Monday, May 24, 2010

Does Hypnosis Help You Quit Smoking?



There is a great deal of controversy surrounding hypnosis. Many critics believe that hypnosis is a form of mind control but a large number of doctors claim that hypnosis has beneficial medical applications.
Despite the debate, there are a variety of hypnosis techniques that are used on a regular basis to achieve many things. From medical treatment to entertainment, hypnosis has a variety of uses and the science of hypnosis is becoming more developed every day.


Hypnotherapy
The various hypnosis techniques which are utilized to change behaviors are often referred to as hypnotherapy. Hypnosis has been studied in many clinical trials for its effectiveness as a method of pain management, weight loss, and habit control. It has also been used as a means of treating skin disease, for soothing anxiety, and for enhancing sports performance. Individuals have even been known to utilize self-hypnosis as a means to quit smoking.

Medical Hypnosis
There are many hypnosis techniques which have been adapted to the world of medicine. Two out of three studies showed encouraging results in favor of hypnosis as an effective means of treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Relaxation techniques and forms of suggestion have also been used to decrease the pain of child birth, a technique which is sometimes called Hypnobirthing. Pain management and weight loss are also effective medical applications of hypnosis. In 1996, the National Institutes of Health remarked that hypnosis was an effective means of reducing the pain of cancer patients as well as for the management of nausea. Hypnosis has also been a useful tool in weight loss studies, combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy.


Erotic Hypnosis
While it may not be as highly spoken-of as hypnotherapy and medical applications of hypnosis, erotic hypnosis is a legitimate form of hypnosis. Often used by individuals in a dominance/submission-type relationship, erotic hypnosis can be used to reduce inhibitions and increase arousal, thus increasing sexual pleasure. This type of hypnosis is also utilized by individuals who use fantasies as a form of personality transformation, using hypnosis as a means to be freed of their inhibitions.

Stage Hypnosis
Hypnosis has become a very popular form of entertainment in which a performer, the hypnotist, uses hypnosis techniques to influence the thoughts and actions of compliant members of the audience. Performers often utilize preliminary suggestion tests to pick out the members of the audience who are most extroverted and most suggestible, then through a variety of hypnosis techniques they use these individuals to put on a show for the rest of the audience.
 by Taylor Benjamin
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Quit Smoking Pills - Do they Work and how?


Quit Smoking Pills

I recently stumbled upon this article about the Quit Smoking Pill, Chantix and others like it. Have a read through and make you own minds up!

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, it is estimated that more than 45 million former smokers are living in the United States today. That’s a solid sign that quitting smoking can be done.
Quit Smoking pills are designed to help you to quit smoking quickly and effectively while improving your health and maintaining a positive and stress-free mindset. When you stop smoking, your body will need time to adjust to the absence of nicotine.
Quit smoking pills are popular because they are ingested with water in a matter of seconds. Antidepressant Bupropion pill is used to help people quit smoking by reducing withdrawal effects. Bupropion, sold as Zyban and Wellbutrin SR, has emerged as a front-line treatment since receiving approval as a quit smoking aid by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997. Researchers speculate that bupropion stimulates the brain in a way similar to nicotine, triggering certain chemicals such as dopamine.
New quit smoking pill Chantix (Varenicline, also known as Champix) is a prescription pill specifically developed to help adults quit smoking. Chantix pill gives smokers a better chance of success than Zyban. In fact, no other quit smoking pill has been proven to be more effective than Chantix. Chantix has been proven to be more effective in helping smokers quit than Bupropion, the only other non-nicotine prescription pill for smoking cessation.
Chantix is proven to be effective, but it's not a magic pill. For most people, smoking is both a physical and behavioral addiction. These quit smoking pills should be combined with other quit smoking methods that address the psychological factors of smoking, such as hypnosis. Quit smoking is one of the most popular medical uses of hypnosis. Hypnosis helps a person learn to deeply relax, be open to suggestions that strengthen resolve to quit, and increase negative feelings toward cigarettes.
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Top Ten Tips For Quitting Smoking - 2010


Tips for Quitting Smoking

1) Prepare to quit smoking
Write down your reasons for stopping and keep them close at hand.
Weigh up the pro’s and con’s.

2) Make a date to stop smoking
Some smokers cut down gradually with a plan for a quit date. However, most people who successfully quit smoking do so by stopping altogether and not by gradually cutting down. Pick your day to stop smoking and stick to it.

3) Seek Support
Seek the support of family or friends. Sometimes its helpful if a friend, family member or colleague quits with you.

4) Change your routine & plan ahead
Smoking is often linked to certain times and situations such as the first smoke in the morning, drinking coffee or alcohol. These are called your ’triggers’. Replace these triggers with new activities that you don’t link with smoking. For example:
  • If you always had a cigarette with cups of coffee switch to tea or fruit juice instead.
  • Take up a new pastime to keep occupied
5) Increase Physical Activity
Regular exercise contributes to good health; helps to manage weight and can also improve the body’s ability to meet the demands and stresses of daily living.

6) Think positive
You may find you experience withdrawal symptoms once you stop smoking.
These are very positive signs that your body is recovering from the effects of tobacco. Some common symptoms are:
  • Coughing,
  • Irritability
  • Sleep disturbance
4 Ds7) Learn to deal with cravings
Cravings can occur frequently during the first few days after stopping smoking. A craving increases in intensity over a period of 3-5 minutes and then begins to subside.
Tips for cravings- The 4 Ds
  • Delay at least 3 minutes and the urge will pass.
  • Drink a glass of water or fruit juice (sip slowly)
  • Distract yourself. Move away from the situation.
  • Deep breathe. Breathe slowly and deeply. It will help you to relax.
8) Start saving money
Put away the amount of money you would normally spend on tobacco. Work out how much you spend on cigarettes per week, month and year. Then watch your savings grow.


9) Watch what you eat
If you’re worried about gaining weight, be extra careful with your diet. Avoid snacking on chocolate bars and biscuits; try some fruit or sugar free gum or popcorn instead.

10) Take one day at a time
Remember, every day without a cigarette is good news for your health, your family and your pocket
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Monday, May 17, 2010

Quitting Smoking Side Effects - What to Expect When You Quit Smoking


I was earlier today searching the web for some useful articles that may be of use to those of you embarking on the daunting journey of quitting smoking for good. I found this article below which gives some great insight to the side effects of quitting and what to expect. Read on for some great tips and information....

If you have been smoking for many years, your body is already addicted to the nicotine that cigarettes have. Most of the time the side effects brought on by quitting smoking is because of the body trying to detoxify itself of the harmful chemicals that smoking has put in our bodies.
One common side effect is called 'Withdrawal'. Since the body has been fed continuously with nicotine for a long time, even for years, it has grown addicted to this chemical. Now if you were to remove nicotine in our body the most common manifestations will be anxiety, irritability, impatience, and anger.
These are just some of the common physical side effects, with some people withdrawal symptoms are so severe that they go in to shock or their body starts to shake if they stop smoking. Let us start to discuss the different effect of quitting smoking.
Anxiety is brought on when we stop smoking because of the level of comfort we associate with smoking. When we are stressed, sad, or depressed with then to light up a cigarette to calm us down. Now once you have stopped smoking, the nicotine that you associated with relaxing is no longer available thus making you anxious.
Irritability is another bad effect of stopping smoking. Once our body is adjusting to the loss of nicotine, our blood nicotine levels go down and we get really irritable. Of course with irritability comes another result of nicotine withdrawal which is anger.
Impatience is another bad symptom of quitting smoking. Again this is another psychological and physical effect of smoking. If we are bored we tend to smoke and when we stop we get bored and we don't know what to do because we can't smoke.
I have also been a smoker for more than 20 years and I was able to stop smoking and help my body get back in shape. I personally know what smokers go through when they try to quit. Because of my experience I would like to help out other smokers who would like to quit.

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