Kicking the Tobacco Habit
As a clinical hypnotherapist people often say to me "Can you make me stop smoking?" and I'm often tempted to just say "No." But the better answer (and the one I say more often) is "I can't make you stop, but if you want to stop smoking, I can help you."
So what's the difference between being made to stop and wanting to stop, and why is it important?
To understand the difference, we need to remember that when you are in hypnosis you are not being controlled by the hypnotherapist, and your subconscious will not accept suggestions that you don't already agree with.
So let's consider a few possibilities:
- "I've thought about stopping smoking, and I'm prepared to give it a go."
- This client hasn't actually decided to stop. All they have decided to do is to attempt to stop smoking, and if they fail, they have still achieved what they actually set out to achieve.
- "My wife thinks I should stop."
- This client is unlikely to stop either. In hypnosis I can only work with what the client wants to achieve, not with what their spouse (or anyone else) thinks they should achieve.
- "I've thought about it, and it's time for me to give up smoking."
- This client has made a definite decision to stop and is well on the way to successfully becoming an ex-smoker.
The definite decision to stop is the most important step you make in becoming an ex-smoker, no matter what method you choose to help you through the process of stopping. By making a definite decision to stop you send a very important message to yourself that you are committed to the goal of stopping, and that you will follow through with what it takes to stop.
So once you've made a definite decision to stop smoking, where to next?
Once the definite decision is made, you're ready to enlist the help of a hypnotherapist. Through carefully worded hypnotic suggestions they are able to help cement the idea in your subconscious that smoking is no longer a part of your life, supporting your conscious decision to stop putting cigarettes in your mouth, and to kick the tobacco habit for good.
