Health plans help companies entice employees to quit smoking

Health plans are providing incentives for employers to offer free or reduced-cost programs that help workers stop smoking. Humana offers free coaches and a no-cost annual physical, and Michigan-based Priority Health offers classes, online smoking-cessation aids and partial reimbursement for some prescription drugs. Honolulu Advertiser (Hawaii), The (06/02)

Wisconsin health insurers to give out-of-pocket cost estimates Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Asthma resource guide for health plans Thursday, July 19, 2007

Searching for business contacts in health care? Thursday, May 29, 2008

Related News Stories Related Press Releases Priority Health Offers More Choice With Addition of Physicians and Health Care Centers to Southeast Michigan Network News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), The | Thursday, December 13, 2007

HAP ranks as No.

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World No Tobacco Day today

The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit, a news release said.For Kansans wanting to quit, the toll-free Kansas Tobacco Quitline (866) KAN-STOP ((866) 526-7867) provides free and confidential coaching, and assists callers in preparing a personalized quit plan. The Kansas Tobacco Use and Prevention Program manages the Quitline and provides resources to organizations, such as the Tobacco Workgroup of Communities in Schools of Harvey County. For more information about World No Tobacco Day, visit www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2008.en/. For more information about the Tobacco Workgroup, call Communities in Schools at 284-6520 or the Harvey County Health and Wellness Coordinator at 283-1637, ext. 20.

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Using A Quit Smoking Forum

If you were to go out and take a poll asking people of the one bad habit they want to get rid of as soon as they can, they will probably tell you that they want to quit smoking. They will also tell you that they feel it is one of the hardest things to do, and perhaps they have tried and failed many times. It is true that quitting is very hard, and most people that do successfully quit have had to try time and time again before they got it right. When quitting, it is important to use all of the tools you can find to give it your best go. Anyone wishing to give up the cigarettes should think about using a quit smoking forum as an extra tool for success.

A quit smoking forum is just one tool that will help a smoker when they are feeling weak or fighting off the physical symptoms that come from nicotine and smoke withdrawal. These are hard things to deal with and can effect someone in many ways. For one, someone who is quitting can have a hard time sleeping for the first few weeks. They are going to have bad cravings, even when they are using nicotine replacement. Smoking is about the habit as well as the drug, so there are those things to fight through as well. Forums can offer support when no one or nothing else can.

If you are having a craving in the middle of the night, it might be very hard to wake up your spouse or someone you are leaning on for support. Instead of this, you can go to online quite smoking forum areas to find someone that is awake and willing to talk to you. You can even just go there and read through old threads and messages for support to help you avoid giving in and having a cigarette. Chances are good that if you choose one that has enough members that someone is always going to be online, even when you think it is the middle of the night and everyone is sleeping. They may be having the same problem you are and are awake and looking for support.

There are a few interesting things that you can find on a quality quit smoking forum. For one, you are going to find good articles that show you why it is a good idea to quit and what smoking has been doing to your body. These should be in a prominent place on the forums so that you see them when you log on and so you can read them easily and quickly when you get there. You can find all types of hints, tricks, and guides on a good forum.

The best way to navigate a quit smoking forum is to be too the point, polite, and helpful. If you go on with an attitude, you may get the same back from everyone else. Anyone who is quitting smoking has problems with aggression in moments of weakness, so if you start showing that everyone else will do the same. If you want to vent, do not make it personal to anyone on the quit smoking forum you are using. Instead, talk about how frustrated you are and then thank those that have showed up to offer you support. Who knows? This type of forum may be what makes the difference between success and failure when you are trying to kick the habit for good.

The walls come down

It may also deter smokers who are trying to quit, from buying a pack.The banning of smoking in public places and workplaces, negative advertising on cigarette packages, and numerous anti-smoking programs have all contributed in reducing the number of smokers in Ontario. This is just another step towards making Ontario smoke-free.While retailers may feel some pain from this decision we're sure those who opt to use the powerwall space for other “impulse" items will quickly make up the difference in any lost revenue.We hope this “out of sight, out of mind" approach leads to what we eventually would like to see— getting tobacco products out of people's hands altogether.

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Quit Smoking - Prepare To Succeed

For many smokers the will to give up smoking is strong yet it appears irrespective of what they do, they just cannot seem to break this devastating habit. The incapability to give up smoking causes many to secretly belittle themselves and curse their appearing weakness. For others it appears they just wake up one morning and decide to give up smoking. What makes the difference in these people? Is someone that makes a decision to give up smoking like this a more robust person than the one that still has to become a non-smoker? Let's evaluate. First off, most of the people even smokers don't truly enjoy smoking. Nicotine is very addictive, and breaking this obsession by not smoking can be very trying and tricky. So, if you are one who has still to stop smoking don't criticize or belittle yourself. Yes, nicotine is addictive, but it is an obsession that may be damaged. All these helps do have merit.

One part is imperative if any of these helps are to work for the person which has formerly attempted to stop smoking and failed.

This part is your perspective. Before you even begin the process to give up smoking, you will likely need some adjustments in your angle. The way to start to prepare yourself is to come to certain realizations. You can not give up because your heavy other wants you to give up smoking. Most likely fear isn't a good incentive for you either. You have developed a powerful will to resume, although you criticize yourself for it.

So, for you the call to give up smoking must be accompanied by a will that's just as powerful, if not stronger than your current will to give up smoking. Most will tell you to set a quit date at least ten days out, and do not really quit smoking till your give up date. It is also suggested that cold turkey is the most successful give up trail. During those days before your actual give up smoking target date, you are mentally preparing yourself to be free from smoking. This has got to be a robust call that only you can make for yourself. To steer you to the strength you want to effectively stop smoking, you will have to guage yourself and the genuine reasons for why you're still smoking. This isn't a straightforward task for most but once they have listed all of the true reasons, and have adopted the psychological perspective to replace smoking with other items which will supply better benefits, the job of quitting becomes far easier. Once your give up smoking date arrives, you may wish to use some of the AIDS debated above to boost your success rate.

The point is that if you have correctly done your preparation previously your opportunity for success will be seriously improved. Remember, the body and mind prosper and accommodate whatever substance you give it. You can give up smoking.

Smell's back no ifs, no butts

Mrs McLaren-Salter, a Wairarapa Hospital orthopaedic nurse specialist, quit smoking just four weeks ago, and is emphatic she will never smoke again in her life.

"I've tried more than 10 times to give up, and briefly succeeded several times before getting sucked back in," she said.

"This time it's different. I read Alan Carr's book  The Easy Way to Stop Smoking  and it's completely changed the way I think about cigarettes.

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Trying to ditch the smoking habit? Quit smoking helplines are awesome sources of compassionate and practical support!

Anyone who has ever smoked for more than a year can tell you that quitting smoking is anything but easy. Most smokers acquired the habit while it was considered to be cool, in their peer group.

Before you blow the trumpet, declaring, “I'm quitting!”, you must know why you want to quit. What's your personal motivation? Give this a good deal of thought. Make a list of all the reasons that matter to you. Remember, once you've publicly advertised, to friends, family and co-workers, your commitment to quit, all eyes will be upon you.

Political correctness is certainly a two-edged sword! Once upon a time, the tobacco lobbyists were in their heyday, gaining favors via low taxation, and freely advertising their poisonous products via magazine and TV ads. The FDA looked the other way as cigarette manufacturers loaded their product with more dangerous and addictive chemicals than you might ever imagine. All included to really get you on the hook.

Then we began to hear of the link between smoking and lung cancer. It wasn't long before smoking became a social stigma issue. People who hadn't taken up the habit now had a PC social edge over these ignorant smokers, adopting the holier-than-thou attitude. This social divide only served to alienate the smoker. Some people chose to continue smoking as a simple act of social rebellion.

Fortunately, for wannabee quitters, quit smoking helplines, with a mission to actually help people quit without being judgmental, began springing up everywhere. The quit smoking helplines are a terrific front line of defense. Unlike your sister, brother or a friend, the staff on the quit smoking helplines won't tire of your calls, whining – sure, it happens – about how much you want a smoke now, at 3am! Any smoker or successful quitter knows that major troubles usually arise first thing in the morning, after meals, or in the wee hours. Like Pavlov's dog, you're conditioned to expect to give a particular response to a certain trigger.

The quit smoking helplines are designed to be like a 'buddy' system, a sort of smoker's 9-1-1, when you are biting your nails, pulling your hair and more than ready to go out to the all night mini mart for some smokes. It's funny to realize that the people who don't even know you can offer superior support. The vast majority of quit smoking helpline staff are former smokers, so they know what you're going through. They're not going to dish you lectures. They've been there, done that. They are familiar with all the pitfalls and obstacles which stand in your way and can offer practical advice and strategies to help you through a crises moment.

In addition to the quit smoking helplines, forums and message boards are another 24/7 option to help keep you 'on the wagon'. Believe me, the tree-huggers aren't going to help. You need to be in touch with people who are also victims of the cigarette scam. They know all the tricks, all of the psychological trips you face.

As an ex-smoker, here's my best advice: seek help from those who know. The quit smoking helplines can make your goal a success! To freedom from smoke!

No Smoking Signs Keep the World Healthier

We look to signs to give us information and to tell us rules. On bathroom doors, there are ltle signs of men and women so we know what bathroom we should correctly go into. At stores and malls, there are arrows to sections so we know where to go. Signs help us get from one place to another. There are also signs for different stores so we know what we are shopping for. Whout signs, we wouldn’t know what to do. Everything would be a mess and unorganized and people would be doing things that they shouldn’t. A very important sign that people see a lot is of a cigarette with a red line through . No smoking signs let us know when we can light one up and when we have to wa.

Restaurants and bars are popular places to see these. Although people can enjoy a few beverages in the comfort of the establishment, they will have to escort themselves outside to have a smoke. There are no smoking signs in most places since is hazardous to everyone’s health. If you are a smoker and you light up in the presence of others you are generally thought of as inconsiderate. That’s why signs that prohib smoking help everyone to understand what is expected of them.

It is important that these signs are present wherever smoking is not permted. Otherwise, people will light up whenever they want. Seeing the no smoking signs makes them realize that they are not allowed to smoke there. It keeps everyone safe in that environment and free from the deadly smoke that destroys your lungs. Those who want to continue living healthy lives shouldn’t have to be forced to inhale something hazardous.

They can be bought or printed. If you are in charge of an establishment or an environment that you want to have smoke free, you will need to place a sign there to inform people that they are not allowed to smoke there. You don’t want to have to walk up to someone to let them know that they can’t smoke. No smoking signs make your job easier and they are a great way to inform all smokers that they’ll need to wa to indulge their hab.

Everyone is entled to make their own choices but there are times when ’s in everyone’s best interest if certain behavior is followed. When most smokers see a no smoking allowed sign they respect . They know that when the urge strikes them they can always take a few moments outside to satisfy their craving.

Is the Value of a Smoke Really Worth it?

It is estimated that one in two smokers will die of the habit. This is to say that if you want to live a long and a happy healthy life, you need to quit smoking. However, this is easier said than done. A cigarette is a product that is cleverly crafted to deliver the right amount of nicotine so that it keeps its users addicted for life before it finally takes their life. There are many reasons why you will want to stop the habit of smoking. One is that smoking is a major contributor to heart attack, stroke, various cancers and more so lung cancer and a host of other respiratory diseases. Consider also what we might call 'the aesthetic un-appeal of smokers'. While smoking is portrayed as glamorous and as a healthy habit in most advertisements, the reality is different. Smokers develop bad breath, they have stained teeth and their fingers turn yellowish-brown. Now does that look glamorous to you?

Smoking also contributes to impotence in men and smokers are more likely to develop skin problems and premature facial wrinkling. Well, if these do not seem good reasons to quit smoking, consider also its effects on others. Smoking hurts others. A nonsmoker who lives with a smoker has a 30-percent greater risk of developing lung cancer than one who lives with a nonsmoker. Children who live in households where one parent is a smoker are more likely to develop bronchitis or pneumonia in their first two years of their life than children who live in homes where there are no smokers. Pregnant women also put their unborn at risk if they smoke. Since the nicotine and other dangerous chemicals in the cigarette smoke is passed to the bloodstream and goes directly to the child in the womb, women who smoke are at a greater risk of a spontaneous abortion, a stillbirth or the child dying after birth. It has also been shown that the risk of infant death syndrome is 3 times higher if the mother smoked during pregnancy.

So how can you quit smoking? Quitting is like learning to ride a bike; it is rarely accomplished the first time, but with determination, it can be done. First, be determined in your mind that you want to quit smoking and try to analyze your habits to see why you smoke. Then, plan a quit date and put it down in writing, a sort of a commitment to yourself that ‘this day is the day I quit smoking.’ Millions of smokers have quit smoking and you can too.

'The Other' by David Guterson

Despite those unprepossessing evaluations, the boys become fast friends, hiking, talking, smoking dope and getting into mischief.

After college, John William grows increasingly alienated, he spends more and more time alone in the woods. He digs a cave in a mountainside and gradually refuses to leave its isolation, even to buy supplies.

Neil treks in food, books, booze, dirty magazines and dope -- when what his friend obviously needs is professional help. Neil also keeps John William's whereabouts hidden.

When John William dies of unspecified causes (malnutrition? pneumonia? boredom? flagrant plot device?), Neil wraps the body in a cedar mat and hides it in the cave.

He says nothing about the death until rangers find the body 22 years later.

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Smoking the World

It is hailed as one of the best-selling consumer products and enjoys a rapidly expanding market. Its companies boast impressive profits and prestige, but with one problem; its best customers keep dying off. Yes smoking is one of the most profitable activity and one of the most hazardous too. Smoking info has shown that over 420,000 Americans die each year of the habit. When compared to the use of illegal drugs, that is an astounding 50 times more deaths! Another amazing smoking info is that 3 million people, and obviously more, die from smoking annually. When you do the math, that is about 6 people dying every minute from smoking alone. According to the survey conducted in 45 countries, it shown that the worst is yet to come saying, “If current smoking patterns persist, then by the time the young smokers of today reach middle or old age, there will be about 10 million deaths a year from tobacco—one death every three seconds.”

However, statistics do not end there. More smoking info suggests that smoking will eventually kill half of all of smokers – a truly terrifying thought. Since the 50’s, more than 60 million people have already died from the habit. For tobacco companies this is bad for business. If 3 million die each year and many more, an unknown number, quit the habit of smoking, this means that they will need to be replaced. So what have these companies been doing to ensure that they remain in business? One of the strategies is targeted towards the liberation of women, especially in Asian lands. While smoking is an accomplished fact in the Western world, it has taken time in developing lands of Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, the tobacco companies’ efforts seem to be paying off. Smoking info and statistics have shown that more women are now smoking in these lands and the stigma once associated with smoking is dying, if it has not already done so, in many places.

Take China statistics for example. It is estimated that more than 61 percent of all adult men smoke and women are quickly adding to that figure. In fact, by comparison, there are more smokers in China than the entire population of the United States, more than 300 million. Another smoking info is that more than 1.6 trillion cigarettes are smoked each year in China alone, about a third of what is consumed in the entire world. This figure will continue to rise in the future.

Kick the habit

Every year, in conjunction with the Manchester Stop Smoking Service, the club's City In The Community team visit around 140 schools across Manchester, working with over 5,000 children. Their goal - to target kids aged five to 10 at the right age to stop them falling into a smoking trap later in life. It is while still in primary school that many children fall foul of peer pressure to smoke their first cigarette - a move which could lead to all kinds of health problems later in life, including raising their risks of several cancers and heart disease. Three out of four children are aware of cigarettes before they even reach the age of five, whether their parents smoke or not. While a third of children have experimented with smoking by the age of 11. While children whose parents smoke are three times more likely to experiment with cigarettes themselves.

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Now Is The Perfect Time To Quit Smoking

Now is the perfect time for smokers to quit — for their health. Smoking can cause chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth and bladder. Annual health care costs in New York state directly caused by smoking are $8.17 billion. Over half are Medicaid program costs at $5.4 billion. New Yorkers pay $904 per household on state and federal taxes for smoking-caused government expenditures. Quitting will give smokers more money in their wallets and most important, improve their health. The time is now. The New York State Smokers Quitline offers free coaching and quit plans, free nicotine patches, gum and lozenges, free tips and information and free online help. The toll-free Quitline number is (866) 697-8487. More information is available on the Quitline Web site at www.nysmokefree.com.

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Learn How to Quit Smoking Today

Young people do all sorts of stupid things in their lives, and I was no exception. The worst thing I ever did to myself was accept a cigarette that was offered to me by a friend. Before I knew it, that one-time experiment led to a pack-a-day habit that burdened me for 15 years. Then one day, I smartened up and realized that compromising my health wasn't worth the few minutes of pleasure that a cigarette gave me. I wanted to learn how to quit smoking once and for all in order to rid myself of the disgusting habit.

There are lots of different cessation methods out there, but I was able to eliminate a few right from the start. For instance, many people have reported success with hypnosis. Apparently, just having a therapist talk about how to quit smoking while they're in a highly suggestible state is enough to get some folks to stop cold turkey. But hypnotherapy is not something I could get into, so I'm not even going to bother. If it's up your alley, though, then by all means go for it!

Another method that has been successful for smokers is gradually reducing their nicotine intake with the help of patches and gum. These aids have been around for a long time now, and are ideal for those who are scared at the prospect of going through nicotine withdrawals. Read any book on how to quit smoking and you'll see numerous warnings about the likely withdrawal symptoms you'll experience. But with patches and gums, you can still get your daily dose of nicotine without having to smoke. This gives you a chance to wean yourself from the rituals of lighting up and handling a cigarette without having to deal with withdrawal right away.

If you ask your doctor about how to quit smoking, he or she might recommend a prescription drug. There are a few on the market, including Zyban or Wellbutrin. This is essentially an antidepressant that has been effective at reducing nicotine cravings in people interested in figuring out how to quit smoking. This is actually the method that I chose, and despite being extremely skeptical of the pill's efficacy, it truly worked for me!

But I know many smokers don't want to use any drugs at all, and would prefer an all-natural method instead. This is understandable, as patches, gums, and prescription pills are quite a bit more expensive than natural techniques. If you want to try going the all-natural route, then stock up on St. John's wort or make an appointment with a hypnotherapist.

Discovering the different options available to you is the first step in the quitting process. From here, you have to figure out how to quit smoking in a way that fits your personality and lifestyle so that you have the best chance at long-term success.

Smoking Cessation & Risk of Death; Childhood Traumas & Adult

On the other hand, quitting smoking can, over time, reduce the excess risk of illness and death associated with smoking. This risk reduction begins immediately after smoking cessation, but it appears to take approximately 20 years before all of these smoking-related health risks disappear entirely. The lesson is simple, really. You are much better off, health-wise, if you never start smoking. However if you are already a smoker, quitting (and quitting right now) will allow you to begin that long but worthwhile journey back to the level of health risk that you would otherwise have enjoyed had you never started smoking in the first place.

CHILDHOOD TRAUMAS & ADULT SUICIDE RISK

The experiences that we have during the pivotal developmental years of our childhood can have an enormous impact on our adult lives.

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Quit 4 Live program promoted

In an effort to help students either quit or not start smoking Timiskaming District Secondary School has introduced a "Quit 4 Life" program at its school. In supporting students in their attempts to quit, Kelly Graydon-Milette, a Child and Youth Worker at TDSS along with help from Co-op students run weekly support meetings based on Quit 4 Life, a youth cessation program. All students who are interested in quitting, or who are just looking for quitting information are welcome to participate in the program. "We average about 10 students, but I'm hoping by running this program yearly there will be more awareness and higher participation in the program" Kelly Graydon-Milette said. Some of the reasons for quitting or not starting to smoke the group touches on include health, cost of tobacco, barriers and what causes someone to smoke in the first place.

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Check out the online quit smoking groups and succeed!

While you may be a highly disciplined person in every other area of your life, when you decide to quit smoking, you face one of the most difficult challenges to self discipline. It's easy for people who have never smoked to say “What's the big deal? You just decide to quit smoking and then do it!” This sort of statement can be not only irritating, but discouraging. It's not so simple, as your previous attempts to quit the habit may have demonstrated.

Now, with the additional, hefty taxes on tobacco products – with more in the offing – smoking has become financially unfeasible. More pressure.

It's a statistical fact that more people succeed when they have access to a support group. While there are quit smoking groups you can attend locally, they don't usually have daily meetings, you've got built-in excuses not to go (it's raining, I'm tired, low on gas to drive there, etcetera). On the other hand, online quit smoking groups are there 24/7 and the members come from every walk of life and from around the world. Due to the sheer diversity of people you'll meet in the online groups, the amount and quality of support you'll receive increases exponentially. You'll get insights on what works and what doesn't from others who are in the same boat. Some members stick around, even after they've quit, to offer encouragement. If they succeeded, so can you!

So, despite your holier-than-thou non-smoking friends and neighbor's discouraging remarks, there are some considerable difficulties in overcoming smoking. You'll find that the members of online quit smoking groups know just where you're coming from. Let's take a look at some of the common difficulties smokers have when trying to ditch the habit.

Not only are you addicted to the nicotine, but also to an array – can you say 500-1000 – chemical additives contained in cigarettes. If you've only had the habit for a few years, it may be marginally easier to kick the habit. Why? In the majority of smokers, the worst factors of this challenge are psychological. For example, the typical smoker has a number of mental triggers which precipitate an automatic 'time to light up' response. You leave work, get in your car and light up. Your morning coffee? Gotta have a cigarette. Calling a friend for a lengthy conversation? Light up and bring the ashtray. The list of triggers goes on and on.

If you can make it past the first three days, most of the nicotine and chemicals are flushed from your system, which gets you past the physical addiction. The gotchas come in the psychological addiction. Every member of your online quit smoking group has experienced every variant of this type. Someone has experienced your particular bugaboo and can offer you some tips and tricks on putting that one to rest.

No one is going to be chastising you for having given in and lit up. They've all been there, done that. You'll just have to get back on the train with renewed determination. The toxins in that one cigarette can be flushed right out in a day. Drink lots of water and juices. Now you're back on track.

The key to success is sticking with your online quit smoking group. Don't ever give up. You will succeed, be free, have more cash and make new friends!

The compulsion to use marijuana is a form of addiction

Is it addicting and do people go through a withdrawal when they stop smoking? Thanks.

A: Actually, this is two questions: is marijuana addicting and do people experience a withdrawal when they stop smoking it. I say this is two questions, because a drug can be addicting, despite it not causing a withdrawal syndrome when a person stops using the drug. Cocaine, for example, is highly addicting, but stopping cocaine does not lead to a withdrawal syndrome.

To answer your question about whether marijuana is addicting, I must first define chemical addiction, which is the compulsive use of the chemical, seeking to use more and more of it, and being unable to stop. Often with addiction, there is the preoccupation with using the drug, and more and more is spent on getting and using the drug..In this regard, marijuana can be addicting as many people report compulsive use and an inability to stop using it.

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GUEST COLUMNIST Your choice life or death

She first began smoking at the age of 12 or 13. She is still smoking today. She has tried to quit many times but the addiction is so strong it's very hard to quit. The success rate is about one out of ten who attempt to quit. She has had acupuncture, hypnosis and smoking cessation, used patches, shots behind the ear, and has tried medication to stop smoking. Nothing has worked so far. The nicotine is just so addictive. Now her health has begun to deteriorate. She has been diagnosed with vascular calcification.

I have her permission to tell this. Vascular calcification can be caused by smoking and it is a disease of the elderly, not someone in their forties.

We have been talking to each other through e-mails and over the phone. Through out our conversations, she has expressed over and over her desire to quit this awful habit.

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Quit Smoking through Hypnosis

I was raised in a pretty conservative family setting, so I was always a little bit suspicious of hypnotists. Nonetheless, I knew that my suspicion was mostly a superstition. People tend to be scared of things they don't understand, and even pretty smart educated people are no different. When I was trying to stop smoking, I thought it might be an excellent time to try out hypnotism. Getting hypnosis to quit smoking would not cost a lot, I figured, and it would let me get rid of my addiction with very little work. If it didn't work, I could always try something else. All in all, it seemed like I had nothing to lose.

The interesting thing about hypnosis to quit smoking – or any other addiction hypnosis for that matter – is that it works mostly because people believe in it. Being hypnotized does not stop your body from physically craving nicotine, and it doesn't stop you from having positive associations with it. The key is that, when you are under hypnosis, you believe that you will is not your own. If the hypnotist tells you that you no longer like to smoke, you will unconsciously decided to play along rather than contradict what he is saying. It's kind of a silly system my opinion, but it really does work.

The hypnotist explain all of this to me the first day. It was funny to me that going into my hypnosis to quit smoking, he would tell me that hypnosis was not real, but he explained that it helped put people at ease. People have so many superstitious beliefs about the power of hypnotism that sometimes he runs into tough cases who are sort of afraid to go under. By explaining how he does hypnosis to stop smoking, he is able to establish a more even, cooperative relationship with his patients. This makes them feel more comfortable with him, which in turn makes them better hypnotic subjects.

I had assumed that being hypnotized meant that you always forgot what happened, but apparently this is not the case. His hypnosis to quit smoking started with a standard induction where he made me feel sleepy so that I was unable to open my eyes. I was still aware of what was going on, but somehow I just didn't feel like moving. I remembered everything – that induction, the suggestions he gave me to quit craving cigarettes, and the process of waking up. Yet even though I remembered it, it still worked on me. Since then, I haven't craved another cigarette. I don't know if it works for everyone, but It certainly worked well for me. If you are trying to give up cigarettes, hypnosis to quit smoking really is worth trying.