Stop Smoking

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Permalink Reply by Jill Semonin PhD- CHt on December 5, 2007 at 6:43pm

Offer another session as an ex smoker / follow up.
We have a follow up session 21 days after their 6 week program. (pending how much they originally smoked)
Kind of like a reward session for being successful. It's included with their plan.

Other than that, i do not know how others work their smoking clients.

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Permalink Reply by John Bittner - Ocotillo Hypnosis on December 6, 2007 at 3:13pm

Hi Don,

Am I correct to infer that what the client is complaining about is that although they are not smoking, they still want to?

Somewhere in my training on addictions and smoking, I picked up the fact that it takes 21 days for a behavior to become a habit. It would follow then it would take at least 21 days for the habit to be broken. I was also was taught that, hypnosis not withstanding, tobacco addiction is a very difficult problem to treat and it is rare that a single session approach is going to work in the long term.

From what I gather from your other posts, your practice and experience is contrary to this. So in your case, I would point out the habit factoid above and suggest to the client that the cravings will diminish with time and reassure them that they have succeeded in their goal of becoming a non-smoker.

-regards,

John B.
Ocotillo Hypnosis, Chandler, AZ

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on December 7, 2007 at 5:55am

Don,

The good news is that the client isn't smoking. Here are some ideas to stop the thoughts. In my 3 session approach I teach my clients self-help tools such as acupressure techniques to help them ground and center. I also teach them EFT which would be another quick fix during the day to stop the unwanted thoughts. In fact, the first session is devoted to stress reduction since over the years that is the most often cited reason clients give me for resuming smoking.

Hope that helps.

Katherine Zimmerman
California Hypnotherapy Academy

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Permalink Reply by Don Rice on December 7, 2007 at 7:35am

Hi John, Thanks for the post and I agree that with most methods it takes some time to break the habit of smoking. I am soooo lucky that I found a technique to appomplish it in one very short session. I didn't make myself as clear as I should have. in my post. The client is not smoking, doesn't want to smoke, but in their words. (I think about ciggaretts) and don't want to think about them. ??????????????????????

John when thinking about a time period for changing habits or feelings all of my worked is based on the fact that if I was almost struck by a car as I crossed a street my mind would created fear in a second or less. For the sake of sharing lets say it takes ten times as long to remove a feeling then to create it. To me that example allows me to remove that fear in ten seconds. What do you think?


Do Good & Make Money, Don Rice

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Permalink Reply by John Bittner - Ocotillo Hypnosis on December 7, 2007 at 9:16am

"I think about cigarettes and I don't want to think about them". Hmmm. I wonder what he is thinking about if it is not smoking one? Taking it out for drink?

Seriously, though, there is a lot of ritual attached to smoking, so if he's *really* not wanting to smoke one, perhaps he's missing some other part of the habit. More information is required as to the context in which these thoughts occur and what he's visualizing when he has them. Then you should be able to deal with them.

Your concept sounds interesting. I'd like to learn more.

regards,

John B.
Octotillo Hypnosis, Chandler, AZ

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Permalink Reply by Don Rice on December 10, 2007 at 5:25am

Thanks Katherine,

I agree that stress is the main cause of clients returning to smoking. I do give every stop smoking client a twenty minute stress reduction they can listen to each day.

Don

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Permalink Reply by Pattie Freeman CH.t, MST on February 22, 2009 at 7:40pm

I would tell her to keep playing the CD I gave her and if there is a problem then she needs another session to reinforce it.

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