Are you tired of waking up every morning knowing that it is yet another day of smoking? Are you really enjoying smoking or do you want to stop but do not know how? Have you tried to quit before? Have you ever been successful in wanting to quit and achieving that goal?
The answer for many smokers out there is in fact one that may surprise you. About 45% of smokers say that they would quit if they could, but they can’t. In my book can’t is simply another word for won’t.
Please, do not get me wrong. I truly understand how difficult it can be for anyone wanting to quit smoking. It is a severe addiction and can be very hard to break. I know, I have been there. In fact, I was a smoker for almost 45 years. That’s right, 45 years.
I quit almost 4 years ago now. Believe it or not, I do not miss smoking at all. In fact, I feel so much better. My teeth are cleaner, my breath smells better, my clothes no longer smell of tobacco, my clothes no longer get cigarette holes in them, I have more energy and most importantly of all, my breathing is also much better. In fact, when I work out I am less winded and my heart rate settles more quickly.
Another added benefit is that my wife kisses me more often as before, after I had smoked a cigarette, I would stink and my wife would not come near me. Now that I smell better, she kisses me more often. Needless to say, this proved to be a great boon to our relationship.
When I went to hospital for a spine fusion, I quit smoking to ensure that the fusion “takes” as it is meant to. Smokers (so the surgeons have discovered) do not recover nearly as quickly from this type of surgery and the fusion takes longer to heal. Most surgeons specializing in this kind of surgery insist that the patient quit smoking before their surgery. A neighbor of mine had to have a fusion, but was a smoker. The surgeon refused to operate until she quit smoking. She refused to quit for almost two years, until the back pain became so bad she had no choice. Amazingly, she did not return to smoking after the surgery and found, as I did, that she did not miss smoking at all.
When I went for my surgery, I had made up my mind that this was the perfect time to quit. Why? You see, all nicotine is gone from a person system within 72 hours, regardless of how long they have been smoking. Knowing that my body was going to be a mess, that I was going to hurt, and that I was not allowed to smoke in the hospital, I took advantage of those 72 hours to hypnotize myself to be strong in my desire to quit.
The one thing that helped me more than anything in quitting cold turkey was remembering that I was not born smoking. This meant that it was a habit I had picked up along the way and, as nothing more than a habit, I could change my behavior to break the habit. (Please note: when you come to see me, I don’t expect you to quit smoking cold turkey. I use a gradual reduction method.)
It is amazing how quickly we can become used to new routines when motivated to give up old and unhealthy habits. Let me repeat: anyone who is willing can change undesirable behaviors to desirable behaviors. There is a huge difference between the two.
Just to prove a point, try this: If you wear a wristwatch, change the wrist that you wear it on. Notice how many times you look at the old wrist before you look at the new wrist. Put your keys in a different location and see how long it takes before you are consistently putting that key in its new place without thinking about it. Now you have changed your habit.
Just think about all the things you do without really thinking about them. Once you realize just how much you do “by rote,” start to change other things as well. The way you dress, for example. Instead of putting your pants on first, put your top on first. Yes, you will notice that changing the things you do by rote is uncomfortable, but you will gradually become more comfortable with your new way of doing things. Before you know it, the old way is now the uncomfortable way. Change as many things as you can, one change at a time, and see how you do. Remember the rule of thumb is that you were not born doing what you do, but have learned the you that you are. Become instead the you that you want to be.
For those who want to quit smoking, here are some useful facts (All Statistics are from US Surgeon General’s Report 1990):
- 20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate drops.
- 12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
- 3-4 Days after quitting: the nicotine is out of your system.
- 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases
- 6 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease
- 1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
- 5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
- 10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s.
- 15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.
Do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net
