Using PocDoc to quit smoking
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by Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schmid, Universitaet Flensburg, Deutschland


Some of the best programs for the PSION S3/S3a palmtop computers are found on
the PALMTOP Forum in CompuServe (PSION Files) and are written by Berthold Daum.
One of these is PocDoc, a program that can help you quit smoking. Many heavy
smokers make the "mistake" of deciding to quit smoking all at once. 
Indeed, some people are so strong-willed, they actually
succeed. But I did never plan to give up smoking that way. Why not? Because
smoking is a habit, built up gradually over a considerable time and therefore 
actually a form of learned behaviour. 

However, our brain doesn't like to disrupt long-term learning processes. It
takes revenge for such rudeness by organising various types of compensations. 
If that strategy is not successful, the brain retaliates: we become depressive. 
This depression may have precisely the wrong effect - we start smoking again!
To avoid the establishment of compensational habits it is much better to UNLEARN 
an unwanted behaviour. 
That is were PocDoc can help. I used PocDoc as a terapeutic aid not only for myself, 
but also for others, and not only for nicotine addicts.

The best neuro-physiological way of unlearning has a soft and a hard path.

The soft path is for all those who complain about their smoking habits but do
not intend to stop smoking. For them the best way is to define a 'Cigarettes' diary 
in PocDoc and to enter the number of cigarettes smoked per day. 
Soon they will see a reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked. Why? 
The PocDoc curves act as a mirror and visualise what is otherwise repressed.

The hard path is for all who seriously want to stop smoking.
Step 1: Define a PocDoc-diary with an appropriate title.
Step 2: When you are ready to start, smoke as many cigarettes as possible and
enter the number into PocDoc.
Step 3: Then stop smoking until the wish to smoke again becomes really strong.
Again smoke as many cigarettes as possible and enter the number into PocDoc.
Step 4: as for step 2, and so on.

You will see that your body is gradually weaned from nicotin.
During the first days and up to two weeks it may be beneficial to support the process
with a very light dose of valerian. Two capsules every three or four hours
should be sufficient. (Just set up a second diary in PocDoc to control the
valerian intake.)
That's all there is to it! Unlearning is no harder than learning!

This unlearning program is based on behavioural research. If you have questions,
please contact me via CompuServe, 100327,531.
By the way, we plan to use PocDoc next semester for memory training.

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