I've worked with a lot of people to quit smoking. In doing this, I have heard all kinds of reasons that it might be better if they kept smoking.

Smoking helps you think, relaxes you, de-stresses you, keeps you from getting upset at your family, tastes good with coffee, tastes really good after a meal. Basically, makes things "better" and makes you feel "better".

I know you don't really believe these reasons, or why would you be trying to stop smoking. Still, a part of you DOES believe these reasons.

The obvious and overlooked part is you must have a strong reason to continue smoking or you would have already stopped. By the way, there is no law that says your reason to keep smoking has to make any logical sense. It rarely does.

In fact, 99% of the reasons you continue can easily be proven incorrect. Maybe smoking keeps you from blowing up and yelling at your spouse because you're mouth is full of smoke, or even better, you have to go outside to smoke.

And most of the time you're AWARE it doesn't make sense. That doesn't change anything though, does it? Just one more log to toss on the fire of your motivation to quit. A fire that doesn't have much chance against the ocean of your craving to smoke.

It all comes down to two things. The belief that smoking will make you feel better and what you're trying to feel better than. That's it.

If you're hungry you feel like eating. If you're tired, you feel like sleeping. If you feel bad (stressed, over-burdened, upset, alone, whatever...) you want to feel good. And, whatever your mind has learned feels good, you feel like doing.

This is simple explanation of a craving. Some smokers have more than one type of craving, the 'first thing in the morning' craving might feel different than the 'on the phone' craving.

So how to help this situation? I can spend a few articles explaining it (and I have, look for them) But, it comes down to changing the feelings, motivations and beliefs involved.

First, the bad feeling needs to be helped. If it's about stress, get it managed, if it's a difficult situation, do what you can to take care of it or get some help. If it's a bad feeling you get that is beyond what the situation deserves, behavior modification might be what you need.

Second, the 'looking to feel better' side of things needs to be updated. (it's common that this is about mistaken beliefs, formed when young, that smoking is about being an adult, in control, strong willed, independent, etc...) Of course, a cigarette is only leaf and chemicals wrapped in paper. The good feeling is the emotions your mind has attached to this action. It could just as easily be ice cream or cookies that your mind has attached good feelings with.

And that's the bottom line. The bulk of the quit smoking issue is about behavior modification - changing the way you feel. That's why the success rate of most prescription medication and nicotine replacement (like the patch and nicotine gum) alone is so low. The only current exception is Chantix and even Pfizer, the makers of Chantix, recommend behavior modification go along with the medication.

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Patrick Glancy, BCH Quit Smoking Hypnosis Quick Hypnosis - Self-Help Hypnosis on CD and MP3 Download