I’ve been a smoker for 7 years now and I’d like to quit. I’ve tried the nicorette gums, the patch, smoking ginseng cigarettes and stopping cold turkey.
I’m ashamed to say that none lasted more than 24 hours. After a while, the appeal of a cigarette becomes so huge that it shifts my point of view and destroys my resolve.
So i’ve decided I want to try hypnosis. I’ve heard mixed things about it. It works for some and doesn’t for others but I figure it’s worth a try. There is a lot at stake afterall.
It’d be helpful if those of you who tried it or who know someone who did shared your experiences and i’d also be grateful for advice on how to find a good hypnotherapist in my area (South Florida). If you actually know someone with a practice around here (anywhere from miami to west palm beach is fine), let me know.
Personally I found hypno to be utterly useless. Didn’t help that the guys voice irritated me. I have tried just about everything at one time or another and am setting myself up for the kick. I would suggest buying Allan Carrs Easy Way to Stop Smoking. Pretty cheap and worth a shot before hypno IMO. (Interesting to see that there is an Easy Way book for Women…)
Also Zyban is a strange one. Failed anti-depressant that had the side effect of reducing cravings for smokes. I tried it, gave up 3 months and then stopped taking them cause I couldn’t concentrate…
Anyways, good luck.
My dad is a hypnotherapist. Hypnosis to give up smoking is more expensive then hypnosis for other things. This is because the more of a financial commitment you make, the more effort you are likely to make quitting. It is not a miracle cure. It still involves will power on your part, but it can work.
In the UK, qualified hypnotherapists can register. I don’t know if there is anything like that in Florida.
I second that.
This Saturday I will be smoke free two whole months. This is after 24 years smoking and trying all avenues to quit. The Carr book did it for me. Gives you a whole new mind set on quitting and dealing with the withdrawel.
About the hypno stuff…a girl I work with tried this about the same time I quit. She was all gung ho about how great it worked for about a week. She’s now back to two packs a day. YMMV.
I tried hypno twice. It didn’t work one bit (less than 24 hours, probably more like 8).
I used Zyban to quit, worked like a charm for me. I wasn’t employed at the time, which was a good thing. Zyban made me goofy as all get out. I was smaller then, about 110 pounds. 60 days of that and I havn’t smoked in 6 years.
I’m ready to buy that book though, I still crave a cigarette every time I smell one. I’ve even entertained the idea of buying a pack, and just lighting them and letting it sit in an ashtray while I breathe the second hand smoke. Maybe the book will help me with my lingering issues. I don’t drink, otherwise, I’d just go to bars to get my fix.
It is great not spending the money, not smelling like smoke with your clothes and hair. And I can breathe so much better now at age 38 than I could at age 20. No more constant coughing. Oh and when you get sick, no more doctors do the “rolleyes” and blame everything on the fact you smoke.
Keep trying, don’t beat yourself up when you fail, only beat yourself if you stop trying.
(and get your mind out of the guttter, you pervs who took that last sentence the wrong way).
I quit after reading that Carr book also. Smoker about 8 years before that. Highly recommend the book.
My grandma quit smoking after about 50 years following just 2 visits to a hypnotherapist. After the first session, she came out thinking it was a load of toss and promptly fired one up. After the second session, she never smoked again. She’s the only person I know who tried that way. We were all pretty shocked as my grandma was a pretty heavy smoker.
Good luck, which ever method you choose. I know your pain.
I think, no matter what method you choose, it all comes down to how bad you want it. For me and several others here the Carr book worked. Others took Zyban (which did nothing for me). buns3000’s grandma had success with the hypno.
I really think that if you’re at the point where you just know you have had enough, that whatever method you try will work. All the gum, patches and pills were a waste for me, but I don’t think I was truly ready to quit then.
My fiance is on hour number 20 right now without a smoke. He was hardcore, two packs a day. He’s doing cold turkey, won’t even try my book (thinks it’s a ridiculous concept even though he watched it work for me) I have my fingers crossed that he can do it.
In 1984 I went in for a single, $75 office session.
Walked home, took my remaining 3 packs of cigarettes from the carton box, my 2 tobacco pipes and a couple pouches of pipe tobacco and pipe cleaners, and walked out into the back yard with them. Doused them with gasoline and lit them.
Physically, it took a few days to get done with the nicotine-withdrawal jitters, but psychologically it was a done deal.
Haven’t smoked since. I can hang out drinking beer with friends and be surrounded by cigarette smokers and it doesn’t bother me one way or the other. Over the years I’ve gradually developed more of a dislike for cig smoke in certain circumstances (indoors in an air-conditioned environment, for one), but there’s no revulsion or other strong negative feelings, nor any cravings or sense of deprivation at not smoking.
I can remember smoking but only with the same kind of disinterested detachment that I can remember sucking my thumb when I was a young kid.
If you’re not lasting a day, then it sounds like you’re getting really bad withdrawal symptoms and have a ready source of tobacco. So how about going on holiday somewhere where there is no tobacco? Then you’ll not be able to give in to the withdrawal symptoms. Make sure everyone else knows, of course, for you’ll need TLC.
