Hypnotherapy: The Big Smoke
by E_Diva
With Britain signed up for a smoking ban in all public enclosed spaces, people are either in the process of building a Depression-era 'smokeasy' in their basement or figuring out how to quit the habit. Veteran smoker E_Diva checks out hypnotherapy to see if it really can make you stop smoking...
I fully admit to being a trigger smoker; drinking with friends, driving in the car and working on the computer are the times when I instinctually light up. The July 1st smoking ban drawing nearer has given me a reason to quit, but it's not as easy as it sounds. So I tried something a little unconventional...
28 May
Magda Mookychick emails me, asking me if I'm a smoker who would like to quit. A hypnotherapist is offering a Mookychick contributor the opportunity to undergo hypnotherapy, and therefore kick the habit. I vaguely wonder if she's joking, but agree. Screw it, I won't be able to smoke anywhere once the smoking ban hits, and word on the street is soon I won't even be able to smoke in the comfort of my own car. Visions of smokers huddling in filthy, stinking corners comes to mind.but wait. That's what smokers do anyway.
29 May
Robert King from the Lewis Clinic gets in touch with me, wanting to know if I am truly sincere about quitting. He links me to his website, kinghypnotherapy.co.uk, so that I can have a look around. Rob's photo is on the website, and he doesn't look particularly creepy or mental. In fact, he looks quite friendly. Browsing the site, I come across a video of a woman who undergoes hypnosis to combat her arachnophobia. By the end of the film, she is holding a massive tarantula in her hand, obviously astonished that she has the ability to do so. I tell my partner that there is no way in hell I am going to hold a tarantula, ever. My inner cynic is beginning to take hold. I smoke a cigarette.
01 Jun
It's the beginning of the month and I'm hurriedly finishing up some articles, sitting up at the computer until the wee hours most nights as per my norm. Beside me is an overflowing ashtray that I never seem to remember to empty, my eyes are glued to the monitor as my fingers clack on the keys. I don't much realise that I'm smoking when I hit these strides, it's like an afterthought. Lately though, I've gone off the taste of cigarettes. I am twenty-eight years old, and have been smoking since I was seventeen. That is a hell of a long time for my brain to figure out that cigarettes taste foul.
03 Jun
I'm up late watching Six Feet Under so I sleep in. After a brisk shower, second thoughts are sinking in. What on earth am I doing?
We drive to the west end, and easily find the Lewis Clinic. It's in a nondescript building in posh Harley Street, though inside is even hotter than outside and we've got a bit of a trek up the stairs. Rob is just as friendly in person as his photograph suggests, and he immediately tries to put me at ease, though in the back of my mind I'm wondering when the hocus-pocus will begin. He tells me that he is a licensed psychologist, but was fascinated by hypnosis after it helped him kick a whopping smoking habit. He assures me that he is no holy man, nor a magician. I'm impressed that after I tell him I'm extremely cynical about the process, he doesn't try to change my mind. Instead, he tells me that if I allow myself to go into trance, then I should be fine. I'm still sceptical, but I climb into a surprisingly comfortable folding chair anyway.
It's at this point that things get hazy. I would like to tell you that I remember everything that was said, and can call up whatever 'suggestions' were put to me, but I honestly can't. I remember some things vaguely, such as trying to relax in a somewhat hot room. I remember being told that I was floating, weightlessly, and I remember listening. That's about it. I felt very much like I was taking a very light nap, and someone was talking me to sleep. When I woke up, it didn't seem like much time had gone by, I'd just been lounging in a chair. It was a bit shocking to find out that I'd been sitting, nearly sleeping, for about thirty-five minutes. I also had a very strange sensation, like someone may have had their hand in my head. I can only describe it as a fuzziness, as in trying to shake off sleep in the morning. My partner and I left fairly quickly, and I recall not feeling 'normal' for about ten minutes.
Am I cured? Who knows, really. I've had a couple of moments where I've considered having a cigarette, but I haven't yet. My overflowing ashtray is beside me, pouting.
08 Jun
I admit it; last night I had a cigarette.and it was sorely disappointing. After a few drags, I stubbed it out in disgust. I've come to the realization that I've probably gone off smoking. While I'm not quite ready to rave about the joys of hypnotherapy (because let's face it, I'm a powerful cynic), I do honestly believe that it could have been the wakeup call I was looking for. My body probably decided ages ago that it was time to give up the habit, and so my little chat with Rob King just served to inform my head about the changes.
So if you asked me if hypnosis is worth the time and money, I would say to you, have a think before you leap. Are you a smoker, an overeater maybe who is trying to break out of a destructive cycle but can't seem to shake the habit? Do you feel that you truly have reached a point where you would like to make a change for the better? Then definitely, give the Lewis Clinic a call. Sometimes, all it takes is a little push in the right direction.
Robert King is located at the Lewis Clinic, No 1 Harley Street, London W1N 1DA
To get advice or to schedule your own hypnotherapy appointment, please call +44 020 7636 1820
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