Robin Goldman, 53, picked up the smoking habit when she was in high school. Since attending a hypnosis session at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital on Sept. 6, 2008, she has lost the urge. |  |
Smokers and nonsmokers will usually agree that cigarettes are expensive, stain fingers and make hair smell bad.
More sobering, there are 443,000 tobacco-related deaths in America each year, according to the American Lung Association. This includes almost 50,000 deaths related to secondhand smoke (due to causes such as lung cancer and heart disease) and more than 700 residential fire deaths per year connected to cigarettes.
But kicking the habit can be nearly impossible for some; nicotine is more addictive even than cocaine and heroin, researchers have found.
The good news is, quitting is possible. Prescription medications, over-the-counter nicotine patches and nondrug interventions such as group therapy and hypnosis all have varying rates of success. What's clear is that the more support you have, the better your chances.
Robin Goldman, 53, from Sun City Center, had tried to quit many times.
Then last September, with her sister in tow, she attended a hospital seminar where she underwent group hypnosis and learned she had the power to quit all along.
Here is her success story.
When did you start smoking?
In high school. It was a peer pressure thing. My family didn't smoke or know I smoked.
What and how much did you smoke?
Nonmenthol Benson & Hedges, about a carton a week.
What motivated you to try to quit?
My uncle died of an aneurysm, and my father had one too. I was told that they were hereditary and as a female smoker, I had an even higher risk.
What methods did you try in the past?
I've gone cold turkey. I tried nicotine gum and patches, but the patches gave me a rash. Chantix, a prescription tablet, worked for me about a week. Thirty years ago, I underwent hypnosis, but left the office after the second session and bought a pack of cigarettes.
What finally worked and why?
On Sept. 6, 2008, I attended Rena Greenberg's stop smoking seminar at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. I had three things going for me. One, I was genuinely motivated to quit. Two, her program offered continual guidance and support. Third, I took my sister with me, because I knew if she didn't quit, I couldn't. She was reluctant, but agreed to go and ended up quitting too. Now, I know I won't smoke again — it's not an option.
What was it like?
It's a two-hour session. The first part is spent getting at the reasons you smoke and why you want to quit. The second part is the hypnosis. Her voice is so relaxing I could listen to it over and over. You don't go to sleep, but fall into a very relaxed state, a kind of euphoria.
Have you had the urge to smoke since?
Not at all. I can't stand the smell of smoke; it makes me sick.
So now that you are a nonsmoker, what are the benefits?
I feel better. My house and clothes are cleaner and fresher. Everything smells and tastes better. In fact, I've gained some weight — 25 pounds — but still feel much healthier than before.
I have more money to spend and bought myself some really nice jewelry from the money I've saved.
THE HYPNOTIST
Rena Greenberg, president of Wellness Seminars, has been helping people quit smoking and lose weight since 1990, when she gave her first seminar at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. The Sarasota resident is a graduate of Brooklyn College, was a biofeedback therapist at the Hospital of Joint Disease in New York City, and holds two certifications in hypnosis.
She counts her former clients at well over 100,000; most live in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
She said the seminar works well for those who want to tap into the power of their own thinking.
"It helps change us so that all of the sudden that cigarette or junk food we've been craving is no longer a source of pleasure," she said. "Essentially, we are turning off the 'want switch' and all the negative programming telling us to 'finish that plate' or 'have a cookie.'
"The key is to program a new response to eat healthier foods or exercise more. We have to be able to see ourselves as a nonsmoker or thin person."
The first part of the seminar is about 40 minutes long and explains the conflict between the conscious and subconscious mind. Hypnosis introduces a new image into the subconscious, she said.
Greenberg's next seminars will be June 27 at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital, 1395 S. Pinellas Avenue, Tarpon Springs. The Stop Smoking seminar is from 10 a.m. until noon; the Lose Weight Seminar is from 1 to 3 p.m.
The fee ($79.99 at the door or $69.99 online at www.easywillpower.com ) includes a CD to reinforce the hypnotherapy, a behavior modification booklet and Greenberg's 183-page book, The Right Weigh.
DO YOU HAVE A SUCCESS STORY?
If you've lost weight, shaped up, or overcome some other health obstacle you'd like to share with the readers of Personal Best, please send us your story. We need to know your name, age, hometown, what you achieved, how you did it, and how it has changed your life. "Before'' and "after'' photos are helpful, too. Please e-mail your information to Personal Best editor Charlotte Sutton: sutton@sptimes.com (write Success Story in the subject line).
THE HYPNOTIST
Rena Greenberg, president of Wellness Seminars, has been helping people quit smoking and lose weight since 1990, when she gave her first seminar at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. The Sarasota resident is a graduate of Brooklyn College, was a biofeedback therapist at the Hospital of Joint Disease in New York City, and holds two certifications in hypnosis.
She counts her former clients at well over 100,000; most live in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
She said the seminar works well for those who want to tap into the power of their own thinking.
"It helps change us so that all of the sudden that cigarette or junk food we've been craving is no longer a source of pleasure," she said. "Essentially, we are turning off the 'want switch' and all the negative programming telling us to 'finish that plate' or 'have a cookie.'
"The key is to program a new response to eat healthier foods or exercise more. We have to be able to see ourselves as a nonsmoker or thin person."
The first part of the seminar is about 40 minutes long and explains the conflict between the conscious and subconscious mind. Hypnosis introduces a new image into the subconscious, she said.
if you go
Greenberg's next seminars will be June 27 at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital, 1395 S. Pinellas Avenue, Tarpon Springs. The Stop Smoking seminar is from 10 a.m. until noon; the Lose Weight Seminar is from 1 to 3 p.m. The fee ($79.99 at the door or $69.99 online at www.easywillpower.com) includes a CD to reinforce the hypnotherapy, a behavior modification booklet and Greenberg's 183-page book, The Right Weigh.
DO YOU HAVE A SUCCESS STORY?
If you've lost weight, shaped up, or overcome some other health obstacle you'd like to share with Personal Best, please send us your story. We need to know your name, age, hometown, what you achieved, how you did it, and how it has changed your life. "Before'' and "after'' photos are helpful, too. Please e-mail your information to Personal Best editor Charlotte Sutton: sutton@sptimes.com (write Success Story in the subject line).
This is a very interesting story for those who want to Stop and Quit Smoking Hypnotherapy Courses, methods and aids with the help of hypnotherapists.
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