For a few days now I have been working on a Program for Smoking cessation, and have done all kinds of research into how the mind works with "addictions". I quote the term addictions because I actually don't believe it is a complete addicion to cigarettes at all, merely a habit that can easily be unlearned.
The Term Addiction
This is a very hard word, one that summons emotions of fear, pain, hopelessness, powerless, etc. But is is surprising that most doctors or specialists apply this term to a smoker, or one who engages in a habit every day, multiple times a day? Labeling oneself as being "addicted" makes the brain believe that it is broken, and that it will be extremely hard to try and lift this addictions and to give up smoking.
I don't like to label people, especially with such a hard word like addiction. I do believe you can become addicted to other things, like hard drugs, Twitter and Facebook and maybe exercise. However in my own Hypnosis experience and research, I have found that people who smoke are more "habitual smokers", and that smoking is only 10% addiction and 90% habit (OK, I don't really know the percentages, but this is my guess).
Breaking the Habit
There are usually three things that I see the most when dealing with clients or customers (I like to call them my family, but you get the picture) when they use hypnosis to quit smoking. These three things can sometimes envelop the whole habit of the person, or the person may only identify with one. Either way, when they do identify, it makes it so much easier to overcome the habit of smoking. These three things are:
- Habit. Always needing to do something with the hands, or put something in the mouth. Freud called this oral fixation. It may also be do to anxiety or boredom.
- Environmental triggers. Seeing someone else light up, smelling cigarette smoke, stressful situations, being offered a cigarette, etc.
- Belief. You may actually have a limiting belief in your subconscious that you need to smoke, or that it serves you in some way. Perhaps cigarette smoke connects your mind with a memory of a loved one who used to smoke.
These three points are all emphasized and addressed in most hypnosis programs for smoking cessation, and are especially worked through in my hypnosis CD (more to come on the availability of this program).
Using Hypnosis to Give Up Smoking
Sometimes it happens after only one session. Sometimes two or three. Some smokers, when they feel the urge, whip out the hypnosis CD for a tiny "tune up". How come it is this simple, if smoking is truly and "addiction", that something like hypnosis (especially the powerful techniques that I use) can rid one of cravings and stop them from smoking, almost instantly? This is why I suspect it is more of a habit than an "addiction".
In my own hypnotherapy program, I use regression therapy where we go back into your past and find if there is something influencing your present to make you want to smoke. Even if nothing comes to you at the time, your subconscious mind has been "notified" to look for that memory, and works on finding it throughout the day. Sometimes whenever people do not noticing any memory during the session, they find that something "pops" up in their mind throughout the day, or when they wake up the next day. The mind truly is amazing sometimes (actually all the time!).
Also, we find the trigger that makes you pick up a cigarette, and we replace it with something that is healthy, life promoting and that will be completely productive for you. It's hard to do this without the techniques that I present in the program, but if you decide not to buy my program now, you can try and find the trigger on your own, and then go about replacing the action (smoking) with something more healthy (picking up a glass of clean, refreshing water, exercising, writing, etc.).
I did a radio show yesterday about how the mind works in overcoming addictions, and even did a short free hypnosis session at the end designed to "tune up" or get you on the right start to quitting smoking. You can hear the archive here.
Thank you everyone, and please leave your comments and questions below. I will get back to you ASAP! Also, if you liked what you read, please share this post for me. Tweet, Facebook, Digg, Stumble, Bookmark--anything I can do to help as many people as I can will make me extremely happy! Thank you all.
