One of the biggest challenges many people will ever face is the prospect of Quitting Smoking. Despite massive evidence showing that tobacco is directly linked to countless heart, lung and throat diseases, millions of people around the world continue to smoke. Breaking from this deadly addiction can often feel like an impossible task, so where do we turn for help?

People like things that make them feel good. From fast food and alcohol to drugs and sex, our very nature makes us easily susceptible to addiction. Add to this the stresses of everyday life, and it becomes clear why we turn to these vices when we need a break from it all.

Tobacco’s active ingredient, nicotine, is a powerful drug that kicks in almost immediately and can lead to a lifetime of addiction. Cravings can be triggered at any moment, leading to an uncontrollable urge to smoke. Because of this, millions of people end up suffering from various forms of cancers, emphysema and heart disease. Along with nicotine and tar, cigarettes expose our delicate organs to over 7000 different chemicals, many of which are known to cause various cancers.

For decades, Hypnotherapy has been used as a treatment for Smoking. Alongside synthetic chemical substitutes and simply going “cold turkey”, Hypnotherapy can be one of your best allies in the war against lighting up.

Quitting Begins with You

Quitting essentially comes down to willpower – a conscious desire to stop inhaling toxic smoke. You have to choose to want to break the Habit and commit yourself to working towards the goal of giving up Smoking. Now, this sounds much easier than it really is. While some people can go for days or even weeks without Smoking after they Quit, the reality is that the vast majority of them will eventually light up again.

When this happens, people often feel that they’ve let themselves down, leading to feelings of failure and surrender. This, in turn, only adds to the stress and anxiety levels, which caused excessive Smoking in the first place, leading to – you guessed it – more Smoking.

Reprogramming the Mind…

The truth is that willpower alone is not enough to break the Habit. One of the most insidious things about Smoking is the ease with which we’re allowed to do it. Despite their deadly reputation, cigarettes are today still readily available and legal. As a result, people trying to Quit are constantly tempted to smoke when in the presence of other smokers, shopping at a store that sells tobacco or when at home around family members who smoke. To combat this, we must give the mind the tools it needs to fight off the powerful urges that cause us to keep on Smoking.

Smoking is a social activity, and many smokers begin puffing away at a young age, often compounding the challenges of Quitting later in life. However whether you’ve been Smoking for a short period or for 20 years, it is possible to stop, giving you a healthier life and increasing the odds of making it to your golden years.

…Into the Right state of Mind

The brain is responsible for your need to smoke. Like craving junk food, even when you’re not hungry, the brain wants things that will cause it to secrete higher levels of dopamine, the ‘feel good chemical’. When we ingest things that have addictive qualities – think alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and narcotics – we feel good and will always end up craving more and more.

We forget or ignore the damage that these excesses are doing to our bodies, and since we can’t actually see what’s happening inside ourselves, we continue to abuse things like cigarettes. Once we acknowledge and accept the need to Quit, we can turn to helpful tools like Hypnotherapy to assist us on our journey.

How Hypnotherapy Actually Works for You

Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for things like Smoking addiction because it addresses more than just the single issue at hand. Hypnotherapy works to identify and resolve the problems that give rise to our need to smoke. Things like stress, trauma and social anxiety are among the many underlying triggers that drive our urge to keep Smoking, becoming progressively more addicted.

By carefully guiding the client through a series of calming exercises, therapists are able to use the Clients own reasons for quitting smoking and the benefits that will arise, to soothe these challenging emotions and feelings while in a deeply relaxed state. This allows would-be Quitters to begin breaking out of the negative behaviours and mindsets that are associated with Smoking.

Kicking a Lifetime of Bad Habits

Whether it is stress, loneliness, boredom or a social need, Smoking is a popular crutch for people who do not even recognise that these unconscious triggers are causing them to light up. It is only when it is too late that they realise that these issues are the cause of their addiction.

Linda and Jan from  Perth Hypnotherapy Clinic Hypnocare, know just how tough giving up Smoking can be, as well as the challenges faced to stay smoke-free. We’re here to give you the tools to overcome this deadly Habit and beat your addiction. Our therapists are skilled professionals who know how to reach and address the root causes of Smoking. Why wait? Kick the Habit and start living a healthier, happier life today!