Edinburgh Stop Smoking

Edinburgh Stop Smoking

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How does Hypnotherapy work for Smokers?

Under hypnosis your subconscious mind will be willing to accept suggestions which you would not accept or find difficult to believe in the normal waking conscious state. As a result suggestions can be placed which will affect your motivation and behaviour and in doing so support your resolve to be a non-smoker.

While we expect you, the motivated client, to be a non-smoker from the first session a second one may be required but this is rare. In the second session the suggestions given initially will be reinforced and, perhaps even more importantly, if you have experienced any residual desire to have a fag, we can assist you to discover why this might be and so do something about it. Often behaviour is prompted from within as a result of subconsciously held beliefs and if there is a conflict between the rational conscious mind (what you want) and the subconscious conditioning (what you have always been) the individual can find themselves behaving in a contradictory and sometimes self-abusive fashion; smoking being a form of self-abuse - after all it is killing you.

Medical research has shown that of all the options available to help people to stop smoking hypnotherapy is the most effective:

Article: New Scientist vol 136 issue 1845 - 31 October 92, page 6

Whilst success cannot be guaranteed, those who stop with the aid of hypnosis are less likely to return to smoking and tend to suffer less withdrawal symptoms.

What's the success rate?
The generally accepted success rate is that out of 10 motivated people 6 will stop with one session. Out of the other 4 - 3 will stop with a second session. The remaining person will be the one who didn't really want to stop in the first place but had been put under pressure by family, friends or perhaps some other reason, i.e., their motivation was wrong.

We, at Edinburgh Stop Smoking, have found that since we have been treating people as couples (either partners or friends) we very rarely have anyone return for the free second session. Couples encourage and support each other as non-smokers which makes the whole experience successful.

Couples Session.
As far as we know we are the only practice in Edinburgh that offers a couples session. For the first part of the session we will all be together for general information and discussion. Then you each get a simultaneous individual hypnotherapy session in separate therapy rooms. The individual hypnotherapy sessions will be tailored specifically to your personality and you may well find that your individual sessions are quite different which you will be able to compare afterwards as you share your experiences with each other.

We have, through experience, developed a pattern to the session which includes information and methods of how to deal with your anxieties and stress related issues. Many smokers grab a fag when they feel stressed and so by teaching other ways of dealing with stress this eliminates the craving for a fag at those times.
This additional information has extended the session to being about 3 - 3.1/2 hours but has resulted in a success rate which is way above the average - whether you attend as a couple or as an individual.

What happens on becoming a non-smoker?
Period elapsed	Changes that are taking place
Immediate	Feeling really good and proud of yourself.
20 minutes	Blood pressure and pulse return to normal.
8 hours	Nicotine and carbon-monoxide (a toxic gas) in blood reduces by half. Oxygen levels in blood return to normal.
24 hours	Carbon-monoxide expelled from body. Lungs start to clear out tar-encrusted mucus. You may experience a sore, tickly throat for a while as the cilia begin to work again – this is normal. (See footnote below).
48 hours	All nicotine has been expelled from body. Significant improvement in skin pallor. Ability to taste and smell improves. The chance of having a heart attack will have decreased.
72 hours	Breathing is easier as bronchial tubes relax. Energy levels increase.
1-2 weeks	Concentration returns to that of a non-smoker.
2-12 weeks	Circulation is gradually improving.
3-4 weeks	You may feel more cheerful as dopamine release systems get back to normal.
3-9 months	Lung function improves by up to 10%.
1 year	Risk of heart attack falls to half that of a non-smoker.
5 years	Risk of heart attack is almost as low as someone who has never smoked. Risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

Footnote: In a minority of cases for a few months the cilia (small hairs) that sweep the mucus along the bronchial tubes are taking the chance to recover. Smoking initially weakens the cilia, later paralyses them and finally in heavy smokers they wilt and disappear. Once smoking is discontinued the mucus production is increased, but there are no strong cilia to sweep it away. As a result the smoker develops a cough, for they have to get rid of the extra mucus by coughing. This is only a transient symptom.

A word of caution however. . . . .

Do not think that we here at Edinburgh Stop Smoking are magicians. We cannot re-programme your mind and send you off as a non-smoker without your active participation. If we could - we would be very rich and famous! You have to be motivated to be a non-smoker for yourself - your heart has to be in it for you and not just to please someone else.

Without your whole-hearted commitment you can never make it happen.

This is your decision - and we can help you achieve your goal.

Home About Contact What is Hypnosis? Information for smokers Links Testimonials