I started smoking at 14 – and reached 40 a day. A single therapy session changed my life

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's long-standing struggle with smoking addiction and their attempt to quit through hypnotherapy.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Smoking Addiction

1. What are the author's thoughts and feelings towards smoking?

• The author loves smoking and sees it as a "cherry on top of life's best moments" and a "crutch for the worst"
• Smoking provides a sense of relief and satisfaction for the author, such as after completing a project or when dealing with bad news
• The author started smoking at a young age and it became a way to feel "cool" and "rebellious" as a teenager

2. How has the author tried to quit smoking in the past?

• The author has tried various methods to quit smoking, including cold turkey, moderation, nicotine replacements, and habit replacements, but has always relapsed
• The author has also tried "batshit logic" attempts like smoking heavily one night to make them feel sick, or allowing themselves to smoke cigars as a "treat"
• Despite making many attempts to quit over the years, the author has continued to smoke into their 30s

3. What made the author decide to try hypnotherapy to quit smoking?

• The author's friend calculated that if they continued smoking, there was a 13% chance they would die before age 60, which the author thought they could "work with"
• As the author's 30th birthday approached, they accepted that the time to quit smoking had arrived
• The author was sceptical but also desperate, so they decided to try hypnotherapy as a new approach they hadn't tried before

[02] Hypnotherapy Experience

1. What happened during the hypnotherapy session with Paul Levrant?

• The session was divided into 90 minutes of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and 30 minutes of hypnosis
• The CBT portion involved Paul systematically breaking down the author's thought patterns and perspectives around smoking
• Paul helped the author recognize triggers, bargaining language, and ways to reframe negative thoughts about quitting
• The hypnosis portion involved the author focusing on a pendulum and being guided through a visualization of a future without smoking

2. How effective was the hypnotherapy in helping the author quit smoking?

• The author reports that the hypnotherapy was "shockingly effective" and transformed how they think about smoking and themselves
• Paul's advice to simply take a deep breath when craving a cigarette has been a "gamechanger" for the author
• Six months and seven days after their last cigarette, the author considers themselves a non-smoker now, though they still occasionally miss smoking

3. What challenges has the author faced in maintaining their non-smoking status?

• The author has had to overcome emotional and contextual triggers like arguments, social situations, and seeing smoking on screen
• The author still has occasional dreams about smoking and pangs of sadness when they realize they can't have a cigarette in certain moments
• The author admits they would start smoking again if they could guarantee it wouldn't kill them, showing the ongoing struggle with addiction