Prayer For Help With My Smoking Addiction

Prayers for Addictions

This “Prayers for Addictions” page

is written

to help and encourage those

who are fighting an addiction battle.

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We have several prayers

including an audio prayer.

~ ~ ~

Before we share the prayers on this page,

we first want to share the other pages

that we have on this topic.

Prayer

POWERFUL Addiction PRAYER

Prayer

Prayer for Yielding to God and following him more closely

For tips on Conquering Addiction:

“How to Stop Drinking and other addicitions”

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For more Power Prayer:

Addiction Spiritual Warfare Prayer

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For Addiction to Pornography go to our page: 

Get Free from Pornography

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For Becoming a VICTORIOUS CHAMPION

Champions for Christ!

Prayer for Help

Dear God,

Help me.

You know what I crave.

You know my struggles.

I call out to you.

You have all the answers on how to be free.

Cleanse my thoughts and cleanse my body.

Renew my mind as I read your Word.

Guide me through this valley to a place of victory.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Copyright © 2015 Beth McLendon of Inspirational-Prayers.com

Next we are going to present an

audio

Addiction Prayer from Ora Mosley.

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Prayer for Tobacco and other Addictions

Next, we present to you the following devotional-prayer.

It is specifically written for a

Copenhagen tobacco addiction.

Nevertheless, you can use it to fashion a prayer

that meets your specific need.

 Every heartfelt prayer

is a welcome prayer to the Lord.

Friend and Enemy

Oh,what a friend I have in you my dear Copenhagen; you've always been very closeto my heart.

Thrugood times and the bad, you've never abandoned me. I've entirely depended onyou thru the most horrific times of my life. You truly have been my bestfriend. You have always sought me and wrapped your arms around me. You haveplanted seeds of desire for you; how great are thou.

Ihave protected you from wicked people who have talked poorly of you. I have hiddenyou and justified our close nit relationship. How dare someone talk badly aboutmy best friend….you can't be the sin everyone is saying. You must love me….and never would you mean to bring harm to me. You've been a great and powerfulforce in my life.

   Mydearest friend Copenhagen,my newest friend, Jesus Christ,

has convicted myheart about you.

Youhave attacked my integrity, my faith, and my direction toward the Lord.

Youhave warped my mind and now I must rewire my thinking. You have also attackedmy lovely wife with lies and deception.

You'rethe same snake that deceived Eve in the Holy Garden. You are the Prince of theEarth, but no longer the reigning source of my heart, mind, and soul. In thename of Jesus Christ, I release you into the hands of the Father; may his willbe done.

I plead the blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth over my wife, family,and me. I demand you to leave with your lies and deception immediately! I'm anew being in Christ, and I firmly stand on this from this day forward.

Amen

Copyright © 2008 Tim Miller
Used by permission

Power Proclamations

I encourage you to say these often:

I will dwell on the good, godly things
that God puts into my life.

I will satisfy myself with the good, godly things
that God putsinto my life.

Note: We also invite you to the “very” bottom of the page
to read a Food Addiction Prayer
written by a visitor to this site.

And :

We invite you to the bottom of the page
to read several new addiction prayers
from another visitor to this site.

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Please consider writing your own original prayer for addiction
and sending it to us on the form below.

~

We all need each other.

We also suggest that you look through our Full Armor of God pages.

Those pages are designed to add strength to our life.

Here is an example:

The Shield of Faith

They are all posted on our Bible Devotions page.

Prayers for Addictions

Scripture

“Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me.” Psalm 69:1-2 NLT

“O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me and set me free.

Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors.

O Lord, you alone are my hope.” Psalm 71:1-5a NLT

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Please share your thoughts.

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page…

Rescue from the leavened quicksand 
Heavenly Father; I cry out to you to help me … for I am sinking fast into the leavened quicksand. Addiction is pulling me into the deep darkness of despair …

My God is able 
I pray for the addicts, I pray for the children in the cross fire, I once was lost, (life of an addict) but now I am found. I ask this for my son. …

Trusting in YOU L-RD 
Yahweh Rophe Only YOU can change the path of my son. I repent for the days of his childhood when I failed him because of my addiction to alcohol. I feel …

Addict for too long 
I need you father god , addiction to drugs has left me alone , I need you for you are the only one who really knows me, and has never left my side , I …

One More 
Take one if you will and slip away another day. A day used someone else walked, yours gone you just talked Not to add but …

I have a sex addiction 
Pray for me that I loose the desire to just have sex with anybody it could be a stranger and I don't care I just want to have sex. I meet people off line …

Forgive him bring him your light 
Pray fir my lost soul son who is wrapped up in drinking, drugs, smoking. He is depressed. Suffers form sleep path era and wastes his money on indulgences. …

hold on 
Dear lord please help me hold on I am tired and I can't be strong. My life is crumbling from the inside out. I am worthy of your love I have no doubt. …

Broken 
My child don't you know how it makes my heart grieve To see you struggling so just to believe? Don't you know that I love you – that my heart breaks …

How Do I…. 
How do I let go of all of my grief? How do I turn to You and completely believe? How do I let go and hand You my fear? How do I trust You with …

Look To Me 
Look to me my child when you're down and out. Hit your knees and call my name when you're full of doubt. Lift your heart and your eyes to the heavens …

Unworthy 
Unworthy of You, Your grace and Your love. Unworthy of Your Son sent from above. Unworthy to even utter Your name. I'm just a lowly sinner …

The Devil is Calling 
The devil is calling; please help me be strong. For what he is asking my heart knows is wrong. He plays on my fears as he calls out my name. But …

I need help from addiction 
PLS pray for me to be forever free

desperate 
She wrote: I am in a world wind of darkness. I can't break the addiction of drinking, my finances are getting worse. I need to find a job or I will loose …

Prayer for Food Addiction 
Dear Heavenly Father, You alone, know ALL my needs, and all my body's needs, having created it. Food has been my “comforter” for wayyyy too long. …

Click here to write your own.

Back to the top of Prayers for Addictions

Источник: //www.inspirational-prayers.com/Prayers-for-addictions.html

Best Home Remedies to Quit Smoking

As more people become aware of the dangers tobacco products present to human health, the demand for smoking cessation aids continues to increase at a rapid pace. While many pharmaceutical remedies are effective, they can become rather expensive for those who are living on a budget.

Luckily there are some remedies which may be done at home for little cost, often using items you already have, or ones you can find easily at the store.

Water

Part of the reason that nicotine is so addictive and so hard to get rid of is because it permeates your body as a toxin. It gets into your system and is very hard to get out. But water is a natural detoxifier. It will purge your system better than just about anything. And your body needs water to counteract many of the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.

The water helps you heal and it enables you recover from smoking while you are trying to quit. As you abandon your regular smoking habits your body will heal on its own and start to detoxify, but water gives it an extra boost, and it speeds up the process, helping you fight your addictions that much more.

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Ginger

As your try to quit smoking, you will ly start to feel nauseous. This is one of the most common symptoms people experience when they try to quit. To combat that nausea, you can take ginger, either in tablets, capsules or as a tea. It will calm your stomach and help you overcome the nausea. And it might keep you from being tempted to go back to the cigarettes for relief.

Vitamins

As you fight the toxins in your body, you may feel you need some help.

Multivitamins, especially those containing Vitamins A, C, and E are excellent for repairing your body and giving it the essential nutrients it needs to expel toxins.

What you are looking for as you combat your addiction is something that can ease the withdrawal symptoms and make you better able to handle your cravings. Vitamins reenergize your system and give you the strength to fight back.

Ginseng

If you want to combat the cravings specifically, then ginseng may be the key. You can use about a spoonful of ginseng powder and add it to your juices, cereal, oatmeal or soup. It is best to take it during the morning. That way it can fight your cravings all day. If you find that it is not enough for your cravings, then you can increase your dosage or take it more frequently.

You may already be taking ginseng if you take a multivitamin, so look at what your vitamins have to see if you really need to take ginseng in addition.

Grape Juice

The biggest part of conquering your addiction and the symptoms of withdrawal is to get the toxins your body. Nicotine is one of those toxins, and once it is out, you should not experience any more cravings or withdrawal symptoms.

Increasing your water intake is a great way to do so, but you can fight even harder by drinking grape juice daily. The acids in the juice are natural detoxifiers and they will rejuvenate your system and cleanse out the toxins faster.

It is the toxins that are causing you to feel cravings and that keep your energy levels down. By using detoxifiers you can boost your energy levels and start to feel better much faster.

Aromatherapy

Though essential oils are probably not going to help you kick the smoking habit, they can help you beat the stress that could end up putting a cigarette back into your hands. Oils from lavender, tea tree and rosemary have been shown to increase mood scores and reduced stress in recent studies.

Fruits and Vegetables

The fiber in fruit and vegetables will make you feel full and for longer. Sometimes hunger can be mistaken for the urge to smoke. Cutting down hunger could lead to fewer cravings for a cigarette.
Beans and grains are a great way to add a lot of filling fiber to your diet. Fruit bananas and apples are very good to help keep you feeling full.

While the concept of detoxifying your body using herbs and tonics is debatable, the body does do a good job of detoxifying itself. There are things you can do to help this process move along more swiftly.

Drinking enough water is one of the best ways to help your body detoxify itself. Your body is made mostly of water, and most people do not drink nearly enough. When you give up cigarettes, make sure you are drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water per day. You can also drink half your bodyweight in ounces per day as well, if that helps you remember more easily.

The nicotine in tobacco products is what makes them so addicting. When you give up smoking cold turkey, you may suffer from some major withdrawal symptoms ranging from nausea to irritability to jitters.

One way to ensure you don’t give in to the urge, is to distract yourself from your cravings. This may mean something different for different people.

For instance, you might engage in one of your favorite hobbies so as to not think about smoking. Some find success with chewing gum whenever they feel the urge to smoke, according to WebMD.

In some cases the action of chewing on something, such as gum or food, eases the cravings.

Some smokers find that all they need is a little incentive to stop smoking. WebMD mentions a smoker whose family member offered money for each day she didn’t smoke a cigarette. For others, just thinking about what could be purchased using money formerly spent on cigarettes is enough to encourage them to quit.

Make a list of some things you have wanted to purchase but haven’t. Determine how long you will have to go without smoking to save the money you need to make your purchase. Another incentive is taking a trip. Determine how many packs of cigarettes it will cost to take this trip, and begin right away.

Having something to look forward to and having a more concrete goal just might make the process that much easier.

Источник: //vapingdaily.com/quit-smoking/home-remedies-to-quit-smoking/

Quit smoking prayer

Smoking is a bad habit. Moreover, it is a dangerous one and not so many people take this into consideration when they start smoking. A Prayer to quit smoking is something that every smoker needs.

 Some people consider that smoking is something fancy.

Some people are addicted to that gesture they make when they pick the cigarette from the pack, they click the lighter, inhale the first smoke and then feel a peaceful state of mind.

What is the prayer to quit smoking?

Maybe you’re asking why I started this article. Why am I talking about something this? Do I have any experience with this habit? Yes. I had. And now my life is more beautiful than it was when I was a smoker. Only the prayer to quit smoking helped me.

Maybe you will want to read a specific prayer, then I am sorry because I don’t have something dedicated to smoking. I have real stories and tips to teach you how to ask God for help using a prayer to quit smoking cigarettes, this bad and dangerous habit.

So indeed, there is no formula for this prayer for quitting smoking. You only need a strong will and courage, wisdom and a strong relationship with yourself.

I won’t tell you that in this article you will find the secret prayer to stop smoking, but you will see how to pray, how to live with the absence of this habit and how to manage the hard times that come after you stop smoking.

Why do you need a prayer to stop smoking cigarettes?

1 – Your heart will be strengthened, your breathing capacity will increase;

2 – Your immune response to colds will increase;

3 – You will be more productive in every task you have, whether we speak about housework or your job;

4 – You will be a good example to your children;

5 – Morning cough will disappear;

6 – Your blood pressure will be lowered;

7 – You will have more energy.

7 Bible verses about quitting smoking

1 – Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

2 – Ephesians 4:22 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”

3 – Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

5 – 1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”

6 – 1 Corinthians 10:23 “I have the right to do anything, you say–but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything–but not everything is constructive.”

7 – Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Each Bible verse about quitting smoking speaks, in fact, about the strong will you must have to quit this bad habit. Each bible verse about quitting smoking means prayers to overcome addiction.

When there is addiction in your life, it means that you are not a free human being. You need to be free, you need to see the light of freedom, and you have to start with your way of thinking.

Think positive! The most powerful prayer against addiction comes from your strong will to stop smoking cigarettes.

There are so many prayers to overcome addiction, and in fact you do not need to look for a specific one. But you can use the Serenity Prayer as help because its powers are beneficial for those who want to be clean again, with no addiction and no bad habits.

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Take your time. Every day. You need time to understand that with wisdom and courage you can overcome the addiction.

What happens when I say a quit smoking prayer?

When you start to pray to quit smoking, you call your Guardian Angel to help you. Your Guardian Angel will listen to you and will give you the wisdom to become a non-smoker again. But this can’t happen overnight, so you must be patient and you must believe in yourself.

Which quit smoking prayer should we use?

First of all, you must know that changing a bad habit comprises three steps:

1 – The phase where you become conscious about how much damage it can cause. If we talk about smoking we should think about: heart attack, lung cancer, infertility, and so on.

2 – The phase where you really regret what your bad habit caused you until that moment.

3 – The phase where you embrace a good habit and see its benefits.

How to pray to stop smoking cigarettes?

I have heard this question many times, so let’s see how to do this.

First of all, you need to enter into a state of calmness and relaxation. Sit down, or kneel, do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Then, quietly, start a prayer to quit smoking.

You can use the serenity prayer full version or bible verses about quitting smoking.

You can simply choose the words that describe your state of mind and your strong will to overcome the addiction and that could be all the prayer.

The most important thing is to be sincere in your prayer. Your Guardian Angel is there for you, close to you, listening to you.

Secondly, you must use your imagination to see how dangerous this smoking habit is. Do you what you see? I bet that “no” is your answer. This is good because you can see the many reasons why you need to quit smoking and how a quit smoking prayer can help you.

Third, you must use your imagination again, but this time you have to see how sad and miserable your life will be if you don’t quit smoking. Multiply what you saw in the second phase, and you will see how your life will be if you continue to smoke.

Have faith and make a good change in your life.

Discover some more prayers from Padre:

• PRAYER TO DISCOVER FORTUNE

• SERENITY PRAYER – FULL VERSION, 7 BENEFITS AND ITS HISTORY

www.guardian-angel-reading.com

Does prayer help to quit smoking?

Prayer, and generally, religion is sometimes an important part of psychotherapy.

“Does prayer help to quit smoking?” – so I asked at the last meeting of the group quitting smoking. The group took place in an ultra-Orthodox village in the mountains of Shomron (Samaria).

– “No, it does not help”

– “It helps, – I уже не курю two weeks”

– “Helps, but I did not help all those years that I smoked”

– “My daughter prays for me – I asked her: pray for your dad to quit smoking! And she has been praying for two years. Now she will be surprised now that everything turned out! “

I: “You really excuse me, guys, but it seems to me that praying is not easy, it’s worth it to learn! Even though the Jews seem to be able to pray, there is such a prayer that is accepted and there is one that is not accepted. “

– “And what’s here, I just say to Him:” Father, help me “! – that’s all”.

I: “That, of course, is correct, but Rambam, for example, would not stop there.”

Job

I’m trying to explain how it works, so it works out. I begin by commenting on the book of Job: “You know, Job was a righteous man, and he prayed to God and offered sacrifices of gratitude, and with all this he received a” personal Holakost. ” Everything and everything in his family died, in addition, he fell ill with leprosy.

And so, three friends came to him, and they began to “calm him,” in general: “Do not worry, it’s all true, as if you did something very bad, so you were punished.” There is a long argument in which Job disagrees with this statement.

Ultimately, the conclusion of the book is that the only good thing in this world is a connection with God, it’s prayer / prophecy, not its material result. “

What is real prayer?

True prayer – without words, it is called “Standing” – when a person simply stands before God. It is in “full self-awareness.” It is the realization of one’s place in the world among other people and the mission, as well as everything else: His strengths and weaknesses, his memories, his pain and hope.

Such a metaphor: in real prayer, a person as it were rises up on a plate everything that he is, including his fate and his requests. Requests are not a utilitarian method of obtaining the desired, but a part of awareness of oneself, of realizing one’s “Disadvantage.” There is a wordless conversation between Man and God – about Man.

Spiritual freedom – when a person does not need anything from outside, all the most important comes for him from the silent depths of his heart.

AA and Prayer

-“AT twelve steps is there something a prayer? “

I: “Yes, this is called a prayer of tranquility. God, give me the strength to change what I can change, accept what I can accept and the mind to distinguish between them. This is prayer in words, but these words mean that man is not God. Man does not control everything. Dependence is a dream of total control over oneself and life.

You see, in this prayer the person focuses on the different sides of himself. Many words are more than one word. Silence describes everything most fully. “Silence about yourself” does not miss anything. It is the acceptance of something that is difficult to express in words.

In man, there is a black mark from the beginning – that he “can not change” and must accept, for example, his impotence before a drug if he tries “smoke a little”Or to drink” just a glass “. Most people have dependence on something: from other people, from food, from work, from what it is difficult for them to part with.

This is a property of the material world, a universal property of our thinking.

To get rid of dependencies is to get rid of the fascination with the material world. This is a rejection of light decisions, from super-control, from immediate satisfaction. It is very difficult. Nevertheless, this is inherent in our human nature, because there are not a few people who are freed from addictions. Among them, many are far from the Spirit, who lives in their souls “incognito”.

en.bilchinsky.com

When I first returned to Christ in 2000, I was homeless for the second time. Had my baby girl with me and my 2 sons had to remain with their dad. I was bouncing around from place to place but kept visiting the church.

This Pastor was different from some of the other Christians i had known as young girl. The Pastor did not preach hell to me because I was smoking cigarettes and wearing pants. He was kind and led by the Holy Spirit. He prayed for me and tried to help me.

As time went by I watched how he laid hands on people and they would drop. So, I wondered why I never fell and wanted to experience it. I had been a smoker for 17 years at that time and desperately wanted to quit, I think. Sometimes could not breathe most of the time. Also, I was constantly rushed to the E.R. with asthma also.I was a mess physically, but spiritually I knew that I had to quit smoking. Because I wanted the spiritual gifts God had for me. I smoked about two packs a day but slowly began to cut down. In addition, I would keep track by writing the number of cigarettes I smoked on the box.  Gradually, I began to smoke 2-3 times the same cigarette.

I constantly cried to the Lord to help me quit smoking.  At times, I would get angry and throw them out then minutes later nose dive into the trash for them. The Pastor prayed and encouraged me while allowing the Holy Spirit to do its work. However, I tried for three years to quit smoking then one day it happened.

The Moment I finally Quit Smoking

As I sat in church and listened to the preacher while thinking about a smoke, he called me up. I went up thinking it’s just another prayer when he said “there is something binding you and not letting you receive your blessing”.

He was a preacher from another country and did not know me but God did.  The Pastor told me to lift my hands and asked everyone to stand. He told them to yell Out! on the count of three. 1..2..3.. Out! and I dropped. They yelled again and the Holy Spirit took over and shook me. I was on the ground for about 15 minutes.

I felt nauseous when I got up. When the service was over I walked out and threw my cigarettes out. Liberated for thirteen years now. I have my apartment and my kids which are now men and my 2 daughters.  Thanks to God, I am blessed to have walked into a church where the Holy Spirit is the guide. Praise The Lord!
Philippians 4:13 ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

It says ALL not some Hallelujah! God bless you all

Related Prayers and Articles On quitting smoking

Prayer for Deliverance

Prayer Request for Myself, Friends and Family

testifyforchrist.com

Источник: //4prayertoday.com/quit-smoking-prayer/

AA and The Alcoholic Anonymous Serenity Prayer

The simple AA Prayer of Serenity helps recovering alcoholics find courage, stay sober & support fellow alcoholics in their struggle against alcohol.

The Serenity Prayer has been part of regular AA meetings for many years, and is a great help for many alcoholics.

Some people might say, ‘Why pray?’  The answer is simple – it’s a good prayer – it’s a prayer that works: a belief in the power of prayer to God or Jesus for healing and recovery, has been one of ways that AA and NA have inspired thousands of desperate people to restore hope in their ability to withstand the cravings of their addiction. Alcoholics around the world need a prayer for help when they are fighting against temptation. The Serenity Prayer is the short prayer that they frequently turn to. For many recovering alcoholics, the Serenity Prayer is a daily prayer – because cravings and temptation have to be faced and overcome, every day of an alcoholic’s life. There are no ‘days off’ for an alcoholic.

God, give us grace to accept with serenityThe things that cannot be changed,Courage to change the thingswhich should be changed,and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,Enjoying one moment at a time,Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,Taking, as Jesus did,This sinful world as it is,Not as I would have it,Trusting that You will make all things right,If I surrender to Your will,So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

The version above, is a translation of the original untitled prayer, written down by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in 1943, although there were oral versions of the Serenity Prayer in circulation, before that time.

There are several different variations of the Prayer of Serenity, but they are all the above text.

Alternative Versions of the Serenity Prayer

There is a popular shorter version of this powerful prayer of healing:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

Some version of the AA Prayer of Serenity has become a regular part of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, as well as NA meetings and other Addict Support groups.  It forms part of 12 Step Programs in most places around the world.  It is sometimes known as The Meeting Prayer.

Praying for serenity follows this, but it’s a specific sort of serenity – serenity in the face of accepting things as they really are – life and reality as it really is, not as we would it to be – or how we kid ourselves that it is.  Failure to accept ‘real’ reality about ourselves, and what we do, is really a demonstration of our ability to use denial to avoid making difficult decisions to change.

Denial vs Acceptance of Reality

Everybody uses denial to some degree – it’s normal.  Denial protects our inner selves from facts that we feel we cannot accept…or cannot accept, yet. It’s a defence mechanism that can be useful in some circumstances.  For example, it can be useful if we are not yet ‘ready’ to face some ‘awful truth’ – whatever it is that we feel is an ‘awful truth’.

Denial allows us time to adjust to the new reality.  It could be an unexpected diagnosis of cancer, or it could be the fact that our drinking, or drug taking, has taken over our lives, and we have become powerless to control our cravings.

The value of denial in some circumstances is that it buys us time to adjust to new, and difficult information.  But difficult facts are still facts. They are not going to go away, even if we deny them.  We all have to face the truth in the end, no matter how difficult that might be.

If we continue to ‘protect’ ourselves through using denial of reality, it becomes counter-productive, because it is not a useful coping mechanism any longer – it is only delaying the inevitable. If it continues too long, denial becomes only ‘wishful thinking’.

For someone with an addiction, it is always better to stop using that safety net of denial sooner, rather than later – before lasting damage is done

Denial of reality is one of the major barriers to recovery.  This Alcoholic’s Prayer strikes at the places where addicts of all types to hide – where they feel ‘comfortable’ – where life seems to be easier. That is an illusion. That ‘more comfortable’ place is also the place that is destroying their lives, and the lives of their families.

It’s a tough prayer!

The Serenity Prayer is very effective for AA and NA members, exactly because it speaks the ‘truth’ about what needs to be done – and alcoholics and addicts all know this, deep down.  William Shakespeare understood the importance of being truly honest with yourself:

“To thine own self be true”

That’s always a tough thing to do, but being true to yourself, and refusing to accept who and what you have become, is even harder for anyone with an addiction.  Being totally honest with yourself, takes a huge amount of courage, and this Serenity Prayer has helped many alcoholics to admit to things as they really are – even when those things are not easy to admit, accept or live with.

Along with serenity and acceptance,  alcoholics and addicts then need to find the courage to stay strong and resist the temptation to fall back into addiction.  The Serenity Prayer has saved many people from relapsing when some extra crisis hits, and they want to return to the ‘comfort’ of their addiction.

The strength and courage that is given and received from fellow members at A A is one of the most important factors that help members of Alcoholics Anonymous to stay strong during a crisis.  If you have an addiction, every day can be a day of crisis.

  It’s a prayer that can ‘be there’ for recovering addicts – or anyone – whenever they need it.

Here is another Alcoholic’s Prayer written by Irene Palmer Costigan, in 1976.  It expresses similar thoughts to the original AA Serenity Prayer:

   Alcoholic Prayer

Oh Lord, Watch over this Alcoholic.Be Thou my Higher Power as I strive toward recovery.

Permit me to lean on You for strength and guidance.

Grant that I may become totally honest about my problem.Touch my soul and spark my spirit into awareness, Lord,

That I may see the value of a sober life.

Show me the glory of the Dawn and a new day
And the reward of a Sunset and a day well lived.

Help me to deal with resentments, Lord, the real curse of the Alcoholic.Take from me all hatred, anger and willfulness

And persuade me to work toward emotional health and maturity.

In Thy mercy, Lord, see fit to remove my cravings
For that which will destroy me – alcohol.

Keep me ever mindful that alone,I am unable to maintain a happy sobriety.Bring me ever closer to You,

And those who will help me along the way.

Most of all, prompt me to extend my handTo the Alcoholic who still suffers,So that through him or her,I may find You, and continue sobriety.

AMEN

Источник: //addictionrehabnow.com/aa-alcoholic-anonymous-serenity-prayer/

I Spent a Month Trying to Quit Smoking With Alternative Therapies

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This month I'll have been smoking for nine years. My experiences trying to ditch cigs—with Nicabate, Champix, and a few cold turkey attempts—have always ended with me feeling sick and giving up. For a long time it's seemed I'm condemned to addiction.

That's because quitting is really hard. Although most smokers plan to quit, the numbers suggest few actually pull it off: One study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that while 77 percent of smokers intended to change their behaviour, only 19 percent managed to quit longer than a month.

After looking at my track record (basically just a history of me quitting quitting) I decided it was time to try something different. The internet offered me thousands of alternative solutions, but only four seemed even remotely plausible: the aversion method, acupuncture, natural remedies, and hypnotherapy.

So I lunged my last dart, told my dad I was quitting for good, and gave myself a month to try and make it stick. Every week I'd try a different alternative remedy until I found something that worked. Because something had to, right?

Week One: Making Myself Hate Cigarettes By Chain Smoking

Aversion therapy meant smoking three cigarettes in a row every time I smoked, totalling at least 25 a day. Image by Mitch Pinney.

The idea behind aversion therapy is simple: Link a negative response to a habit you're trying to break and, in turn, you'll never want to do it again. Research has shown that aversion therapy's effectiveness is unreliable. However, the idea of chain smoking three cigarettes at a time, at least 25 darts a day, sounded it might just do the trick.

All I can say is that smoking this much fucking sucked. I'm aware that's the point of aversion therapy, but still, it was a disgusting and ineffective way to quit. By the end of the week, I genuinely felt poisoned—mind and body.

My sense is that even if you were to try to aversion approach for longer than a week, you wouldn't actually quit. You'd just become a heavier smoker.

The verdict: 1/10

I was told acupuncture would help relieve the stress of quitting. Image by Emilie Kilvington.

Week Two: Distracting Myself From Cigarettes With Needles

Acupuncture works on the belief that certain points of the body are related to certain feelings. So putting a needle in these spots should relieve some pressures and negative emotions. There's research to suggest it can even reduce your desire to smoke.

I booked in for three hour-long sessions of acupuncture with Renee Knott, specially designed to stop nicotine cravings. We started each one by measuring my pulse, before inserting needles in my ears, wrist, forehead and feet—all, Renee told me, are major spots for addiction and stress. The session would finish with meditation and a massage.

The meditation and massage were actually the most relaxing part. Image by Emilie Kilvington.

For me, acupuncture felt effective because I was replacing cigarettes with an entirely new experience. It wasn't much about the actual needles, but rather the whole process of relaxing.

I found looking forward to my next session, or trying Renee's techniques that made me feel I didn't need to smoke as much, especially for stress. Although I still smoked during this week, I felt guilty every time I did, and ended up cutting down from 15 to about five a day.

The verdict: 7/10

My natural remedies: herbal cigarettes, lime juice, black pepper oil, St John's wort, and passionflower tea. Image by Mitch Pinney.

Week Three: Trying to Suppress My Cravings By Downing “Natural Remedies”

While it all might seem a bit airy-fairy, there's scientific evidence to suggest some herbs and oils operate in the same way as Nicabate, meaning they suppress your nicotine cravings and replace cigarettes with something less harmful.

Thai researchers have reported that drinking fresh lime juice can be nearly as effective as medication, while a US study found black pepper essential oil and passionflower tea can reduce nicotine cravings. St John's wort can help with stress and anxiety—a common side effect from quitting. And herbal cigarettes are just something you can smoke that aren't addictive.

Despite being hopeful, I found none of these stopped my cravings nearly as much as medication had in the past. Maybe getting teased by co-workers for sniffing black pepper oil put me off, but most ly it just doesn't work. Either way, realistically you should just get your medicine from a doctor instead of putting it all through the Coles self-checkout as “carrots.”

Nope. Image by Mitch Pinney.

Also herbal cigarettes taste shit.

The verdict: 3/10

Week Four: Trying To Hypnotise Myself A Bad Habit

Hypnotherapy was completely different to what I expected. Before my session with hypnotherapist Laura Masi, I went through a week-long “pre-therapy” which involved meditating for 20 minutes every day. I also had to write down every time I smoked and why. At the time, I remember feeling this was going to be bullshit.

A podcast Laura got me to listen to every day before my hypnotherapy session. Image by author

During the actual hypnosis session, Laura put me under and told me a bunch of nice things: I have the power to quit, I'm not a slave to my addiction etc. She also made me verbalise why I smoke and what “parts of me” let that happen.

In my previous attempts to quit, relapsing felt inevitable. But after this I had this newfound sense of confidence. I recall Laura saying when I was under, “Whether you quit today, or in the future—you will quit.

” I'm aware it all sounds tacky, but that's where I see the real merit in hypnotherapy. Un other therapies, where you are reliant on a substance to quit, with hypnotherapy the responsibility is on you.

The verdict: 8/10

Image by Mitch Pinney.

Quitting smoking is no mean feat, especially when you've been doing it for nearly half your life. It'd be easy to dismiss these therapies as failures, but I think that would be unfair. What I gained was a lesson in dedication.

The reality is you can quit in the way that works for you, but it's going to take more than lime juice or needles. You actually need the confidence to quit, and to keep trying if you fail. The reality is that right now I just don't want to quit enough.

I'm aware that many wait their whole lives for a bolt of inspiration, only to find it in the form of an inoperable stage IV tumour.

But that's the problem with smoking: it's just so comforting that the threat of cancer makes me want to calm down with a dart.

It's hard to say when I'll quit, but this has shown me that I can and someday will. My history might show otherwise, but I'm more prepared and confident than in the past. It's just going to take a few more attempts and less Champion Ruby.

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Источник: //www.vice.com/en_au/article/ppvyk9/do-new-age-remedies-actually-help-you-quit-smoking