If smoking is not a 100%
physical addiction what is
it? Well, you would be more
accurate in describing it
as a psychological addiction.
What is a psychological addiction?
It is a mental urge or reminder
to do something because of
a particular trigger or stimulus.
Let me explain. If you ask
a smoker the times they normally
reach for a cigarette they
will list somthing very similar
to the following :-
1) With a coffee first thing
in the morning
2) Before breakfast
3) After breakfast
4) In the car on the way to
work
5) Whilst walking from home
to the bus / tube / train
6) From the bus / tube / train
to work
7) During regular work breaks
( every hour or 90 minutes
or ?)
8) Around meals
9) With an alcoholic drink
10) When I am on the telephone
11) When I feel stressed
12) when I am bored
These times or events and
many more trigger a response
in the smoker to smoke. It's
a bit like when you think
of salt you think of pepper.
In other words the smoker
has made an association between
these times and events. An
association is something you
have just got used to being
there or happening. In other
words it has become habitual.
You do one thing and the other
comes with it. You eat a meal
and then you light up.
Habits are automatic responses
that we have to many events
and/or stimuli. They are also
learnt responses. We are not
born with them... they are
acquired via repitition.
If you think about about it,
one of the reasons humans
are successful is because
of their ability to learn
something new and rapidly
make it into a habit, second
nature, something that can
be done without thinking about
it. This is really what a
habit is. The marvellous thing
about smoking mainly being
a habit is that you. the smoker
are in control and can change
it. Just like any other habit
that we stop, so too can you
stop smoking.
Everytime we change jobs because
of a promotion or jump to
a new organisation we are
dropping old habits and picking
up new habits. The new organisation
will do things differently
from the old one. New procedures,
new systems and new personnel
all have to be learnt. So
for the new employee, for
a little while, it can feels
all new and strange. Quite
soon he/she gets to know where
things are, how this organisation
likes things to be done and
develops new habits becoming
secure and confident about
what is required.
The same is true when we move
home. A new home in a different
location brings with it different
neighbours, shopping habits,
and new routes and travelling
arrangements. It seems strange
to start off with but very
soon we get used to it and
it becomes second nature.
It becomes a habit.
This is the same for stopping
smoking. We survived perfectly
well before we started smoking
and we can survive just as
well as a non-smoker again.
It really is about just dropping
an old outdated habit. This
can be where hypnosis can
be particularly helpful. Hypnosis
is used very effectively to
remove old habits and patterns
and replace them with healthier
ways of being.
About the Author
A href="http://www.stop-smoking-hypnosis.com">Clinical
Hypnotherapist
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