One in two long-term smokers will die from a smoking related illness. The dangers of smoking have been studied and analyzed for years. The detrimental effect of smoking on people’s health and their activities is now public knowledge. The vast majority of smokers say they want to stop. Why don’t they? It’s hard to stop smoking even when you know intellectually that you should. That’s because the habit of smoking is not maintained by an intellectual decision. Smoking is a habit and an addiction to nicotine. Smoking is self-perpetuating-your body craves the powerful stimulant to which it has become accustomed.

Hypnosis works at eliminating the desire to smoke, whether it is from identification or replacement, the two principle reasons for smoking.

Identification is when the smoker indulges in the habit because he admires (or associates) with others who smoke, i.e. parents, peers, or celebrities. Identification smoking is the most common and the easiest to eliminate.

Replacement is when smoking takes the place of a previous habit (such as overeating), is used to replace something that is missing, (such as companionship, love, acceptance, self-esteem, security, independence), or when it fills a void created by anxiety or boredom. Replacement smokers often receive sensual gratification from smoking. They enjoy the feeling of the cigarette in their mouth or the taste of the tobacco. For cigar and pipe smokers, the act of lighting often becomes a ritual.

For both types of smokers, smoking is both a physical and mental process. So to be effective, the stop-smoking program must address both aspects.

Hypnotherapy can help you stop smoking in four ways: (1) by helping you discover the subconscious needs that smoking fills for you, (2) by reinforcing alternative means of meeting those needs, (3) by creating a strong image of yourself as a nonsmoker, and (4) by serving as a means of relaxation during the jitters of nicotine withdrawal.

As you prepare to stop smoking, you may want to print this page and post it in a highly visible place in your home or office. Read it frequently, to build and maintain your motivation.

Adapted from material developed by the American Lung Association (ALA)

Here's What Happens When You QUIT

Immediately Air around you no longer dangerous to children and other adults.

20 minutes Blood pressure drops to normal.
Pulse rate drops to normal.
Temperature in hands and feet increases to normal.

8 hours Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.

24 hours Chance of heart attack decreases.

48 hours Sense of smell and taste improves.

2 to 12 weeks Circulation improves.
Breathing improves.

Walking becomes easier.

1 to 9 months Coughing and sinus congestion decreases.
Shortness of breath decreases.
Overall energy increases.
Lungs increase ability to self-clean and reduce infection.

1 year Risk of premature coronary heart disease is half the risk of a smoker.

5 years Risk of stroke comparable to that of a nonsmoker.

10 years Life expectancy comparable to a nonsmoker.
Lung cancer death rate is about half the rate of a smoker.
Risk of cancer of mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease.

15 years Risk of coronary heart disease comparable to that of a nonsmoker.

Before age 50 Risk of dying in the next 15 years decreases by 50 percent compared to continuing smokers.