If you truly want to stop smoking, then maybe your first port of call should be your doctor's practice. They will have trained nurses to help you with counselling, patches, gum and advice. This approach might work for you, but for the people who turn to their Hypnotherapist for help, this approach obviously hasn't helped (and I see lots of them). If this is you, read on.........



First of all, please remember that any well trained and qualified Hypnotherapist, really wants you to stop-smoking, they know what smoking does to people, and to their loved ones when they become ill and perhaps die. One in every two individuals who smoke will die of a smoking related disease, perhaps as young as 65 years, the average age of death for a smoker. In fact, a person dies in the UK of smoking related diseases ever five minutes....just think about that....More deaths than accidents, AIDS, drug abuse & alcohol all rolled up together....and if that isn't enough, there are those countless numbers who need to have amputations, and those who struggle on with breathing difficulties and wheezing and coughing for a long time before the habit finally finishes them off.

Did you know that it was in the 60's that tobacco and cancer where first linked together....no not the 1960's....the 1760's....yep, you heard correctly, the 1760's. In 1761 a London Doctor called John Hill found that tobacco in the form of snuff caused pollypusses (small tumours) in the respiratory tract of many who used it.

Now just take a look at what you breath in when you take a nice long drag on your cigarette....

Information on Constituents of Tobacco Smoke

Nicotine is the most widely known chemical in tobacco smoke, but many people are amazed to discover that there are well over 4000 other chemicals produces when tobacco burns. Most of these have incomprehensible names and really only known to scientists and chemical analysts. Lister below, though, are some of the more well known ones.

CADMIUM

CARBON MONOXIDE

CARBON DIOXIDE

AMMONIA

PROPANE

METHANE

METHANOL

NICKEL COMPOUNDS

BENZENE

ISOPRENE

HYDROGEN SULPHIDE

ACREOLIN

ACETONE

HYDROCYANIC ACID

HYDROGEN CYANIDE

CREOSOL

METHYL NITRATE

NITROGEN OXIDE

DDT

PYRIDINE

TAR

FORMALDEHYDE

BUTADIONE

NICOTINE

In addition to these chemicals – given of purely as a result of the tobacco leaf burning – there are various additional unwholesome substances that may be present as a result of the plantation environment and the conditions in which the harvested leaf is stored and shipped.

Ok, That's the bad news...but if you do stop....here are the benefits....

After 20 minutes, your blood pressure drops to normal and temerature of hands and feet return to normal.

After 8 hours Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal and oxygen levels in the blood return to normal.

24 Hours Chance of heart attacks begin to decrease.

48 Hours Nerve endings start to re-grow and smell and taste improve.

2 weeks - Circulation improves, Exercise including walking becomes easier. Lung function can increase by up to one third.

And there's a lot more good news for you if you really want to stop. If you have the desire, why not contact your local hypnotherapist but make sure they are qualified, insured and experienced in smoking cessation therapy. I suggest you look for membership of at least one of the main UK Institutes and Associations which include:

British Institute of Hypnotherapy

Genaral Hypnotherapy Register (Registering arm of the Hypnotherapy Standards Council)

National Council for Hypnotherapy

Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy

Hypnotherapy Association

Ensure that your therapist has a good knowledge of the health risks to smoking as well as the relevant skills and experience to offer you a first class stop-smoking session. If you know anyone who gave up with Hypnotherapy, ask them for the details of their therapist.

Good luck with kicking your habit...If you would like to speak to me about stopping, please call me on 020 8658 4290, or email alancrisp@yourtruth.co.uk. I will always be pleased to hear from you and I'd love to help you stop-smoking.

Alan Crisp

Clinical Hypnotherapist in Beckenham