Smoking is a tough habit to break. There are different opinions as to why that is. Some programs focus on the chemical part of things, opting for nicotine replacement therapy to ease the cravings. Others focus on the behaviors around smoking and try to break the cycle that way. There are also those who provide prescription medications that can either inhibit or mimic the reception of nicotine in the brain, activating pleasure centers similar to smoking or alleviating the depressive symptoms that often arise when attempting to quit. Maybe you have tried one or more of these methods. There are various programs available that promote different approaches to quit smoking. Some programs encourage substituting smoking with healthier alternatives like carrot sticks, while others suggest abruptly quitting (“cold turkey”) or gradually reducing smoking over time. There are programs that utilize electric shock to encourage a dislike towards smoking, while others employ the use of drugs or substantial amounts of tobacco products to induce discomfort as motivation for quitting tobacco.
Each of these works for someone. But most experts agree that a combination of things works best for most people. Almost a decade ago, I worked for the company that ran the state tobacco quit lines. The funding for this initiative was obtained through a landmark settlement between numerous states and a major tobacco company. The states had filed lawsuits against the tobacco industry, seeking billions of dollars to cover the rising healthcare expenses within their borders. The states won but had to spend the money on smoking cessation. I witnessed incredibly intelligent individuals at that company creating programs that achieved unprecedented success rates. As they refined these programs, the rates continued to soar to new heights. A lot of employers offered the programs as employee benefits. I had already utilized the program even prior to joining the company, as it was provided by a previous employer to help me overcome my own tobacco addiction. That goes back almost 20 years now.
That company’s program for state tobacco quit lines involves a gradual reduction leading up to a designated “quit date.” Afterward, comprehensive counseling and nicotine replacement options are provided to assist individuals in seamlessly transitioning to becoming an “ex-smoker.” It worked really well. In my opinion, the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) folks who created that program, then fine-tuned it to make it stronger, knew what they were doing. They got it right. The numbers showed that, over and over again. I experienced it and I saw it in action hundreds and hundreds of times.
But there’s one thing I would change to make the program even better. I’d add hypnosis.
It’s not really a practical thing for a phone-based counseling service to provide, so their counseling was more talk-based. When a highly skilled hypnotherapist is able to guide your conscious mind to set aside its doubts and reservations about successfully achieving a goal, and instead allows your subconscious mind to take charge and proclaim, “Not only is this achievable, but we are absolutely going to make it happen,” then success is inevitable.
I have that training and a great success record. I am certified by the American Hypnosis Association in “Hypnosis and Smoking Cessation”. If you do your part, I know how to reinforce your efforts to make you stronger. I know how to make you feel it’s not just possible, but probable. Sure, there’s no guarantee, but this is completely doable for you with a bit of work and some support.
I want to mention that I decline more stop smoking clients than I accept. Often people are quitting for all the wrong reasons; because their doctor told them to or because their spouse told them to and so on. Hypnosis will strengthen your willpower and make quitting easier than you might imagine, but it’s not a miracle cure or magic bullet. You have to want to quit, then I can enable you. In most cases, I ask to meet with a new stop smoking client before they book a single paid session. Out of this 30-minute consultation, we decide if we are going to work together and create a plan if we are.
Feel free to email me for details before you book a paid session.