How to Become A Non-Smoker

November 9th, 2011 by Martin Newman GQHP

Holistic Hypnotherapy – Free your mind

If you are one of the many smokers who find the idea of stopping a little difficult then read on. To help you make an informed decision about becoming a non-smoker let’s take a look at smoking and gain a clearer understanding of the habit and even dispel a myth or two!

Trying to stop

Why is it that we never realise how strong a habit has become until we try to stop it? Nothing illustrates this better than the smoking habit. Many people feel ‘addicted' to cigarettes but the smoking habit isn't quite what we think it is. You see nicotine addiction only lasts for around three days and over half the people who stop never even feel its effects! So what then is it that makes stopping smoking seem such an ordeal?

Every one of us has a need for internal security – we need to feel safe. This is not just about physical safety such as avoiding danger; it also applies to emotional safety: am I loved? Do I have friends and do they accept me? We all have a basic requirement of mental/emotional safety and a strong subconscious drive to maintain it. What does this have to do with smoking? Well, just about everybody begins smoking in a group situation i.e. themselves and at least one other. A person begins to smoke at the behest of another. We ‘try it out’ just to ‘fit in’ or gain acceptance from the other person or group. That first cigarette tastes vile, causes dizziness and a lot of painful coughing yet the subconscious desire to be included, accepted and therefore emotionally safe is stronger than this discomfort and so we persist in smoking. Very soon we associate smoking with emotional safety and we become ‘hooked’.

But what are we hooked on? Nicotine? Hardly, it is worth repeating that science tells us nicotine addiction is very weak and in every case lasts no longer than 3 days, most smokers who stop don’t even notice it. Smoking really is all in the mind. Remember, in our mind we have associated smoking with emotional security; this is what drives our need to smoke. If we neglect to smoke then we lose our security – that’s how our emotional, powerful subconscious mind sees it. The fact is that this is a mis-perception, as adults we are able to find enough inner security from other sources in our lives and cigarettes are actually dirty, smelly and frankly dangerous – where is the safety (security) in that?

Making a habit of smoking

Habit is formed by repetition, the more repetition the stronger the habit. How many times a day does a smoker lift a cigarette to their lips and for how many years? All this activity trains your subconscious mind that you are a smoker to the point that your inner mind will expect you to smoke regularly; if you forget it will remind you by creating symptoms which we call withdrawal symptoms.

Emotions

Often we smoke when emotions are high, we smoke to celebrate, we smoke to commiserate and we smoke at certain times of the day when we may be feeling more stress. How many times has your cigarette felt like consolation? Another example is that smoking nearly always follows the strong emotional pleasure of eating which leads to your subconscious mind counting it as part of a successful meal. Every meal will now be required to conclude with a smoke. This emotional component greatly increases the drive to smoke.

Hidden benefits

Add to this the fact that if you are experiencing any negative feelings or have emotional issues your inner mind may use smoking to compensate for these. Now perhaps you are beginning to see that smoking may actually be providing some sort of hidden benefit to the smoker. These factors add up to a much more powerful influence than just nicotine alone! So now the habit is a little better understood let’s look at how best to deal with it.

How to stop smoking

Firstly, we have seen how our subconscious is the emotional part of our mind. The subconscious controls our habits, feelings and beliefs and also it accounts for around 90% of our total mind. This is the part of us we need to get in touch with, convincing it of the required change, to become a non-smoker. The best way I know to do this is to use hypnosis. Hypnosis is a natural, normal state – it is part of our psychological make-up. We experience it as daydreaming or getting absorbed in a film, TV or book.

For stop smoking therapy this hypnotic state is induced in an easy, enjoyable way so we can communicate more directly with your subconscious mind. Once this is achieved you will be guided to accept a new view of yourself as a non-smoker whilst releasing all the old beliefs and triggers around smoking. Please note – Although hypnotised, you will remain awake and aware at all times during this process. You are in charge of your own mind and must form a working alliance with the therapist who is guiding you to achieve your goal. It is a deceptively simple yet highly effective method which your therapist will manage for you, allowing you the opportunity to relax and enjoy the process.

Once you are sure that you are really ready to stop why not use hypnotherapy to go right to the source of change – the subconscious mind? Having convinced your subconscious mind that you are now a non-smoker you will lose all interest in smoking. Your will have adopted the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of a non-smoker and all achieved without withdrawal symptoms. Are you ready now? Just pick up the phone!