http://cleanstart.co.za/ 

The good news is, your addiction can be reversed.

Just as your brain can be programmed into addiction, you can reprogramme it to overcome the addiction.

The first step in getting help is admitting that you have a problem. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s one of the most difficult things – porn may be everywhere but it still carries a social stigma. You may feel embarrassed or ashamed. Rest assured though, you are not alone.

Find a therapist who is familiar with porn and sex addiction. These professional counselors are there to help you, not to judge you. Individual and group therapy is recommended, depending on the individual (you might feel uncomfortable discussing your addiction with others at first – that’s perfectly normal). They will also be able to offer the most effective

effective methods of reversing porn addiction, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

  What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

CBT is different from other types of therapy that typically examine how your past experiences are affecting your present.

CBT focuses on the immediate problematic behaviour. You’ll look at what is triggering emotional discomfort and the desire to escape through porn and sexual fantasy. Together, you’ll figure out how to short-circuit the patterns that result in you acting out your Porn Addiction.

There are so many possible triggers: boredom, stress, loneliness, unexpected arousal (seeing an attractive person in the street or on a TV show), travel, relocation, relationship problems, substance abuse (which lowers inhibitions), financial worries… the list goes on.

The main thing with Porn Addiction is to be aware of your personal triggers and train your brain (the old dopamine seeker) to derive pleasure from alternative sources. This could be simply talking to a friend, working out, building or fixing things around the home, meditating; basically anything that keeps your brain focused on something (besides porn) that will make you feel good. As these good behaviours are reinforced over time, your neurological patterns reset themselves and they become your norm.

How do I know if my partner has Porn Addiction

It’s in every addict’s nature to conceal their addiction – often until their condition is critical. You might be totally unaware that your partner, friend or family member is a porn addict.

So, here are a few warning signs of Porn Addiction to watch out for:

• Personality and behaviour changes including, aggression and irritability, loss of interest in hobbies or pastimes, decreased enthusiasm for things they used to enjoy.
• Secretiveness and anti-social behaviour including, spending more time alone, changes in money spending, covering up devices, erasing browsing histories, blocking access to phones, laptops etc.
• Acting hostile or defensive when asked to stop. If you catch your partner watching porn, it might not be anything to worry about. However, if they get upset when asked to stop or denied access to their device, that could indicate a problem.
• Inability to stop, even after getting into trouble. If your partner has been disciplined (or worse, fired) for porn in the workplace but still keeps using it, seek help.
• Increased usage. If someone is spending more and more time viewing porn, and especially if they seem to be seeking out harder or kinkier porn, this may indicate that they are building up a dangerous tolerance to porn.

Act now

If you think you may have porn addiction, or are becoming addicted to porn, or you are concerned about someone close to you, it is important to act fast. Porn addiction can have disastrous effects on a person’s emotional and physical health, but it can be overcome.

Professional therapy and support is available on either an outpatient or on a full-time basis. For more information, contact Houghton House 

Article: written by Alistar Mathie