Unwanted habits, addictions – smoking… Hypnotherapy

Un-cleared blocked emotions and low self-regard can lead to unwanted habits and addictions. The need to smoke is actually a form of comfort or reward. Consciously, people know smoking is damaging but they find it is impossible to stop. The reason lies within the subconscious and when there is an inner conflict, the subconscious always wins.

I have heard of many reasons why people smoke, one of the most popular misconceptions is that it is a relaxant; another motive is that it offers time out, a break from work, or peace from the children for a few minutes; or gives a sense of calmness and confidence.

Quite often, people have little or no regard for their health or believe that they won’t be affected by the dangers of cigarettes (denial). The underlying factor of these attitudes is a lack of self-worth.

The answer may be found in the person’s history – usually the childhood. An infant deprived of demonstrative love from one or both carers will suffer tremendous insecurities. Smoking provides that comfort – I have often heard a client describe a cigarette as an ‘old friend’.

Manufacturers add ammonia during the production of cigarettes, this offers the feeling of an instant high immediately the smoke is inhaled; this again allows the smoker to forget his problems for the duration of the smoke. Of course, those negative feelings return not long afterwards, so he or she is back to square one again.

This repetitive behaviour, as I have already mentioned, is controlled by the subconscious.

Many habits originate because they were once significant in the person’s life but even when they have outlived their purpose, the habits remain. For example, a young person may begin to smoke as a way of demonstrating that they are adult, however, they continue to smoke even when they reach maturity and the assertion is no longer necessary.

Parents who smoke are putting their children’s health at risk –

• Adults are role models and children copy mannerisms.
• Asthma, cold and ear infections, poor development both physically and mentally have been attributed to cigarettes.

Hypnotherapy is an ideal way of clearing the destructive thoughts that affect destructive behaviour and has proved to be the most effective method of allowing people to stop smoking.

On stopping – within 24 hours, the body starts to recover from the poison in the system. Blood pressure will be closer to normal, the pulse will drop, improved circulation in hands and feet and a lower risk of a heart attack.

Within a week the senses of smell and taste will improve, the bronchial tubes will relax and breath control will be stronger.

Within three months, lung capacity will increase by a third, body circulation improves and stamina will increase.

Research on smoking cessation

Kate Moss is the latest celebrity to turn to hypnotherapy. She follows a long list of high profile stars to successfully kick the habit using, what research shows is the best way to stop smoking.

An article, ‘How one in five have given up smoking’ – New Scientist vol. 136 issue 1845; (1992) reported on research by Frank Schmidt of the university of Iowa. They carried out a meta-analysis, statistically combining the results of more than 600 studies covering almost 72,000 people from America Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe.

This massive study (read above) showed that ‘Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking, according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit. Willpower, it turns out, counts for very little.’

Article supplied by the Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnosis.