There are two drugs that are very good for relieving depression. One is antidepressants given by your doctor. The other is cigarettes, not given by your doctor.

The vast majority of people on antidepressants have had unhappy events in their life that led to the depression. The antidepressants in this case are given as a help until time or effective methods like EFT free you from the depression.

If you are a smoker, chances are that when the going gets tough, cigarettes become an extension of the antidepressants. Perhaps you have tried to quit smoking and found it too nerve-wracking. You may have tried to substitute with herbal cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy. You may have tried hypnosis or relaxation therapy. Maybe you have even quit for a while, only to be dragged back when the stress of life just got too much.

It makes sense that if you smoke and are depressed, the best tactic is to deal with the depression first. Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, is very good for relieving depression. EFT has set many people worldwide totally free from depression and may be just what you need.

In an EFT treatment, your EFT Practitioner uses the combined power of acupuncture and some very clever psychology to relieve you of negative emotions. And you can rest assured that no needles are used. Instead, the acupuncture points are stimulated by gentle tapping. During the treatment sessions, you will have a clear measure of how the treatment is progressing, so that you can monitor your improvement.

When enough of the depression has been lifted, EFT can help you even further as an excellent method of giving up smoking. Your EFT Practitioner can then take you through the smoking cessation treatment. During the treatment sessions, your EFT Practitioner may actually put a cigarette in front of you and test the desire to smoke on a scale from 0 to 10. When this desire is at a constant zero level with many aspects of the smoking habit, and only then, will your EFT Practitioner will then be satisfied with the result. They can then give you nice affirmations to use as an empowering tool whenever you feel like enjoying the calming effect.

One day, you will notice a small space between the big grey clouds of depression, and from this shines the most amazing light that warms your heart and makes your very soul sing. You just need to look for it. And remember, if you have tried to give up smoking before and are still smoking, you have only been eliminating ways that didn't work so you can find the one that does.

Suzanne Zacharia

My name is Suzanne Zacharia and I am committed to spreading the word about health options. I believe that the more and better options one has, the more choice there is. A virus caught along with 5 other students at university at the end of 1986, plus medical negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at a relatively young age. In desperation for help with my symptoms and quality of life, I turned to complementary therapy, and this is the 10th year I have outlived one doctor's prognosis. I am now a complementary therapist, author and trainer specialising in "energy" therapy.