StopTober is here! Are you ready to stop smoking or vaping and welcome a healthier you? Is it time to spend your well earnt money elsewhere other than on cigarette or vaping purchases? A pack of cigarettes a day costs around £3,500 a year, think of the extra money for Christmas and beyond.
Before you decide to quit, it’s important to recognise why you want to stop and to be sure you’re making the right choice for yourself. Trying to quit for someone else or when you’re not ready can lead to frustration, relapse and feelings of failure. You’re more likely to succeed if you commit to quitting for your own benefit.
Why stop Smoking;
It’s never too late to breathe easier, have more energy with improved health and wellbeing, imagine how great that would feel. Did you know over 2.5 thousand people have quit smoking and vaping since the StopTober campaign first launched in 2012?
Smoking increases your risk of developing a wide range of ailments and diseases, not only for the smoker themselves but passively for relatives and most importantly babies and children. This increases the risk of COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and the risk of cot deaths.
Adults who endure passive smoking for long periods of time are also at an increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. With tobacco being an irritant, it can potentially make conditions such as Asthma worse.
What are the benefits of quitting smoking?
It’s never too late to quit smoking, whatever age you are, the sooner you make the decision to stop the faster your health with benefit, and your body can start to recover reducing the risk of serious health conditions.
Let’s take a look at what happens when you quit smoking for good. If you quit sooner, you’ll see positive changes in your mind, body, and health. Some benefits of these changes are increased energy, stronger immune system, longer lifespan, reduced stress, improved skin appearance, better breathing, and lower risks of diseases like cancer, stroke, heart disease, and respiratory disease.
- After 20 minutes your pulse rate will already start to return to normal.
- After 8 hours, your oxygen levels will be getting better and the amount of harmful carbon monoxide in your blood will have gone down by half.
- After 48 hours, all carbon monoxide is flushed out. Your lungs are cleaning out mucus and your sense of smell and taste are improving.
- After 72 hours, you’ll notice your breathing feels easier, your bronchial tubes have started to relax. Your energy will also start increasing.
- After 2-12 weeks, your blood will be pumping through your heart and muscles better as your circulation improves.
- After 3-9 months any coughs, wheezing or breathing problems will be improving as your lung function increases by up to 11%.
- After 1 year, your risk of heart attack will be halved compared to a smoker.
- After 10 years, your risk of death from lung cancer will have halved compared to a smoker.
What are the risks and side effects of stopping smoking?
When you stop smoking it could lead to some withdrawal symptoms. At times these can be uncomfortable, but as long as you remain smoke free they will pass. Starting the cycle of “having one more” or “one last one” will perpetuate your symptoms and the process. Side effects could include:
- Cravings or urges to smoke
- Feelings of upset, being irritable or grumpy
- Feeling restless, have trouble concentrating or feeling “on edge”
- Feeling anxious or depressed
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling hungrier
If you stop smoking but eat more, snack often, or drink more alcohol, you might gain weight.
Each person experiences different side effects. Many feel few or no symptoms after one or more months of stopping.
Vaping;
E-cigarettes or vaping are seen as an effective method to reduce or stop smoking for adults, they are never recommended for use by children or teenagers. Vapes work by heating up the liquid inside containing nicotine which is inhaled as a vapour rather than smoke, making it less harmful than cigarettes. Vapes are used to manage nicotine cravings and can be twice as effective when compared to other nicotine replacements like patches or gum. Vapes are rechargeable or disposable.
Smokers can immediately stop inhaling harmful toxins like carbon monoxide by switching to vaping. Although you won’t notice the full effects until you stop vaping completely.
Although vaping is less harmful than cigarette smoking, it isn’t risk free. Using e-cigarettes can lead to nicotine addiction and expose you to harmful chemicals. Additionally, there are risks of lung injuries and accidents, such as explosions causing burns. If you want to quit smoking you should also stop vaping too.
Similarly, if you don’t smoke it’s advisable not to start vaping which can be perceived as trendy or cool. Since its introduction there’s been a large increase in children, teenagers and young adults vaping, its currently unknown what long term health implications this may have.
How does hypnotherapy work to stop smoking or vaping?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) can help you reframe your unconscious thoughts about smoking or vaping, it’ll help you focus on how much better you’ll feel once you’ve stopped, whilst reminding you of the health benefits, breaking those negative behaviours and thinking patterns associated with smoking and vaping.
Stopping smoking with hypnosis can re-wire your brain and help you break that cycle of addiction whilst in an extended deep, guided relaxation. I’ll make suggestions which will help you change your thought patterns and behaviours around smoking. This is individual to you, but could be similar to “the smell of cigarette smoke makes me feel sick”, “I do not want to smoke or vape anymore as I want to reduce my risk of disease”. I could ask you to visualise smoking a cigarette or vape whilst imagining your worst food or smell, helping to build that association so if you do think of smoking, the unpleasant thoughts will arise.
Hypnotherapy will help you identify your triggers, what’s causing you to smoke or vape in the first instance? Is it boredom, seeing others smoke socially, or a way of coping with stress or anxiety? Being mindful of your triggers can help you form a strategy to deal with or avoid them as quitting doesn’t get rid of the underlying issue. We’ll discuss how your routine and lifestyle will change for the better.
We’ll work together to find techniques to deal with any cravings, considering what you’ll do if a craving does arise? How will you take your mind off it? Maybe going for a walk, distracting yourself by reading, or deep breathing, you are your own expert and will know what will work best for you.
Sharing your goal with others can help and be incredibly supportive. Asking friends not to vape or smoke around you can make the process easier whilst enforcing your boundaries.
You’ll also experience improved mood, with enhanced sleep quality, being aware of what’s contributing to your “stress bucket” allowing you to feel more in control and ultimately less stressed or anxious. The large number of nicotine receptors in your brain will also return to normal after a month of stopping.
It’s worth noting that SFH is extremely powerful, results may vary depending on the individual, their determination and commitment to the process, it has however been found to be most efficient when the person really wants to quit and has a determination to succeed.
Statistics;
According to a study in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 81% of patients successfully stopped smoking. Out of those, 48% said they didn’t smoke anymore. Ninety-five percent of the people who tried hypnosis found it helpful for quitting smoking.
What to expect during your session with me;
My stand alone stop smoking and vaping session lasts for just over 2 hours costing £250, after which you’ll no longer feel the desire to smoke or vape. I haven’t increased the session price this year as I wish to make it as assessable to everyone who wishes to stop, improve their physical and mental health, overall wellbeing and that of loved ones too.
There is no requirement for a prior initial consultation, as this session is divided into two segments. The first hour focuses on gathering valuable information from yourself and your motivator for stopping, providing you with valuable neuroscientific information, including the propaganda of smoking etc. If you need, we can then take a short refreshment break, before moving onto an hour of deeply relaxing hypnosis where you can lie back and fully relax letting your subconscious mind do the work.
You can choose to attend this session either online or in person at Ironstone Wellbeing Centre in Kettering. The results are equally amazing, so it’s up to your personal preference and circumstances.
If you opt to have your appointment at Ironstone Wellbeing Centre, a non-re-fundable room booking fee is required at the time of booking with myself. I’ll discuss and provide the relevant details at your time of contact.
If you choose to have your session online I will send you a secure Zoom link with our agreed time and date. Check your Wi-Fi signal strength beforehand. If you can watch a film or video without buffering or interruptions, it’s strong enough. You may also require some earphones, a blanket, and to be in a quiet place where you’ll be undisturbed by children, pets or phones for the duration of your session.
Stop Smoking Testimonial:
If you’re unsure if hypnosis will work for you, read my Stop Smoking testimonial from RP in Coventry below:
“I approached Jane for support with smoking having stopped several times before but always started again due to work related stress. The smoking initial consultation was fascinating and I found the trance so relaxing. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.
I tried to smoke a cigarette the following day and couldn’t bring myself to even put it in my mouth, since then I have been smoke free for over 5 months and I can’t believe it. Listening to her relaxing audio helped with my stress and anxiety levels. I feel so positive and happier in life. I’ve told everyone about Jane”
If you are truly committed to the process and genuinely want to quit, book your appointment with me today. Think how great you’ll feel in as little as 2 hours, you’ll be so pleased and proud that you did. Take care of you, Jane x
Jane Lyall – DSFH, AfSFH (Reg), CNHC (Reg, NCH (Reg)
Solution Focused Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist
Tel: 07547 935519
Email: jane@silvercloudhypnotherapy.co.uk
https://www.silvercloudhypnotherapy.co.uk/
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