Hypnosis to quit smoking

Even though for many there is still a lot of mystery around hypnosis, you may have heard or know of somebody that has used hypnotherapy to quit smoking. What is it that hypnosis does, that makes it such an efficient tool to leave this nasty habit in the past?  Let's start by looking into the top 5 reasons why people start smoking in the first place.  In my experience, I have found clients sharing the following:

1. Peer pressure (an estimated 90% of smokers)
2. Parents were smokers
3.  Rebellion
4. Curiosity
5. Stress, anxiety, major life event (later in life)

I'm sure you can agree that when we are born, we are all non-smokers. We aren't born with a desire for nicotine and have cravings for cigarettes.  So that means that at one point in time, we had to learn what cigarettes are and we had to learn how to smoke. We had to practice at becoming a smoker, it didn't come natural to us; and for many that first cigarette was extremely unpleasant.  When talking to my clients, they typically share that they remember the awful taste, the coughing, the burning feeling in the lungs, the smell on their hands, clothes and so on. They rarely can point out any positive memory of that first attempt at smoking.

In other words, the body and the mind is doing everything it can to communicate with you that it is not a desirable thing.  The mind and body is literally trying to reject the substances, the odor, the taste and the whole notion of cigarettes in the first place.  It is only by mere repetition and your insisting with your conscious mind, that after a certain amount of attempts it starts to get a little less awful.  After a while the other most powerful part of your mind, the subconscious part, starts to recognize this thing called smoking and starts to accept the positive rewards it gives you. If I smoke I have more friends, I am invited to parties, to play, I look cool, they accept me, etc. etc. etc.

From that moment on, the subconscious mind, which drives your automatic behavior, starts to 'push' you to continue being a smoker.  It has now become a learned behavior that has been accepted as a positive thing. See your mind doesn't care whether or not it affects your health, your wallet, the way you smell, the tar on fingers and teeth, the possibly having to hide from parents or partners, ... As far as your mind is concerned; smoking now means you are successful, therefore it is a good thing. Successful in being accepted, successful in making and keeping friends, ...  As you continue to be a smoker for years and years on end, the reasons for smoking evolve, just like we, as an individual evolve as time goes by. Cigarettes have now worked their way into so many area's of your life, they give you a reason to step away at work, they have become a friend, give you relief when stressed, go together with coffee or food, ... I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.

SO if we learned how to smoke, using the power of our mind; isn't is then logical that we can also unlearn how to smoke and learn something else instead?  Yes, using the exact same method, reaching your subconscious mind, the part that drives your behavior by using hypnosis! Isn't it great to know that we are capable of making changes for the better by using something that came built-in.  I am looking forward to assisting you in using the power of YOUR mind to feel better, cope better, live better. Happy In Hypnosis; Happy in Life!

Yasmine Verberckt is a certified hypnotherapist with offices in the SF valley and Los Angeles in addition to offering sessions via video chat.  She specializes in anxiety relief, smoking cessation, fears and phobia's among other topics.  She can be contacted at hope@happyinhypnosis.com or watch her video's at www.happyinhypnosis.com