By CJ Puotinen

Tobacco chewing may not be as visible a habit as cigarette smoking, but it's just as addictive and harmful to health. As long-time chewers know, quitting requires effort, and tobacco is a difficult addiction to break.

But with the help of a do-it-yourself procedure called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), people around the world are reducing or eliminating their cravings for chewing tobacco, cigarettes, and other addictive substances.

Unlike will power, talk therapy, or prescription drugs, EFT treats cravings and addictions by addressing their underlying causes, especially emotions and beliefs that contribute to compulsive behaviors. It works by improving your body's flow of energy, using a simple fingertip tapping procedure that activates important acupuncture meridians on the face and torso.

Until recently, this procedure has been largely unknown among addiction specialists. As its use becomes more widely adopted, EFT is proving effective for not just tobacco but many types of addictions. The basics of EFT can be learned by anyone and take just a few minutes to perform.

Fred (whose name has been changed to protect his privacy) was a 40-year-old businessman who started chewing tobacco in college. He had become so good at hiding the "chew" that he could use it during business meetings and cocktail parties without anyone noticing. But the habit had enough disadvantages to inspire Fred to quit. Unfortunately, whenever he tried to stop, he couldn't--the cravings were too severe.

Finally, Fred turned to New York City therapist Carol Look, CHt, for help. (You can view Fred's complete story on the EFT Web site.)

"I began by asking Fred how high his current craving was on a scale of zero to 10," says Dr. Look. "After opening his tin of tobacco and smelling it, he said his current urge was about an 8."

Dr. Look demonstrated EFT and, within a few minutes of tapping, Fred's craving fell to a 2 or a 3. After the next round of tapping, the smell of tobacco so nauseated and repulsed him that his craving completely disappeared! Experienced EFT practitioners estimate that equally rapid craving reductions occur in 80 percent of cases.

Just because a craving goes away, however, doesn't mean it won't come back. To prevent that from happening, Dr. Look had Fred tap while exploring different aspects of his habit, such as his favorite time to chew (early in the morning with his coffee) and daily events that triggered his craving (getting together with friends after work and driving with his restless children in the car).

She also asked him to describe the benefits and disadvantages of his addiction and his beliefs about himself and tobacco. Fred said he felt rebellious when he chewed, he was afraid to give it up. He liked it because it made him feel strong and calmed him down, he disliked it because he was sick of the smell and was ashamed of being addicted. He liked it because he felt he needed to use something, the chewing kept him entertained when he was bored, and chewing helped him suppress uncomfortable feelings.

"We tapped for all of these," says Dr. Look, "and for the loss and sadness associated with giving up his long-term 'friend.' We continued to tap for any remaining feelings and fears about future urges, withdrawal feelings, not being able to chew when stressed out, and any other discomfort associated with quitting."

Nearly two years later, Dr. Look reported, "Fred has remained free of his chewing tobacco addiction for 21 months, although he continues to tap for emotional feelings and limiting beliefs that get in the way of his personal happiness. He finds that EFT gives him great clarity of thought and direction in addition to calming him down.

It is important to note that Fred has weathered extremely stressful times over the past year that would have normally triggered a relapse had his deep anxiety and grief not been neutralized with EFT. His year-long unemployment caused deep marital conflict, and his father died after a battle with cancer. Despite these enormous losses and stressful times, Fred has not needed to tap for any urges to resume chewing tobacco. Those have permanently disappeared."

Please note that in addition to eliminating addictions, EFT has been a consistently effective healing tool for hundreds of other physical, mental and emotional ailments. For more information, you can explore the EFT Web site and the numerous success stories regarding fears, phobias, emotional traumas and physical ailments. 

While a complete description of EFT is beyond the scope of this article, you can learn all the basics from the free EFT Get Started Package, including a free download of the 79-page EFT Manual. Those wishing to save time and dive right in can get the affordable five-star training DVDs.

Please consult qualified health professionals before putting EFT into practice for yourself or others.