Your freedom from nicotine - let's clear the air

Hurrah! The rates of smoking have been dropping in the UK! 

As I type Public Health England showed that from 2010 to 2016 there was a drop from 20.1% to 15.8% of all adult smokers. The largest decrease was observed among those aged 18 to 24 years.

In 2016 that equates to 7.6 million people smoking in the UK, whilst 2.9 million were estimated to be vaping.

The tobacco companies are diversifying!

With British American Tobacco admitting that smoking cigarettes is harmful, they’ve developed methods in their research facilities which have highlighted the toxicity of the smoking of tobacco, in comparison to… vaping.  

Keeping in mind that the total values of tobacco cigarette sales in the UK in 2016 was 12.1 billion pounds, with operating profits of more than 1 billion pounds. *

The estimated worth of e-cigarettes in the UK 175 million for 2017. With a forecast that vaping could be worth more than 5 billion pounds by 2021. *

Well, I guess some people would argue that it is about choice.

They say that smokers choose to stay hitched to ‘the smoking’ or they don’t. They basically have no willpower. Really?

The problem is that ‘the smoking’ can be compared a seducing, sneaky trickster whose name is ‘nicotine’. It’s clever and it's cruel in its ability to hijack the reward systems of the brain so that the user will start to associate times, places, or people with the habit. The smoking can give us a false sense of security and fib about its role in relieving stress. It makes us have amnesia about the gross facts and warnings emblazing on each green packet.

Is it possible to escape ‘the smoking’s’ clutches?

Yes, most definitely we know this because the evidence is out there. People have done it!  They’ve successfully ditched the smoking habit by using nicotine replacement products, including turning to vaping in favour of tobacco.  

But wait a minute…

At the time of writing, there were 2.9 million vapers in the UK and of that 52% were ex-smokers, and 45% of vapers were tobacco smokers as well. Err…?

It could be that people are trying to cut down on cigarettes by including vaping as part of their daily usage. 

The problem being that without breaking some of those original triggers the smoking can inveigle its way back into our lives.

So, what’s different about using hypnosis to break free from ‘the smoking’?

There is no magic wand! 

Depending on their training, different hypnotherapists may approach ‘stopping smoking methods’ in different ways. No one way is guaranteed, but a therapist who can tailor your session to your individual needs has much more of a chance in helping you overcome ‘the smoking’ relationship.

What are your individual issues and needs?

A professional hypnotherapist would include in their assessment of you:

• Your purpose for stopping: What has a higher meaning in your life than the smoking. For example, some clients stipulate their health or exercise goals, their finances, or a purpose to see their children or grandchildren grown, within a healthy household.
• The stress in your life: If this is something you need help with first to help eliminate the role of cigarettes to cope.  
• Triggers: Where or when do you experience that automatic push that has you reaching for the cigarette or vaping mechanism.

The session could include:

• Breaking associations: Through techniques and tools which have a powerful influence in helping you to remain a non-smoker.
• Varying the pace: You may find the session fun, as well as a meaningful experience. You could easily find yourself amazed by what you learn, finding yourself laughing as a positive panacea, determined not to let the tobacco companies win, deeply relaxed during hypnosis, excited by your potential future free of the old habit.

To stop smoking, this approach using hypnotherapy has at its core, unconditional positive regard for your welfare. It may also provide a hypnosis recording and tools that you take away to continue to support you on your journey to remain permanently free. 

*Sources:

Office for National Statistics Adult Smoking Habits in the UK 2015/2016

ASH fact sheet use of E-cigarettes May 2017, Tobacco Economics March 2017, The UK tobacco industry, sales figures January 2017

Forecasting: Beige Market Intelligence. Global Vape Market (E-Cigarette and Vaporiser) – Strategic Assessment and Forecast – Till 2021