All the help you need to kick the habit (From Croydon Guardian)

All the help you need to kick the habit

9:45am Thursday 4th January 2007 in News

Lighting up in pubs and restaurants will be banned from July 1, so why not use the new year as a chance to prepare by giving up smoking completely? If Christmas has put you off cold turkey, Lisa Williams finds some other ways to help you kick the habit.

Acupuncture

Sticking needles in your ear may not be the most obvious way to quit, but practitioners of Chinese medicine believe it is a way of dealing with addiction, cravings and side effects of quitting.

The service offered by Tejal Patel is typically holistic. As well as dealing physically with all aspects of quitting by acupuncture, she also offers practical advice to clients and even encourages them to phone her if they feel tempted to light up.

My acupuncture session began with an in-depth medical questionnaire. Tejal asked me about all aspects of health such a sleeping patterns, moods and illness. I realise this is the holistic part kicking in, as Tejal explains that many health problems, including addiction, are related.

The consultation is followed by acupuncture to treat most things that come up during the consultation. It does not hurt, it only stings momentarily - like a small injection. I could also see how powerful the method is when she puts a needle in my forehead for relaxation and I drift into a state of calm that makes interviewing almost impossible.

"That reaction is very common," she coos as my scepticism begins to flee.

After a night of the deepest sleep in a long time, the next day sees me feeling contented. It feels as if I have just had a slice of cake or just had the first drag of a cigarette - which is a pretty impressive from a bunch of needles.

• Place: Surbiton Natural Health Centre, Claremont Road, Surbiton, KT6 4QU.

Price: £50 for the first consultation, £40 for follow ups. Call 020 8399 2772 for more information.

Duration: An initial one-and- a-half-hour session, with more 45-minute follow-ups recommended.

Who it will suit: Smokers who would like to try a holistic approach to quitting the habit.

NHS Stop Smoking Clinic

The NHS prides itself in offering the only proven method for giving up smoking, for free. The programme is a combination of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and counselling, and can be taken in evening group sessions, or one-on-one with a pharmacist.

Sue Mooney, who manages a programme in south London, said: "The programme is flexible because some people prefer to have the support of other people quitting at the same time, while others like to be alone."

Both courses explore the reasons why people smoke and offer solutions to beat addiction. If someone likes to have a cigarette with their morning coffee, for example, they are advised to skip that coffee until the addiction subsides. They are also advised on which form of NRT is best for them.

"The patches are good for someone who wants to put it on in the morning and forget about it, whereas the inhalator suits someone who likes the hand-to-mouth action," Ms Mooney added.

The programme is also being extended for the workplace in advance of the new smoking ban for 2007.

"The smoking ban will be implemented in July 2007 and we are working hard with local businesses to help with their smoke-free policies and offering free help for staff to stop smoking," she said.

• Place: Group sessions take place in a hospital building, private sessions at a local pharmacy.

Price: Free Duration: A weekly hour-long session for six weeks.

Who it will suit: Smokers who have decided to quit but need the extra push of counselling and NRT.

For more details call: 020 8666 0370 (Croydon).

Allen Carr Easyway to Stop Smoking Clinic

If you balk at the idea of reading Allen Carr's hefty Stop Smoking book, then a five-hour group workshop could be the answer.

During this time smokers are asked to explore the reasons why they smoke, reasons which are duly banished by the seminar leader.

Smokers are allowed to smoke during breaks from the seminar and at the end of the five hours are invited to smoke their last cigarette'.

John Dicey, worldwide director at Allen Carr's Easyway, said the success rate was more than 90 per cent in the first year, dropping to about 50 per cent after three years.

Susan Billinghurst from Kingston said the Allen Carr method is "the best thing I ever did," and after smoking for more than 15 years has now been smoke-free for seven months.

"I hate being told what to do, which was part of the problem. I started smoking when I was 15 and have tried to give up using hypnotherapy, patches and gum, but nothing worked.

"When I started the Allen Carr seminar I was really sceptical but they made me look at smoking in a different way," she said.

She lists better breathing and not having to hide her smoking from her children as the main benefits of quitting.

She added: "I feel so much healthier, I can really feel it in my breathing when I go to the gym."

• Place: 1c Amity Grove, Raynes Park, London, SW20.

Price: £220, with a £30 discount if you mention this paper when you are booking a session, call 020 8944 7761.

Duration: Five hours, with a follow up session if you need it.

Who it will suit: Cynical, stubborn smokers who want a no-fuss option.

Hypnotherapy

A world away from Paul McKenna's stage show, hypnotherapy is an alternative method used by smokers who need an extra bit of conviction to quit.

"Hypnotherapy is effective for people who have decided they want to give up but need help with willpower," explained hypnotherapist Diana Penney.

"It can help people confront the desperate battle that they may struggle with when they try to give up smoking," she said.

After a one-off session, clients are given a 15-20 minute CD with a hypnotherapy script tailored to each person's needs. Once under', the client is given positive messages such as you are a non-smoker' or you are healthy' which are intended to enter the subconscious and boost willpower.

"If anyone is scared of hypnotherapy, they need to know that they will always be in control. It's like day dreaming or meditation.

"I make it very clear that they are in control at all times. Should they choose to come out of hypnosis, they can. Unlike how stage hypnotism may appear, you cannot make someone do what they do not want to do," Ms Penney said.

"Smoking cessation is the mainstay of my work as a hypnotherapist, and I haven't had anyone call me to tell me it hasn't worked," she said.

• Place: 112 Massingberd Way, Tooting, SW17.

Price: £150, with free follow-up if needed, call 020 8767 0791 or 07970 198944.

Duration: One two-hour session.

Who it will suit: Resolute quitters who need a helping hand.