Breaking the chains and Quitting Smoking

We all know the benefits of quitting smoking. The increased energy, the return of the sense of smell and taste, living longer. Most people who smoke want to give up and many of them have tried different ways like the patches or chewing gum. Yet, it hasn't worked because it can be really difficult.

We need to recognise that quitting smoking can be a really hard thing to do and there are many dimensions to quitting. It's an inner game and an outer game that we're playing that starts on the inside.

You need to want it and that part of you wanting it has to be biggest of you!

As I've worked for many years with addictions, I started to recognise patterns and certain traits in clients that helped me observe a lot.

They were in the best place to change their habits and life. It was really simple. They weren't trying to do it for anyone else (their partners or family members) but simply for themselves. It was the simple difference between: “My wife wants me stop smoking as she is scared for me”

and “I'm stopping smoking because my wife said she's scared and that made me think about what I was doing”.

When the latter realisation rises, it is the perfect place for Clinical Hypnosis to work perfectly. Why? Because it works with the unconscious part of you that want to stop.

Building a foundation

I liken it to building a foundation that needs to be strong and deep so the rest of the house can be built on it and be confident that it won't sink.

The Science?

Some studies show that in the right circumstances Clinical Hypnosis can be 80-90% effective in helping people to stop smoking. Have a look at the links below:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207140108410075

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1076/iceh.52.1.73.23921

How does it work ?

It works simply by strengthening the part of you that wants to stop, Making it louder so that it becomes the part that you listen to. It also helps to quieten down parts of you that want to smoke because of the secondary “benefits“. The ones that you get but may not be consciously aware of. A good example is the 10 minute smoking break that takes you away from work. Another way it works is to interrupt the “triggers” and disrupts the chain of events leading to you smoking.

An example that I hear all the time is “ I smoke when I have a drink”.

The “trigger” here can be many things like being with your friends, holding a pint glass in your hand and even the taste of your favourite drink.

When I work with people to help help them stop smoking I normally work over three sessions. During these phases I bring all my experience to help maximise the potential for you to stop smoking.

Session 1: This is to help you realise why you want to stop and to strengthen that desire and focus. In this session you get taught self hypnosis and are given material to help build you up for changing that behavior.

Session 2: This is where we do the deep work. We spend about 90mins on the session where we put you into a hypnotic state to create the shifts in you that significantly increase your chances for quitting smoking. You are given a personal audio of this session that you can listen to another 2 or three time to help you stop smoking.

Session 3: At this stage it is all but sustaining any change or “topping” up on the work that has already been done and empowering you to keep on the journey.

What do you receive?