Carole Samuda - Cognitive Hypnotherapist - Alton, Hampshire

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What could you achieve if you were free of the chains that hold you back?
Stopping Smoking
This information is for people who want to give up smoking.  If you are not ready yet, please come back to it when you are.  For those of you who want to give up smoking I have included some information about what you can expect from the sessions and some facts about smoking and what happens when you give up.  It may be that you have given up before, maybe for a long time or maybe just for a day or so – it doesn’t matter – you have already been a non-smoker and that is fantastic – if the next time you try you use Cognitive Hypnotherapy, your chances of success are greatly increased.

If this is your first time of giving up, we can make sure it is for ever. 

Some facts about smoking and giving up smoking.

I am not going to give you the lectures about how harmful long term smoking is, the statistics about Cancer and other awful diseases – you probably already know them.  If you have ever tried blowing up a Lilo on holiday, you will know that your lung capacity is reduced, you will notice the staining on your teeth etc so I am going to give you other information about smoking and giving up smoking.

Reasons people give for smoking

'I smoke because it makes me feel calm/calms me down'
Actually, cigarettes contain 4,000 chemicals including arsenic and cyanide (yes, I know I said I wouldn’t lecture you!).  What happens when you take a drag of a cigarette is that your body registers the presence of these poisons and says something like ‘get that stuff out of me!’.  It goes into a chemical reaction of it’s own and pumps the body full of adrenalin.  It also increases your blood pressure and breathing rate to try to flush out your system.  This in turn gives you a buzz, we like this feeling,  this is why we do things like go on roller coasters etc – this we interpret as good when in fact it is a disaster.  The main reason you feel calmer is because the cigarette causes you to breath deeper, and the adrenalin increases your oxygen level.  How long does it take you to smoke a cigarette?  5 minutes?  Try 5 minutes of deep breathing – it would give you the same calming affect without having the poisons rushing around your body.  Often, when people have a cigarette they stop what they are doing and take a break – then when they feel calmer, they give the cigarette the credit!

'I don’t want to put on weight when I give up/I have put on weight before when I have given up'
People tend to put on weight when they have just swapped one oral habit for another.  That is why Cognitive Hypnotherapy is more successful.  You are not just going to give up one habit and pick up another, we are going to work together to change how you feel about smoking. 

Another thing that most people don’t know is that cigarettes are dipped in sugar.  If you have ever accidentally burnt sugar (don’t try this if you haven’t – sugar is highly flammable) you will know that it gives off a really powerful and rather pleasant smell.  When you light a cigarette, it is directly underneath your nose so the smell of the burning sugar goes straight up your nose into the brain and gives you a buzz.  When people give up smoking they often get cravings for sweet things – this is why.  Cigarette manufactures rely on the fact that many people would rather risk cancer than getting fat!

'Cigarettes help me concentrate'
Many people say this.  They may be at work or at home concentrating on what they are doing, spending long periods of time maybe working or reading or doing something that requires concentration and then they feel the need for a cigarette.  However, it is just the nicotine addiction fooling you into believing that.  Far from that being true – you needed to break your concentration to find your cigarettes, get your lighter, light your cigarette etc.  There is nothing logical in the need to smoke unfortunately!

I smoke when I am alone – it is like having company.
Really!  If you were sitting at home alone, I bet you could think of people whose company you would rather not have.  Go on, try.  I bet there are people who if you think about it you would rather be alone than in their company.  So you can be alone, you can enjoy  being alone – especially if the alternative it to be in the company of someone you don’t like.  We just need to remind you that it is ok to be alone – you don’t need the cigarettes.

And finally...
Remember, you were once a non-smoker – you have not smoked all your life.  We just need to remind your body and mind of that time. 

...so let’s start doing just that.  To stop smoking you can ring me or email me. It doesn’t matter how you contact me, just that you do.  I look forward to working with you.

Please note – only you can give up smoking.  I can help, and I can show you the easiest way for you to do that but I can’t get you to do anything you don’t want to do.  So if your partner is sending you along because they want you to stop, but you don’t – I can’t help you.  However, if you do want to give up smoking we can work together for that to happen.

I expect that after the first session of coming to me that you will become a non-smoker.  However, it is likely to be that it will take more than one session to ensure that you are ready to remain a non-smoker for the rest of your life.  Everyone is different and has different motivations for giving up – once we understand them and can work with them you can maintain the fact that you ‘used to smoke’.

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Copyright - Carole Samuda 2008