Masthead


Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine is the most widely used drug of abuse.

 Nicotine works by travelling rapidly from lungs to brain (in about seven seconds) where it stimulates the release of dopamine, an important brain neurotransmitter involved in mood, appetite and other brain functions.

Although usually taken for its tranquillising and mildly mood-elevating properties, nicotine actually seems to have both a stimulant and a depressant effect - the effect at any time may depend on the circumstances in which it is used. So it may help with concentration or relax the user.

Nicotine is generally recognised to be one of the most addictive of all drugs.

 Users can quickly become dependent on its effects (in the most vulnerable, it takes just a few cigarettes to get hooked on the habit).

If someone suddenly stops taking nicotine, they usually experience prolonged withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and mood swings. This causes them to crave the drug in order to try to reverse these unpleasant feelings. As a result the habit can be hard to break.  

 

 

'Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics'

Anon

 






Quit Smoking for Life

This programme involves the use of several therapies, and common sense.

Smoking is influenced by our innate ability to behave habitually

Almost every smoker remembers that their first cigarette was unpleasant. They had to overcome the body’s natural response by repetition.

We know how difficult it can be to change a habit. What the subconscious has dutifully learnt over time, by repetition and association, often doesn’t respond immediately to a conscious instruction to stop.

If the subconscious mind has learnt that the pleasure of a meal is ‘rounded off' with a cigarette then it will dutifully prompt at that set time.

Automatic behaviour is ‘cued’ by specific stimuli, e.g. picking up the phone, a time of day (first thing), after a meal, drinking - being in a pub, stress/decision-making, driving, etc.

Millions of people strive to stop smoking, investing energy and money toward this end.

Most treatments that are available don’t work very well, this is because their focus of intervention is predominately upon the visible part of the activity; whereas the loci of power reside within the unconscious mind.

Hypnotherapy works well because it enlists the co-operation of the subconscious mind –the location of the driving force of habitual behaviour.

Stopping smoking is a process of retraining your addicted mind. It takes time and effort. A FREE initial session followed by two £45 sessions, spread over a total of 3 weeks, has proved to be the most effective treatment, even for life-long smokers.

'The Quit Smoking for Life’ Programme:-

(1) The FREE Consultation.

• Identify motivation.
• Gather information.
• Brief description of the programme.
• The Stop Smoking for Life booklet - read and action.
• Follow ‘behaviour modification’ instruction until the next session.

(2) 1st Hypnotherapy session - One week later.

• This is the day to stop smoking.
• Feedback on the booklet.
• Responding to smoking thoughts.
• Diaphragm breathing.
• Intensive hypnotherapy session.
• Personalised CD to listen to every day for one week.

(3) 2nd Hypnotherapy session - a further week later.

• Further hypnotherapy session.
• Review behaviour changes.
• Further 'backup' CD for use whenever required.

(4) Optional FREE 3rd Hypnotherapy support session.

• Useful where other 'issues' are coming to the surface.

(5) Optional FREE 'Top-up’ session.

• 6 months later (rarely required).