Ask any of the 12 million smokers in the UK and the chances are
they'll say they'd love to stop but just can't. In fact several
have tried many times and failed and have therefore concluded
that it's impossible.
We know that every smoker will suffer some sort of illness or
damage as a result of smoking and half will be killed by their
habit: half of these in middle age. Most die from lung cancer,
chronic obstructive lung disease (bronchitis and emphysema) and
coronary heart disease, painful, long drawn out, messy deaths
needing numerous operations, medication and hospital stays
becoming more and more debilitated.
An estimate by a joint ASH Medical Association in June 1999 put
the number of UK men in their 30s and 40s, impotent as a direct
consequence of smoking, at 120 000. Approximately 90% are
unaware of the link. Cigarette packets now often warn of that
risk.
But it's not just our own health at risk. More than 17,000
children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every
year because of the effects of passive smoking.
The baby has a much greater risk of suffering cleft palate,
cerebral palsy, glue ear and infections, tonsillitis, asthma,
coughs, croup, allergies, behavioural problems and reproductive
problems later. Many cot deaths are attributable to parents
smoking at home.
44% of house fires are caused by cigarettes and the casualties
are very often the children, trapped upstairs, overcome by smoke
and unable to escape and unable to be rescued by their desperate
parents below.
Children learn by imitation and so are far more likely to smoke
if their parents do. In the United Kingdom about 450 children
start smoking every day and more than 80% of smokers began their
habit as teenagers.
Meanwhile, successful quitters have taken on average of 6 times
to succeed and 20% have managed to give up first time. And
according to ASH, the stop smoking charity, 21% of all women and
27% of all men in the UK are ex-smokers.
So, if they can stop, so can you.
Ask the successful quitters . . . it doesn't have to be hard
providing you find the right method and motivation for you. For
many people, it's hypnotherapy that does the trick. You can
expect to become a non-smoker, rapidly and permanently in just
one relaxing session with a clinical hypnotherapist.
Alternatively, you can use hypnotherapy products at home to
re-programme your unconscious mind and support you in achieving
your goal.
For more information visit:
http://www.SoundsPositive.com/
Lysette Offley BA (Hons), PGCE, Dip Hyp, GHR, GQHP
About the author:
Lysette Offley is a clinical hypnotherapist running a thriving
practice in Henley on Thames, England. She provides one-to-one
therapy as well as downloadable home-use hypnotherapy products
on her website:
http://www.SoundsPositive.com/