Talk about health

I'm really not improving very much, am I? Another week has flashed by without my writing a post for the blog, so I'm trying to start the week on the right foot by writing something before I get embroiled in other work.

While I'm watching the TV, I sometimes feel obliged to shout at it when I reckon there is some rubbish being spoken on health matters. (Don't get me started on reality programs on any other subject either!!)

Anyway, I had occasion to yell last week when there was a short piece about three submariners who were using the new smoking ban in the UK and the fact that they were going on a three month tour of duty under the waves to quit smoking.

A noble and worthwhile aim I must agree, and one that would surely improve their long-term health. So what's the beef?

It was one of these sailors who began by using nicotine patches to help wean him off the habit. So far, so good. The theory is to start with strong nicotine patches each day for a few weeks, then switch to a middle strength for a few more weeks and conclude with the weakest strength until you feel you can stop altogether.

It's a classic dose reduction technique that has been used for years to get people off various habits from hard drugs to chocolate. It has at its root some scientific logic that has stood the test of time and given good results.

So, this guy begins with the usual enthusiasm of a job that will prove smooth and worthy, and with the TV cameras there too, to give an additional impetus to success. Then, things start to go wrong after the first week or so. He is studying for some promotional exam and he decides that the stress brought on by this prospect will certainly be too much for him to bear without a cigarette.

What he does is to throw away his patches (not very far if he is in a submarine!) and try to quit without them. My shouting starts here. "What are you doing, you twit. Don't you understand that you need to keep going? What makes you think you will succeed without the crutch, especially when you are under more pressure than usual with your exam on the horizon? Do you think it is clever to try this just because of the cameras? etc, etc, etc..."

The postscript to the piece was the anchor telling us that he had failed to stop smoking and was back to his habit with a vengance.

Surprise? I think not. He did everything wrong. He thought he knew better than the many brains that devised the nicotine replacement program. He didn't bother to ask for help and advice to smooth his path and help him cope with the inevitable stresses along the way. At the first sign of an impending problem he rushed off to get his cigarettes.

The bottom line? I think he didn't really want to quit. He was only doing it to get on TV and have his 5 minutes of fame. He though that quitting would be easy with his nicotine replacements stuck on his body.

I've known many people who smoke whilst applying patches. I've heard of people who try to smoke the patches. I had a close friend who gave up smoking and all was well until he had a close shave when his car narowly missed being in an accident. The first thing he did was to rush to the nearest tobacconist for a pack of cigarettes. It took him a long time to quit again - but he did. Because he really wanted to.

The thing is, to give up any habit is difficult. it takes an amazing amount of willpower. You have to start with the real desire to stop whatever it is you want to do - lose weight, give up smoking, eat more vegetables, cut out the chocolate!

You will not succeed if your heart isn't in it with you. This sailor was a prime example of his heart and mind not being on song with his aim.

The moral of the story is don't start down such a difficult road unless you really want to succeed and get as much help as you can along the way. You can do it. For your health's sake, you should do it.

The bottom line is that if you choose to start down a particular health route you really should listen to the experts for that route and not think you know better. By all means find out what the theory is and what you are trying to achieve. It seems that nowadays people think you can pick up a profession in a few short minutes and know more about it than a professional who has been in the job for thirty years.

Take advice but don't expect to succeed if you ignore it and go your own way.

Check out my site at http://www.healthexplored.co.uk or leave your thought here on the blog.

Wishing you the best of health.