There are two parts to the smoking addiction. The first is the physical attachment that comes from the body’s craving for nicotine. Most people would think that this is the driving force behind being addicted to the smoking habit. In my experience with over 20 years of dealing with thousands of smokers I believe that the second part is the stronger. This is the emotional or mental attachment. When you first started to smoke your mind quickly associated some sort of pleasure attached to picking up a cigarette and smoking. Over a period of time it became an entrenched behaviour.
This behaviour then developed to be a release valve for tackling stress and anxiety. Have you ever noticed when smokers take their breaks during the day they generally stand outside the premises and light up a cigarette? If you examined this behaviour in detail over a period of time you would probably find the breaks occur at approximately the same time each day. In reality they are really using these breaks as an excuse to get away from the telephones or work situation. The mind has associated having a cigarette with some sort of relief. There is a feeling of pleasure attached to take a cigarette out of its pack and light it up.
During my sessions with smokers I always ask about the habit and when it occurs. Overwhelmingly the first cigarette is usually upon waking and after making their coffee or tea. They then sit outside on the veranda or balcony and have their smoke. If they drive to work they generally have another couple of cigarettes while stuck at traffic lights. Before entering the office or other workplace another cigarette is lit and so the pattern goes throughout the day. This behaviour is generally so entrenched that if the smoker has to break it for some reason they then experience some sort of stress. In their mind they are “dying for a smoke” and can’t settle down until they actually have one.
It has been noted that a mental attachment for cigarettes can go beyond just the habit. It can actually relate to a person’s thoughts whereby stories can be created in the mind. People can even dream of having a cigarette. Cigarettes and tobacco products become an integral part of a person’s life. So how do you stop this insidious addiction? Well it is extremely difficult to do on your own. Going cold turkey is generally not an option for most people. Pharmaceutical drugs have a very poor success rate and can cause some very serious mental problems with certain people. Nicotine replacements have a low success rate and when you think about it how can you stop a nicotine addiction by fueling it with nicotine?
So there is the challenge. What is the best way to help a person in this nicotine addiction? Hypnosis is by far the most successful method because it is one of the only therapies in the world that deals directly where the problems are and that is in the subconscious mind. You have to tackle a problem at its source. Hypnotherapy is a very relaxed and gentle therapy where a person experiences a daydream sensation. They don’t lose consciousness contrary to what is shown in the movies and what you may see on TV where hypnosis is used as entertainment to make people laugh. There are usually no withdrawal symptoms and people will not put on weight provided they eat healthy foods. The benefits in stopping smoking are numerous.
The only thing required to start the whole process heading in a successful conclusion is the person’s genuine desire to stop smoking. As long as they see a qualified, registered and highly experienced hypnotherapist then the journey to getting rid of this addiction can be commenced.
Call Barry Shirley now at Advanced Hypnotherapy for more information.