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No Butt's About It ! It's Time to Stop Smoking
Holistic & Hypnotic Tools Work!
Elizabeth Bohorquez
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, SRN, CPH
Clinical Medical Hypnotist
President & Program Designer
Sarasota Medical & Sports Hypnosis Institute
To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did; I ought to know because
I've done it a thousand times," said Mark Twain.
If you and Mark Twain have walked down the same road, it may be time for you
to look at a new way to get ready to stop, as well as to really stamp out
this unhealthy habit once and for all. For many smokers, getting ready to
stop is the biggest step of all.
There certainly is no shortage of non-smokers or reformed smokers telling of
the numerous reasons why someone should not light up, and sometimes the
telling can get out and out nasty. The smoker often wonders why such a bad
thing could be so enjoyable, and just as often, how one can enjoy something
that is so destructive. The other side of the coin is why someone would do
something so destructive when there is no enjoyment whatsoever!
What does this really say about the inner self, the ability to act
intelligently, and to be in control of one's self. How about self-respect,
and self-value? What does this say about the responsibility to oneself and
family? Now, besides the detrimental physical manifestations caused by
smoking, the smoker is left to deal with his inner essence and soul, which
appears
on the surface, to be out to destroy as well.
It helps the smoker to understand that there are several physical components
to this addiction besides the nicotine, and when these are managed
holistically, the smoker can be in charge of his health and well-being once
again! A person smokes to alter physical feelings in the body. These feelings
are actually body sensations caused by the thought processes, emotions and
stored stress. The act of smoking hypnotizes the person, assisting in the
release of the stress
chemicals. It becomes obvious, therefore, that new ways of releasing the
stress chemicals must be put in place before the nicotine is removed, making
the transition to non-smoking smoother.
Step one is addressing the fear of non-smoking! I have never met a smoker who
wasn't experiencing some level of fear when approaching the idea of quitting,
and this is very understandable. The cigarette, or other smoking vehicle is
actually perceived as a stress reducer, and for most smokers this is their
only stress reducer. Unfortunately, while it does appear to reduce stress in
the beginning, it is a very dangerous choice, and because of the mind/ body
reaction to the over 4000 chemicals, there is a powerful rebound stress
reaction from smoking.
As mentioned earlier, before the smoking devise can be removed, the smoker
needs some new and effective stress management tools. It is important for the
smoker to learn how his body works in response to stress, and the part the
smoking plays in reducing stress. It is easy to recognize when the person
smokes, the mind/body goes into a hypnotic trance. The person is often
unaware of the actual smoking, and before awareness hits, the cigarette is
finished. Watch the eyes of any smoker, and you can easily see the trance
state.
The mind is lost in the thought processes, and often very vivid pictures are
played while the smoke dances in and out of the lungs. It is important for
the smoker to learn how to effect this state without smoking. This is done by
teaching the participant how to slow the brain waves consciously, thereby
slowing down the production of stress chemicals, as the over-active mind
slows as well. It takes only 1/200th of a second to effect this biochemical
change in the mind/body. Actually, this is much quicker than lighting up!
Step two is getting the nutrition in line for high-level functioning! I've
met hundreds of smokers, but I have yet to meet a smoker who has great
nutritional habits. The common pitfalls are no breakfast, or a one high in
sugars, caffeine and other high-glycemic foods. The lunch is often just as
sporadic, and grazing is a common habit. Favorite foods usually fall into the
category of being highly refined, and beverages are often high in caffeine,
artificial sweeteners, or alcoholic.
It helps if we understand that there is an underlying link to most
addictions, and that is the addiction to sugar. It becomes very important for
the smoker to be educated about this phenomena. If a person does not eat
sufficiently for his lean body mass, and/or if there is a family history of
addictions, adult onset diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, high blood
pressure, and other circulatory diseases, that person may be very sensitive
to high-glycemic foods. This over-sensitivity presents itself with
uncomfortable body sensations which feel stressful. The smoker answers this
biochemical feeling with lighting up a cigarette, in an attempt to stop the
stress reaction.
Step three is learning to quiet the mind and emotions! Once the fear of
non-smoking is understood, and the food is in order, the smoker is already
feeling better, and most likely not smoking quite so often. This usually
comes as a surprise, because the smoker has never felt this level of calmness
before.
The emotional states we experience are actually chemical reactions in the
mind/body brought forward by thoughts. They end up in body sensations, but
all originated in the thought process in the form of images. When we learn to
notice our frequent "emotional visitors", especially on lower levels, we can
learn to release them, thereby causing a chemical change in our biochemistry.
The act of self-awareness, followed by choice puts us in control of our
mind/body processes. For most people, this is a completely new beginning, and
breaks the hopeless-helpless cycle. We call these tools mindfulness,
awareness, and insight meditative practices. They are extremely valuable in
helping us learn to decrease stress hormones, and produce healing hormones.
This is the basis
of mind/body healing, not just for the smoker, but for everyone, with or
without an actual disease process.
Step four is learning the power of imagery, imaginology, visualization and
self-hypnotic technique! We all have the power to access our subconscious
mind. We do it all the time. The aforementioned techniques allow us to direct
the images, instead of receiving them randomly, like an out of control
computer. Once the mind is quiet, we can place images and suggestions
directly into the subconscious. For those looking to stop smoking, these
images should be based on the particular beliefs, and needs of the individual
smoker. For some, health is a big issue, but for others this may not be so.
It is important for the mind to really see the problem, and the goal
completely finished.
The mind words backwards, and when it is well focused on the goal, and
understands the problem very clearly, it will assist in designing the action
steps for achievement. There are many tools and techniques for imaging, and
deepening the hypnotic trance. They are easy to learn, and very natural for
the mind/body. The body wants to be healthy. It is looking for homeostasis,
or balance. When we engage the entire system in working towards health,
expect the very best. It will happen for you!
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, SRN, CPH is a Clinical Medical Hypnotist & Nurse
Educator. She welcomes you to her educational websites at
http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.com where she will
answer your questions personally. She has been in the field of medical
hypnosis & addictions management for 30 years & is well known in her field of
endeavor.
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