In this post I’ll discuss how people can still use stop smoking patches, pills, gum, etc – but should consider hypnosis as part of the whole process – and why they should.

There are some great ‘Stop Smoking Plans’ out there; carefully put together using group work and giving out patches, pills and gum.  Also, as you probably know, with the right amount of will power, you can even do it yourself, with a risk of finding a substitute for the craving, like, weight gain or stress.

This is because, often, the urge to smoke is still felt at a deeper level – deeper than the conscious mind is aware of. So the patches, pills and gums all do work – they help to alleviate the need to smoke and feel less like continuing. The group work and buddies mutual support schemes work too, what better way to stop a habit than with someone else who also wants to quit smoking, for similar reasons. Mutual support is good.

However, like many people and clients I have spoken to, having the added deeper unconscious suggestions in place have provided a stronger foundation to stay stopped and continue living a healthier and happier life. You see, what a lot of people don’t realise, is there are often stronger unconscious reasons for them smoking like they do. Groups do work, especially if relaxation is used. However, if the facilitator is not a professionally trained hypnotherapist, the relaxation they take you through, could only be a surface relaxation.

Here, we are talking about just tickling the surface of the habit, and for some, this may work because everyone is indeed, very different. But for most, and in my experience as a professional, the root of the cause needs to be dealt with first. Then everything else helps, like stop smoking patches, gum, groups etc, fits into its place; if, it is still required or needed.

Stop smoking patches, pills and gum do have their place in the stop smoking process. However, in time, they too need to be stopped too, for the person to be more independent and free from the habit of smoking completely. It is good to have something in place to support this. And that could be strength grown from listening to your stop smoking self-hypnosis CD or MP3 download whilst going through the process of using these aids, or not – that depends upon you and what you feel is right.