In my stop smoking practice, the first question I must ask any client in considering their suitability for treatment is why they wish to quit and do they actually want to be a non-smoker. This may sound like a rather obvious question but without thorough examination, the treatment may prove to be ineffective and thus a waste of time and money.
Hypnosis is a tool that we can use to communicate with the subconscious mind. Our subconscious is the part of our mind that controls habit and desire. The majority of people start smoking in their teens; an age where they are impressionable and more likely to persevere through the disgusting taste and difficulty of inhaling than those in their 20s, 30s, 40s and so on. Once learned, smoking then very quickly becomes a habit and is associated with everyday activities and routines. Once smoking has gone from a conscious decision to a subconscious habit, it becomes very difficult to break through willpower alone, as the subconscious now expects cigarettes at certain times and in certain situations. It is, however, very easy to break these habits and remove that subconscious expectation with hypnosis provided that the person wants to stop.
There are many reasons why one may wish to be a non-smoker. We all know that smoking can cause cancer and lung diseases, that it’s bad for your skin and teeth, can cause sleep issues and a lack of motivation. But for many, they still enjoy it. So how do you know if you’re ready to stop smoking with hypnotherapy? If you’ve tried quitting before and yet you still smoke now, then you’ve only been successful in becoming an ex-smoker – not a non-smoker. As a non-smoker, you would be able to continue on with your life, going to work, drinking and socialising with friends, going on holiday, relaxing at home, etc, without any sense of irritability, deprivation or a need to enhance your enjoyment with a cigarette. As long as you possess the desire to live your life in this way, then that is all we need. Of course you benefit from smoking at the moment. Cigarettes are your companion. Perhaps they give you an excuse to take time out when you’re bored or stressed. Perhaps they give you some confidence in social situations. Perhaps they help you to be more creative and focused. But had you never smoked, you would have found other more beneficial ways of passing time, socialising, dealing with stress, etc. The aim of the treatment is not to strip you of your crutch, but to enable you to be liberated from a habit that is based entirely on an old, out of date decision that you made many, many years ago. If you’re wanting to make a change for your own reasons, and you’re not doing it to please other people, then hypnotherapy can help you.
For information on our stop smoking treatment, please visit our dedicated quit smoking hypnosis site at www.londonstopsmoking.co.uk.
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