Michelle McLin
Psychotherapist
Austin, TX
I was a 3 ½ pack a day smoker for 36 years and it made me feel out of control. I tried to cut down and that wouldn't work and it started to feel really bad. The cigarettes didn't taste good and I didn't like smelling like smoke. I was concerned about my health and I couldn't walk up the stairs without having to stop and catch my breath. Also, with price increases, I was spending 300.00 a month on my habit.
My habit controlled me and travel was difficult. When I got off of an airplane, the first thing I did was find a place to smoke and that was stressful for me. When I visited my brother, I stayed at a motel so that I could smoke. I couldn't sustain the nicotine overnight, so I woke up in the middle of the night to smoke. All I ever did with my free time was smoke and watch TV.
I've tried to stop smoking quitting cold turkey and also doing a smoking cessation program. I also tried the patch and it lasted about three hours. When I used the nicotine gum, I just took it out of my mouth and continued to smoke.
I made up my mind that it was time to stop smoking. I heard about A New Day Hypnosis through my doctor and I knew that I needed all the reinforcement that I could get to help me stop smoking, so I decided to schedule an appointment.
I noticed the change immediately and I've been tobacco free for 39 days now. I can now walk five flights of stairs without getting out of breath and my skin color has improved. People have commented that I'm happier and I feel more in control now. I have a greater sense of control about what I'm doing and now I realize how much I didn't do when I was smoking. Hypnosis has helped to eliminate the urges and desire to smoke and I feel confident because I believe that I can stay with my goal and not relapse. I'm doing everything I can to stay tobacco free and it's being reinforced, so that has been very useful.
Laura's questions have really helped me come up with new ideas about how to deal with things and she has helped me understand that I need to reinvent myself and find activities to do so that I can change my lifestyle. I hadn't ever thought of it that way and I can attribute this new way of thinking to my success. Hypnosis has enabled me to relax me and feel a lot less anxious. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because it's been very helpful to me.