Presenter:
Hilary Tindle, MD
Objectives:
Participants
completing this presentation will be able
to:
- Integrate the evidence for mind body treatments that have been studied for nicotine dependence.
- Identify promising mind body therapies now being studied.
- Prescribe recommendations for patients.
Description: About 1 in 5 adults, or 44.5
million people in the US smoke, making nicotine dependence
by far our most prevalent substance use disorder. Smoking
is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and
mortality, accounting for more deaths than those
attributable to alcohol, other drugs, homicide, suicide,
motor vehicle accidents, and sexual behavior combined.
While the health benefits of quitting smoking are
substantial, smoking quit rates remain low, and less than
14% of quitting smokers are able to maintain abstinence for
even a single month. Quititing smoking is a major life
stressor resulting mood disturbance, cognitive and
psychomotor deficits, and sleep disturbance that can
persist for months.
The identification of novel mind body treatments that can
reduce the distress (psychological ills) and discomfort
(physical ills) of quitting smoking could encourage quit
attempts and increase cessation rates. Our aim is to
introduce, describe, and provide theoretical rationale for
a guided imagery intervention and a mindfulness-based
addiction therapy intervention for nicotine
dependence.