Smoking cessation goes hi-tech

Unlike some of the smoking cessation medications available, hypnosis is absolutely safe. There are no side effects. You are wonderfully relaxed, always aware, always in control.

by Irene Conlan — 

If you had no desire to smoke, no need to smoke and no reason to smoke, would you still smoke?

The days of smoking cigarettes (or anything else for that matter) to look “cool” are over. More and more people who smoke are becoming “closet smokers,” because they are embarrassed to be seen smoking by their peers and co-workers. This is especially true if they work in a health-related profession.

At the same time, they are afraid to quit. Most have tried to quit several times already and are afraid to fail again. They may also be worried about the withdrawal symptoms, concerned about giving up their “only pleasure in life” or afraid of gaining weight. The list of fears can go on and on.

Smokers often link smoking to other activities and, as a result, frequently develop a habit of lighting up when they get up in the morning, or with their first cup of coffee. They may smoke when they talk on the phone or drive. They may automatically reach for a cigarette when they feel stressed or need to solve a problem. “What will I do in these situations if I don’t smoke?” is an underlying question in the mind of the smoker who is considering quitting.

Breaking the smoking habit is actually fairly easy, and hypnosis is a great tool that can help. Hypnosis addresses and modifies your desire to smoke, your need to smoke and your reason(s) for smoking.

The good news is that hypnosis is relatively inexpensive. Most hypnotherapists can treat people who want to quit smoking, and the number of sessions generally ranges from one to five — although each therapist has his or her own way of doing things. The cost of a session generally ranges between $75 and $200. This is a bargain at any price, considering the financial and physical cost of cigarettes. Self-hypnosis CDs also are available and have been found to be quite helpful because you can listen to them again and again in the privacy of your own home.

And with the advent of computer downloads, it is possible to download a session in an MP3 format and burn it to a CD or load it onto your MP3 player. Several downloads can be purchased for less than the price of a live session. Shopping online allows you to choose from several hypnotists’ offerings, and gives you the opportunity to select the most helpful one. Or it offers you the chance to work with several different therapists, keeping the process from becoming routine and boring.

Unlike some of the smoking cessation medications available, hypnosis is absolutely safe. There are no side effects. You are wonderfully relaxed, always aware, always in control. The bottom line is that hypnosis can help you know that you are a non-smoker and will remain a non-smoker for the rest of your life. The smoking stops there.

Irene Conlan has a master’s degree in nursing, is a certified hypnotherapist and a certified past life regression therapist at The PowerZone in Scottsdale. The PowerZone Ministries teaches ceremonies and conducts ordinations.  www.theselfimprovementblog.com or iconlan@cox.net.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 25, Number 4, August/September 2006.