Smoking is like a toxic friend...

Smoking is like a toxic friend. One of those that pretend to care about you and help you, but actually make you feel bad about yourself, stressed and even depressed.

There are various triggers that get people to light up a cigarette; to name just a few:

• alleviate stress
• relax
• boost confidence

However, smoking is not holding up to any of these promises. Cigarettes are actually causing stress (and in the long run often low mood as well) rather than curing it. Cigarettes give a very short, temporary relief from the higher stress level baseline that their consumption has actually created in the first place. Cigarettes are stimulants – not sedatives. Therefore virtually all stress-related illnesses are more common among smokers. Smokers are also more likely to be affected by depression and anxiety disorders.

So, if you are stressed, wound up, agitated or anxious, a smoke is the last thing you need. But how to stop the habit? Most people grab a cigarette without a second thought, in autopilot, simply out of an ingrained habit. 

With the help of hypnotherapy, statistically, smokers are five times more likely to stop smoking compared to attempting to stop just with sheer willpower.

With cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy, the hypnotherapist and client are able to address the toxic relationship and get you to see cigarettes for what they really are. You will not want to smoke anymore after that! In this form of therapy, it helps to boost motivation and find back to the natural aversion towards cigarettes. We work on cognitive restructuring your beliefs about smoking. We identify triggers and help to control the stimulus. We learn coping strategies and urge surfing. We also learn self-hypnosis to reinforce and continue the work we have done during the sessions.