A study of 71 smokers showed that after a two-year follow up, patients that quit with hypnosis were twice as likely to remain smoke-free than those who quit on their own (Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence. Wynd, CA. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2005; 37:3, pages 245-250).
Smoking actually increases stress and anxiety, so when you light up a cigarette to help ‘de-stress’, you are doing the exact opposite. Smoking increases heart rate and interferes with the production of serotonin – the essential neurotransmitter needed for our mental health and well- being. It is indeed no wonder that people who smoke throughout their lives are more susceptible to develop anxiety and clinical depression.
Smoking Facts & Figures ( Which you already know but read anyway)
Here are some facts about what it can do to you:
- About 100,000 people die every year in the UK from smoking-related illnesses.
- Roughly half of all smokers die prematurely due to smoking-related diseases. The life expectancy of a smoker is about 10 years less than that of a non-smoker.
- Most smoking-related deaths are long and painful, with many unpleasant symptoms.
- Around 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every year because of passive smoking-related illnesses. Smoking related conditions increases your risk of developing a wide range of health ailments and diseases including the following:
- Lung cancer – more than 8 in 10 cases of lung cancer are directly related to smoking.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – again, 8 out of 10 cases of this distressing lung disease are caused by smoking.
- Heart disease – considered the UK’s biggest killer, around 1 in 6 cases is caused by smoking.
- Other cancers – including mouth, throat, nose, blood, cervix and pancreatic cancer.
- Infertility – smoking affects the fertility of men and women, making it harder to conceive.
- Gum disease – on top of staining your teeth, smoking can cause premature tooth loss due to gum disease
Why give up?
Because when you do your body can start healing back.
Did you know that after just 20 minutes of stopping smoking your blood pressure and pulse rate drops to normal?
- 8 hours later and carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
- 24 hours later your chance of a heart attack decreases
- 48 hours later and nerve endings start to regrow
- 2 weeks – 3 months and circulation and lung function improves
- 1 year – risk of heart disease is halved
- 2 -5 years lung cancer death rate almost halved
- 5-10 years risk of stroke similar to no smoker
- 10 -15 years Lung cancer death rate and risk of cancer of mouth, heart disease, throat, bladder, pancreas decreases.
What are you waiting for?
