WHY PEOPLE SMOKE

HABIT -   We are all victims of habit.  Most of us hardly ever recognize our positive habits, like exercising, eating healthy, good grooming, however, we easily recognize our bad habit's such as overeating and smoking. There are two things you need to know about habits.  Habits are conditioned responses in the subconscious mind.  The subconscious mind does not know the difference between a "good" habit or a "bad" habit.  The subconscious mind does not know the difference between reality or imagination.

 

"If you do something enough times, the subconscious mind begins to believe that this behavior pattern is what you want and therefore stores it for you and makes it part of your natural behavior. To make a true change in your behavior pattern is to change the remembered pattern in the subconscious mind."  Hypnosis can effectively help you do this.

YOU SMOKE TO NURTURE YOURSELF -  You wake up in the morning feeling a bit dull, the work day is looming before you with no reward in sight. You light up with a cup of coffee to get a quick lift, and a slight elevation in mood. You feel prepared for the day.  Perhaps you're alone, or a little isolated, there's always the companionship of a cigarette.  Often people refer to cigarettes as friends.

YOU SMOKE TO RELIEVE STRESS OR A BREAK IN ACTIVITY -  Smoking is a way of taking a break from whatever task you're doing.  It allows an opportunity to step away from stress, to just relax for a moment or to take a break from a tedious activity.  People often plan their life around their "cigarette breaks". When you light up, you look forward to those few moments of pleasure.

YOU SMOKE TO RELIEVE  BOREDOM -  Smoking often becomes the primary activity, especially when engaged in a boring activity or finding yourself in an uncomfortable social situation.  Smoking is something to do.  It gives the appearance of doing something purposeful, and allows the individual to feel "okay" in isolated situations.

 YOU SMOKE TO REPLACE A PERCEIVED DEFICIT -  Individuals sometimes smoke to replace a lack of companionship, love, acceptance, self-esteem or security.  Replacement smokers often derive a sensual and/or ritualistic gratification from smoking.  They enjoy touching or feeling cigarettes, tapping the pack, watching the flame of the match or lighter, the curling of rising smoke or the smell of burning tobacco.

MEET THE NEED AND DISCARD THE HABIT -  Each of the above reasons serves a positive function; that is, it isn't wrong to be nurtured, or to feel less stress, or to be comfortable in social situations.  Smoking serves a positive function, but with a negative and destructive result.  What needs to be done is to remove the destructive habit while meeting the need.  Hypnosis can help.

 

HOW TO QUIT SMOKING WITH HYPNOSIS -

Aversion Techniques -  Through hypnosis it is possible to change the taste of a cigarette from pleasurable to unpleasant.  When this is accomplished, problems often related to the cessation of smoking tend to be avoided.  When a smoker gives up the ingestion of something awful, there are no withdrawal symptoms and there is no need to compensate for this by overeating.

Visualization -  Hypnotherapy can help the client learn and develope the power of visualization.  The ability to visualize one's self as a non-smoker, with renewed energy and vitality is a major asset.  To be able to view cigarettes as bad tasting, foul smelling and revolting is very powerful.  Likewise, it is possible to picture and sense clean breath, a healthy appearance, and increased sensitivity to taste.  A smoker can visualize himself looking healthier, more attractive, in better physical condition, breathing easier with stronger, healthier lungs.

Reinforcement -  The new non-smoker needs reinforcement to maintain their independence from cigarettes.  Habits are acquired over a long period of time. Even though you have quit smoking the habit can still remain active.  Fortunately, the habit fades and disappears over time.  Each client is given a reinforcement tape at the end of the first session to support the positive work during their session.  Your success may depend on your willingness to use the tape provided to you for a period of twenty days to weaken and eliminate the habit.