How Many Sessions Of Hypnosis Does It Take To Quit Smoking?

There’s no one right answer to this question. The number of sessions needed to quit smoking depends on the individual. However, in my practice, my general rule is just one session. Of course, some patients need a follow-up session, but I’ve found that for most people, one long session (2 hours or so) is enough to help them kick the habit.

The most important factor in determining how many sessions of hypnosis are necessary is how ready the patient is to quit. If someone’s truly ready to give up smoking, one session is usually enough; and if they’re not ready (or don’t even want to quit), it can take many sessions before they see results.

There are plenty of people who have smoked for decades and suddenly go cold turkey and never smoke again. These people have made a conscious decision that they were ready to quit and used willpower to kick the habit both consciously and subconsciously. They told themselves that they were going to quit and that was that. Like making any other major life change, making your mind up to achieve your goal is the first and most important step – call it setting an intention.

What Does It Mean To Set An Intention?

What this means is setting a clear goal in your own mind and deciding that you will achieve this goal, no matter what. Our minds are more powerful and more stubborn than you might think and once you’ve set your sights, you’ll be focused on doing what it takes to achieve your goal.

You’ll find yourself occupied with thoughts and emotions relating to your intention and it’s the emotions which really help you move forward. Emotions are powerful things which can give you the motivation you need to do almost anything if you feel strongly enough about it.

How Do People Manage To Quit Cold Turkey?

Simply put, they set their intention to give up the habit and they focus on becoming a non-smoker. This triggers an emotional response which reinforces their resolve to quit smoking. When conscious thoughts and emotions come together, the effect can be powerful – and this includes giving up smoking.

How Does Hypnosis Fit Into The Picture?

Hypnosis is one of the most powerful tools available to help people quit smoking quickly – as long as they’re truly ready to give up the habit, that is. Think back to the example of smokers who suddenly kick the habit because they start thinking of themselves as non-smokers. These thought patterns bring up emotions and strengthen their will to quit. The conscious mind decides to become a non-smoker and these thoughts filter into the subconscious, with the individual trying to quit taking on the psychological qualities of a non-smoker.

The advantage of hypnosis is that it’s not necessary to have the kind of determination that someone who successfully quits cold turkey does. Instead, the therapist guides their patients towards the kind of mindset that creates the right thought patterns and triggers the feelings needed to set an intention to quit.

If you really want to quit for your own sake, then you’ve already set your intention. A hypnotherapist can help things along by guiding your subconscious thought patterns towards a non-smoking mindset. You don’t have to reach the point where you’ve had enough with smoking – all you need is to genuinely want to quit. That’s half the battle right there; and hypnosis taps into the subconscious mind to lay the groundwork for lasting change, even after as little as one session in many patients.

Of course, some people need more than one session of hypnosis to quit smoking. Some people need a second session and a very small number need a third before the therapy brings about the changes they’d hoped for.

Ultimately, the number of hypnotherapy sessions matters less than making sure that appropriate post-hypnotic sessions are implanted. Once this is done, the patient is well on the way to becoming – and staying – smoke free for good.

Erika Slater CH
Director
Free At Last Hypnosis
www.smoke-free-at-last.com

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Don’t Reach for Those Pills Use These Natural Anxiety Cures

Anxiety is an emotion that we all experience on occasion. However if a person experiences it too frequently then it is a sign that a problem is on the horizon and needs to be addressed.

An overabundance of anxiety is a concern that cannot be swept under the carpet. But there are natural methods for coping with the prevalence of this emotion. Here we explore the most effective natural cures for anxiety.

Too Much Anxiety:

Anxiety is something we all suffer from from time to time. It is a normal response to a situation that is stressful and difficult to cope with. However if you experience it on a regular basis and your worries threaten to assail you then it is possible that you have developed generalized anxiety disorder.

If you are experiencing irritability, restlessness, poor concentration or find yourself growing impatient very easily then you should be evaluated by a medical professional. It helps to also become familiar with the most effective natural cures for anxiety.

Bodywork for Relief:

Bodywork is an excellent natural way of releasing tension and anxiety in the body and the mind. To help you to relieve stress, let go of muscle tension, sleep better and to feel more relaxed try massage therapy or shiatsu. You can also explore other methods of bodywork to reduce the level of anxiety you feel.

Mind and Body Techniques for Relief:

Techniques that engage both your mind and body can also provide an effective cure for anxiety in a natural way. Examples of those include meditation, hypnosis, biofeedback, yoga and tai chi. There are also mind/body exercises that you can do. Getting plenty of physical activity is also a natural anxiety cure as it reduces stress, gives you more energy and provides relaxation. What you might want to do is to try a variety of mind/body techniques and then choose the ones that are most fitting to your lifestyle and schedule.

The Herb Valerian:

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is an herb that is often used to treat those who suffer from insomnia as it can provide a restful night’s sleep. This is also an herb that has shown success in patients who suffer from a mild form of anxiety. Be aware however that the research done on Valerian and anxiety shows promise but is limited at the present time.

This herb should be taken once a day. The best time is approximately one hour before you go to bed. You should continue to take it for a period of two to three weeks at a time. You should not take it for more than three months. Valerian should not be taken with other types of medication. In particular it should not be taken if you are also taking antihistamines or sedatives.

Other Natural Anxiety Remedies:

Other natural remedies for anxiety that you may wish to explore include the herbs passionflower and kava as well as aromatherapy. Chamomile is also good for anxiety as are the B vitamins and the minerals calcium and magnesium.

Becca

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Exploring the Basics of Alternative Medicine and Care – Part I

When you hear the words “alternative medicine” what do you think of?

If you are like some people then you probably think of meditation, herbal remedies, acupuncture, hypnosis or something along those lines. All of these practices are treatments that fall under the larger subheading of CAM or complementary and alternative medicine.

But what is alternative medicine all about and more specifically what does it mean to the individuals that seek it out when they are experiencing health and wellness issues? Let us look at this closer.

The Definition of Alternative Medicine:

Alternative medicine does not have a definition that is set in stone. It is often described and determined differently by various individuals. It may mean something different to you than it means to your mother or father, brother or sister, spouse or child. In most cases alternative medicine includes any “healing practices that are not part of mainstream medicine.” This means that it is practices that are not commonly taught to physicians in training when they are in medical school and it is not often used by doctors in their offices or in hospitals throughout the country.

Alternative care is always in flux and is constantly evolving and changing as it becomes more and more acceptable by physicians. It is also becoming more requested and understood by patients with any number of health problems. Many practices that were brushed aside as strange, silly, harmful or downright useless 20 to 30 years ago are now viewed as beneficial therapies that complement traditional medicine that is used in the Western world.

In the United States the agency that does the vast majority of scientific research into alternative therapies is The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that is found at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH breaks down alternative care into four general categories. These categories include mind-body medicine, biologically based practices, manipulative and body-based practices and finally, energy medicine. These areas often overlap. Once you understand more about each one of these alternative therapy categories then you can determine which one of them or which varieties of them are well suited to your life and your aches and pains.

In part II you can read about the breakdown of the categories of alternative treatments.

Samantha

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Options in Alternative Health Practices

There are some alternative therapies that have successfully made the transition into conventional medicine while others still have not crossed over.

For instance many medical doctors will recommend massage therapy or acupuncture as part of the overall treatment plan for their patients.  Let us take a brief look at the options that are available to you.

Acupuncture has been used for healing in China for 1000’s of years. It involves the insertion of needles along the meridian lines of the body in order to open up neural pathways that have become blocked. This therapy can be used for any number of health problems.

Massage therapy is often as soothing and rejuvenating as it is relaxing to the body and mind. It involves the manipulation of the joints and muscles of the human body in order to relieve stress and improve circulation. Many sports medicine clinics advocate this for injury recovery athletes.

Chiropractic therapy involves hands on adjustments made to the spine and the adjoining structures. Manual manipulation can lead to a healthier spine which can in turn lessen the risk that injuries will take place. Doctors of chiropractic can help their patients with back and neck problems, as well as headaches, joint problems such as arthritis, hand and wrist pain as well as problems with the feet.

Meditation is something that one can learn to do on one’s own. It can be used to treat everything from heart conditions to high blood pressure to panic attacks.

Herbs are a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and can be either taken by mouth or rubbed on various areas of the body to treat sicknesses and/or injuries. You have lots to choose from if you decide to give herbal therapy a try.

Hypnosis or hypnotherapy leverages the power of your subconscious mind to overcome  challenges and a skilled and experienced practitioner can help with bad habits, weight loss, confidence, stress and anxiety, phobias, and many other dis-empowering thoughts and barriers to you reaching your goals.

Other types of alternative methods of therapy you may have heard of include Ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy, music therapy and pet therapy. There are other lesser known kinds but these are the alternative treatments that are most often talked about and put into practice.

What you choose to try is entirely up to you. It helps to have an open mind and to be able to identify exactly what you are looking to achieve through the treatments method(s) you put to use. The various practitioners of each one of these therapies can explain to you how each therapy works and the purpose of it to the healing process.

You can ask as many questions as you like in order to figure out if it is a treatment that appeals to you and can help you to feel better.  Explore as many therapies and as many practitioners as you need to in order to zero in on what can offer the most benefits to you.

The only risk in trying any of these therapies is that they don’t work for you. In reality many people going through traditional medicine have reached the same point as well.

Samantha

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