If you're reading this you probably already know that there are so many good reasons for giving up smoking .....BUT...

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• You keep putting it off?

• That New Year's Resolution never seems to work?

• You don't know how you'll cope with stress? 

• You don't know how you'll cope with cravings?

• You worry about missing out on fag breaks or not being able to enjoy a drink without one?

• It's just so ingrained in your everyday life?

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How does Hypnotherapy help you Stop Smoking?

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Logically, you know that, of course, you should give up smoking. You’ve possibly been meaning to quit for quite a while now.

 

And yet, there’s a less logical part of your mind that just keeps making you light up. Maybe it’s because it’s such an ingrained part of the everyday routine? Maybe it’s because it seems to help when you're stressed? Maybe it’s because there’s something about inhaling toxic smoke that still seems enjoyable?

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Hypnotherapy can take the stress out of stopping smoking by gently reaching and reasoning with that part of your mind so that it too wants to become smoke-free.

 

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So what’s it like to have hypnotherapy

for stopping smoking? 

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Though it can be quite profound and powerful, the experience of being in a hypnotic trance is no more mysterious than the mind-state you are in when you’re absorbed in a book, a film or a TV programme – except the story you’re focussing on is your own unique and fascinating mind.

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Contrary to popular myth, hypnotherapy is nothing like stage hypnosis. You will not be in someone else’s ‘power’ and you can open your eyes and come out of trance anytime you want to, just like you can when you’re watching TV.

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In fact, in many ways, hypnotherapy is the complete opposite to stage hypnosis, in that the therapist helps you to 'de-hypnotise' yourself from the triggers that make you want to smoke. Throughout hypnosis, you remain in control of your decisions, you can talk to your therapist and tell them if anything is worrying you or distracting your focus.

 

Q. Why isn't willpower enough on its own?

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A. Quick answer; It's not your fault - it's human evolutionary neurobiology's fault.

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You might be angry with yourself for not being strong enough to stop smoking by will power alone. But so much of the human mind isn’t logical, at least not in terms of the lives we lead today.

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  There are two main reasons quitting smoking with just             willpower is so hard.

 

1. Firstly, research shows that the effect nicotine has on our brain chemistry make it possibly the most addictive substance, on a par with heroin and crack cocaine when it comes to quitting. (The good news is that the biological withdrawal peaks then decreases quickly after 2 -3 days.)

2. Secondly, a smoker's subconscious holds strong emotional attachments and beliefs about smoking. (Emotional withdrawal is typically even harder and longer-lasting to deal with than biological withdrawal).

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Here's the science bit.

 

Studies have shown that typically people begin smoking in their teens or as young adults because they want to fit in with others. It's also a statement about taking control of their own lives. Such behaviour might be dismissed as stupid, but from an evolutionary neurobiology perspective it's completely understandable. 

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For most of human existence our fears of rejection have helped keep us safe by making us adopt behaviours that helped us fit in with our tribe. Not doing so was often life-threatening. 

 

Today, though the physical consequences of tribal rejection are unlikely to be extreme, we still feel the fear of not belonging almost as keenly, not just as teenagers but throughout our lives.

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A smoker's subconscious will have "good" reasons for smoking because it's trying to recapture the safety and comfort of that sense of belonging, identity and control. It genuinely believes that things will be better if you smoke and that it really does relieve stress and enhance everyday situations (e.g. fag breaks, a hot drink, a car journey, alcohol...) In many ways, this is only true because the subconscious believes it to be true.

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Even though, logically, you know this is unhealthy, money-wasting, life-limiting nonsense, science shows that your feelings are far, far, far more powerful than your logic. As humans, up to 80% of our decisions are emotional rather logical.

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This is why willpower or going cold turkey has been shown to be the least effective (and often most soul-destroying) way to quit – so don’t beat yourself up if it hasn’t worked for you. Research in the US shows that only 3% of smokers who try to quit on their own are successful.

 

Why does hypnotherapy

                   help with stopping smoking?

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Hypnotherapy takes the stress out of smoking cessation by getting your logical and emotional selves to want the same thing. i.e. to stop smoking. It has been shown to be ten times better than willpower and six times better than nicotine replacement therapy.

 

Hypnotherapy allows you to explore and understand your subconscious emotional attachments so you can gently set yourself free of them, re-educating your subconscious so it can truly believe how much HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, CLEANER AND BETTER life will be as a non-smoker.

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Hypnotherapy can also allow you to install a strong sense of disgust that will outweigh the short-term nicotine withdrawal of the first few days. ( My clients often say they barely notice nicotine withdrawal).

 

Stopping Smoking

          with Hypnotherapy for Brighton.

 

Every human mind is different and your reasons for wanting to smoke and wanting to stop will be specific to you. In many cases, people are not aware of these deep-rooted reasons until they come for hypnotherapy, which is one the things that make hypnotherapy so fascinating.

 

It’s a journey of self-discovery.

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  In my half-a-day to Become a Non-Smoker session            together we will:  

 

• Look at your triggers for smoking, and the why, when and where of how your habit is ingrained into your routines. We'll also discuss practical measures to address this.

• We'll look at the many, many many positives of giving up smoking, particularly those which mean the most to you.

• In hypnosis, we'll explore your subconscious beliefs about smoking and find ways to reframe them so that that 'emotional' part of your mind can feel how damaging it is and  wants to be become a non-smoker ASAP​.

• I'll also teach you some simple yet effective psychological techniques for dealing with nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings should they arise.

• I also offer a free follow-up session should you need it.

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Your mind  and the experiences that have shaped it are unique to you, as will be your reasons for starting and finally stopping smoking. The type of smoking cessation hypnotherapy I offer lets you explore that uniqueness and use it to set yourself free from a toxic, smelly, life-shortening habit.

 

If you'd like to find out more or make a booking, you can contact me for a free 30 minute phone consultation. We can talk things through and I can answer any questions you may have.

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Contact me right now because it's never too soon to become a non-smoker.

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Carol Bullock DipPHH MNCH (Reg.) RGN

www.hypnotherapyforbrighton.com       07748 165227

carol@hypnotherapyforbrighton.com