Hypnotherapy To Quit Smoking

“I'm not addicted, I just like to smoke.”  Have you said that before?  Think back to your first cigarette.  It was not an enjoyable experience.  Most likely, your friends were smokers and it looked cool and relaxing.  So you asked them for one.  With the first or second inhale, you turned five shades of green and started to cough.  You may have even become nauseous by the time half of the cigarette was gone and so you put it out.  The nicotine, however, had already reached you brain – it only takes about eight seconds – and produced of flood of dopamine creating a reward for smoking.  If you sensed it, you would soon be back for more.

Nicotine is believed by many experts to be even more addictive than heroin or cocaine.  Nicotine meets the medical criteria of a highly addictive drug. It is a potent psychoactive drug that induces euphoria that offers rewards for its use and leads to nicotine withdrawal syndrome when it is absent. 

Although publicly denied for many years by the tobacco companies, it is now known that they not only knew exactly how addictive nicotine was, they also used those addictive properties to hook potential smokers on tobacco in much the same way as a drug pusher would.  They even used to give away free cartons of cigarettes to their factory workers.  How generous. 

Immediately after exposure to nicotine, there is a "kick" caused in part by the drug's stimulation of the adrenal glands and resulting discharge of adrenaline. The rush of adrenaline stimulates the body and causes a sudden release of blood sugar as well as an increase in blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. Nicotine also suppresses insulin output from the pancreas, which means that smokers always have a slightly elevated blood sugar. In addition, nicotine indirectly causes a release of dopamine in the brain regions that control pleasure and motivation.  Nicotine can act as both a stimulant and a sedative.

Long, drawn out doses of nicotine can create a relaxing and sedative effect where short, rapid puffs produce alertness and arousal. In addition, the association between depression and smoking is well documented.  If you already suffer from depression, your nicotine withdrawal symptoms will likely be more pronounced, so talk over quitting with your doctor.  You may want to see if there if there is some additional therapy available to help decrease your anxiety level while kicking the habit.

All of this means that quitting smoking will be difficult.  If the cigarettes did not contain nicotine, you wouldn’t be smoking in the first place.  Breaking the addiction is what is necessary to truly recover. If you have been trying to quit smoking for awhile, than you know how difficult it is to stop. Many people try to find an easier way to break the smoking habit and by using an alterntative remedy, Hypnotherapy.

Over the years hypnosis has made its way back to main stream medicine for truly helping people who suffer from addictions.  Other addictions that hypnosis has been successful at treating are weight loss, alcohol, and drug addictions.  However, it is  extremely common to go to hypnotherapy to be treated for smoking.  It usually only takes  a few sessions and its cost is relatively inexpensive.  Some hypnotherapist’s specialize  is treating addictions and can teach you strategies besides the hypnosis that can help you in your day to day battle against smoking.
 
Hypnosis is not magic; it is just an altered state of consciousness which allows you to direct your focus on certain details.  Under hypnosis, you can’t be made to do anything that you don’t want to do, so you shouldn’t worry about giving up control which is the number one misconception about hypnosis.
 
If you have tried several times to quit smoking and have not succeeded, consult a hypnotherapist, you will be surprised at the professionalism and the effectiveness of the treatments and with a little determination will hopefully be successful at quitting smoking.