You may currently believe that quitting smoking has to be difficult. This belief is so prevalent that the statement that, "quitting can be easy" is hard to believe although it is a simple fact.

In researching my book Stop Smoking for the Last Time, I took on the tedious task of reading every Surgeon General's report on smoking. In the landmark 1988 report, that started the buzz about nicotine being as addictive as heroin, I found this statement:

Ten studies show that approximately 30 percent of opioid (narcotic) dependent persons spontaneously remit (Anglin et al. 1986) although estimates of remission rates vary from 2 percent to 65 percent (Harrington and Cox 1979; Winick 1962).

Apparently science cannot agree on an exact number, but it seems that as little as two percent addicts can give up heroin without medical support. The report continues:

On the other hand, approximately 90 percent of people who have quit smoking report that they quit without the aid of formal treatment programs or smoking cessation devices (Fiore et al., in press; see discussion of related issues in Fisher et al. 1988).

Certainly this statistic states that it is easier to quit smoking than it is to quit narcotics, based on the need for therapeutic support. So is nicotine as addictive as heroin?

The 1988 report also stated:

...about one-fourth [of smokers] report no withdrawal at all (Pederson and Lefcoe 1976; Wynder, Kaufman, Lesser 1967; Hughes, Gust, Pecha-cek 1987; Gritz 1980; Henningfield 1984)(/i>

So why do we all believe it is so hard to quit smoking? Because it is; if you do it the wrong way.

A study shows (Hughes, Shiffman, et al 2003). that 93 percent of smokers, that use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), are back to smoking after six months. Although NRT fails more often than it succeeds, it has become the de facto standard for smoking cessation. Nicotine addiction has simply become a myth of epic proportions because few understand the power of emotional addiction and the potential emotional cause of urges.

The bottom line is that most smokers are more emotionally addicted than chemically dependent on cigarettes. I call the cause of this emotional addiction Conditioned State Energy or CSE. CSE is the very real impulse of addiction that is beyond conscious control. It's not "simply in your head" or due to a weak willpower - it is an addiction caused by the beliefs, experiences and thoughts of a smoker. It's not imagined, it is truly a bio-chemical reaction that causes physical urge. Simply, urges can be caused by emotions and beliefs.

In meeting one-to-one with over 350 smokers, I have seen the effect of CSE on people. Many smokers are helpless, upset and frustrated. It is not a lack of willpower. CSE is a habit force that has taken control of part of the smokers mind. It is a literal brainwashing. It is the constant chant of addiction that anyone who has experienced can recognize. It is like the devil on the one shoulder that is much more powerful than the angel on the other. Over time, willpower is helpless against CSE; the real solution is something else.

How to Free Yourself from CSE

Smoking is like a weed and it must be pulled out at the root or it will grow back. Simply, the root of smoking is planted deep in the unconscious mind. CSE lives in the unconscious mind.

In 2005, neuroscientists discovered neuro-fibers in the brain called top-down processes(1). In other words, science discovered a virtual "delete key" in the brain that can override learned behaviors with hypnotic suggestion. This study puts to rest the thought that hypnosis is simply placebo effect.

(1) The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences / July 12, 2005 / vol. 102 / no.28 / 9978-9983. Also, "This is your Brain on Hypnosis" by Sandra Blakeslee, NY Times, November 22, 2005.

Also, there is a relatively new science called Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Among many other things, NLP can change what is called an anchor. An anchor is conditioning - just like when Pavlov's famous dogs salivated at the sound of a bell. Millions of people reach for a cigarette or food when they feel stressed, worried or sad. This reaction is an emotional anchor.

The old way of dealing with anchors was to eliminate the trigger that "caused" addictive behavior. NLP makes eliminating triggers unnecessary by changing the anchor itself. For example, many smokers have a cigarette with their morning coffee. In this sense, coffee would be considered the trigger. But what does coffee really have to do with smoking? It's simply an emotional anchor. Using NLP techniques, this connection can change... an ex- smoker can drink coffee and no longer desire a cigarette.

The brain is much more powerful solution than nicotine replacement therapy. As we pay more attention to mind-power to beat smoking, the success rate of helping smoking addiction will improve exponentially. In my view, top-down processes are the scientific explanation of why a pack-a-day smoker, with a 20-year habit, can leave my office after one hour and never smoke again. Hypnosis and NLP are simply viable complementary and alternative solutions to the smoking problem and the reason millions of smokers have quit, struggle-free.

Are you excited yet about the ability to quit smoking using the power of your mind? Good. The next step is to simply visit me in NY or to find a qualified hypnosis/NLP professional near you

Back to Quit Smoking Naturally Articles