Most smokers are hooked on a habit they hate. It’s true. The majority of smokers – an estimated 80 percent – would be happy to never smoke another cigarette again.

It makes sense too.

We all know that smoking adversely affects your health. Even moderate smokers have experienced a sore throat or difficulty breathing when climbing a flight of stairs. And, of course, there’s the threat of more serious health consequences. (According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is responsible for 5 million deaths per year worldwide.)

Not to mention, there are dozens of other reasons to quit: To save money, for your kids, for healthier skin, to be more active, etc.

But if most smokers want to quit, have numerous reasons to quit, and know just how detrimental cigarettes are for their health, what’s holding them back?  

The reason is simple. Nicotine addiction is deeply rooted in the subconscious mind. Stress, mealtime, driving, drinking alcohol (and the list goes on) all subconsciously trigger thoughts that cause cigarette craving.

But what if there was a way to “shut off” that voice in your head? Or at least reframe subconscious thoughts to think negatively about smoking?

Well, that’s the promise of hypnotherapy for quitting smoking.

With the help of a hypnotherapist or through self-hypnosis, the smoker can begin to untangle and quiet the web of subconscious thoughts that keep the addiction in place.

The Mental Trap: Why You Can’t Quit Smoking

Nicotine is such a hard habit to kick because of the physical and mental addiction. The physical addiction – which can cause withdrawal symptoms – acts as a roadblock for quitting.

Nicotine withdrawal causes:

- Nausea

- Irritability

- Aches and pains

- Sore throat

- Headache

- Mental sluggishness

But although nicotine withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable, there’s something going on at a deeper level that makes quitting smoking so difficult.

The mental addiction.

Our subconscious thoughts keep the nicotine addiction in place. The subconscious triggers the urge for a cigarette after dinner, or when you get behind the wheel. It’s the subconscious mind that triggers a pang when you’re under stress, or you’ve poured a glass of wine.

This mental battle also explains why most smoking cessation aids like nicotine replacement therapy are mostly ineffective. NRT only eliminates the physical cravings – but those mental urges, those subconscious thoughts that tell us to reach for a cigarette, they’re still very much in place.

Overcoming nicotine addiction, therefore, requires smokers to tackle the mental battle head on. This battle rages in your subconscious thanks to top-down processing.