Recently I received a message from someone that had come to me to quit smoking. The message read, I’ve failed I’ve started smoking again can I come and see you again. I feel like such a failure.

So let’s look at this and in particular the word, fail.

It’s not fail or failure it’s simply the body giving you feedback. In this case as is often the case with smoking the subconscious was saying that it was still getting a benefit from smoking. Since the subconscious is the most powerful part of the body you will do what the subconscious wants.

The biggest problem with smoking is that the subconscious associates the habit of smoking with safety and survival. Let’s face it these are very powerful urges. Smoking cigarettes allows us to initially fit in and by being part of a group it means that the chances of survival are much higher.

As advanced as we think we are we still operate at a deeper level of past programming.So how do we help someone who has gone back to smoking after a session of hypnotherapy. Simple! After making sure the person really wants to quit smoking we do another hypnosis. This hypnosis is called a reframe, it’s called a reframe because it reframes the same techniques to quit smoking as before. In other words we give suggestions to the unconscious in a different way.
This is exactly what we did with this person and I’m happy to say that it is now a year since this person came back and he is still a non-smoker.

About Steve Gardiner

Stephen Gardiner originates from Rhodesia, (Zimbabwe) then working around the globe before finally settling in Brisbane Australia. As a scientist, Steve always had an interest in human development, especially Mind Plastisicity and how we cope with stress, anxiety and addictive behaviours. Over the past 15 years Steve has assisted many clients to transform their lives by resolving the obstacles holding them back.

Entries by Steve Gardiner