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For the estimated 21 million Americans who suffer from addiction, the New Year is the perfect time to kick bad habits.
Yet by now, just over a week into 2023, more than a fifth of people will have abandoned their resolution. and nearly half will have failed by the end of the month.
But hypnotherapist to the stars Max Kirsten has shared four tips with DailyMail.com for getting back on the horse.
Max has helped the likes of Tom Hardy, Ewan McGregor and Adele to quit smoking, and even former British Prime Minister David Cameron is rumored to have benefited from his services.
Max Kirsten (pictured) is a London-based hypnotherapist who has treated many high-profile British clients. He Quit Smoking NOW app helps cigarette users to kick the habit and quit smoking permanently.
Mr. Kirsten, who used to smoke a pack a day, focuses primarily on helping people with nicotine addiction.
But smoking is more similar to other addictions than you might think, he says, and the tips and tricks he uses to get people to quit will apply to things like food, recreational drugs, or even social media.
Learn to love yourself… or just use breathing techniques
Kirsten says that the root of many addictions is discomfort with oneself.
A person who is unhappy will actively search for things that make them feel complete. This can include nicotine, alcohol, or even unhealthy foods in many cases.
Not feeling comfortable can also lead to anxiety, a risk factor for many substance use disorders. Users find solace in a substance and stick with it for balance.
“If you’re comfortable, you don’t need a lot,” he explained.
This is where hypnotherapy can come in. Using repeated movements, images and sounds; it can put a person in a more relaxed state.
In this state of hypnosis, it is believed that a person’s behavior can be altered and thoughts can be implanted in their brain by a therapist.
Kirsten says that she uses hypnosis to help a person find their “true self” and unlearn the harmful activities they use to avoid it.
Refers to harmful behaviors as being performed by a ‘stranger’.
Deep relaxation and a greater understanding of oneself help calm anxiety and, in the process, remove a person’s need to reach for substances.
Hypnosis can be achieved at home using therapy recordings, which can be easily found online on websites like YouTube.
Launching his own Quit Smoking NOW app, Mr. Kirsten provides users with daily tips and tricks, a support group, and information to help them quit smoking.
Is available in Android Y iphone.
Typical relaxation techniques that fall short of full-scale hypnosis can also be valuable tools.
When someone struggling with addiction feels cravings kicking in, Kirsten recommends using her three-breath technique.
To do this, simply hold your breath for eight seconds before slowly releasing it.
Repeat this two more times.
Cravings often only last for around 60 seconds if managed properly, and this quick relaxation technique can help temporarily stave off cravings, according to Kirsten.
If this doesn’t work the first time, do it a few times and see how it feels.
Grammy Award-winning singer Adele (left) and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ewan McGregor (right) are among the high-profile clientele Kirsten helped to quit.
sleep better
Sleeping better allows you to be more relaxed throughout the day.
One of the reasons a person will reach for cigarettes, food, or other substances is to relieve stress levels.
Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress in the body, builds up when a person doesn’t get enough sleep each night.
Reaching for an addictive substance can help relieve that stress, but sleep is also a more natural and healthy form of relief.
Kirsten says that the ‘first few nights [of sleep after dropping an addiction] they are interesting.’
This is because the withdrawal a person feels from not having their substance will cause stress, but over time they will feel the relief of a good night’s sleep.
Sleep is a natural treatment for anxiety, which is often the root of addiction, and is a key part of recovery from a substance use disorder.
Kirsten recommends generic tips like avoiding screens like TVs, computers, and phones in the hours before bedtime, avoiding large meals before bed, and making the bedroom as dark as possible.
However, most people won’t be able to help themselves, and Kirsten recommends a separate breathing technique that can help as well.
To perform this, a person can slow their breathing to just six breaths per minute, each lasting ten seconds.
The first three seconds of breath should enter through the nose, before a long seven second exhalation.
Think of all the benefits of quitting
One of the first parts of quitting smoking is understanding all the good that comes from it, says Kirsten.
He said patients can think about having more energy during the day, not smelling like cigarettes and improving their overall health.
People will often look better and feel more confident when they rely on a substance to control them.
Healthier people also live longer, which means more time with family, friends, and other loved ones.
Other experts recommend setting aside 15 minutes each day to clear a person’s thoughts and think about what’s really important, and how great life can be outside of their addiction.
Visualization can be a real goal-reaching tool, as it allows someone to see what their future may hold if they stick to their plan.
Mixed martial arts world champion Conor McGregor has even said that visualization helped him throughout his dazzling career.
Part of quitting, Kirsten says, is understanding that giving up one thing can help improve everything else.
“More than anything else, addiction is giving up everything for one thing,” he explained.
While this seems obvious from the outside, convincing an addict that the rest of their life is more valuable than any substance can be difficult.
Using counseling, hypnotherapy, and even the support of loved ones such as friends and family, a person can learn to truly understand the benefits of quitting smoking and leaving their addiction behind.
relearn how to socialize
One of the final parts of kicking an addiction is learning how to restructure a person’s social life away from the substance.
For many people, especially those who abuse alcohol, this can be difficult.
Bars often serve as meeting places for many friends, and a night out is a popular way to de-stress on the weekends.
Kirsten says that those hoping to kick a bad habit should try to learn new activities that don’t lead to the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs.
For example, move your after-work drinks or your weekly gathering with friends to a restaurant instead of a bar.
“Bars are more for drinking, restaurants are more for socializing,” he said.
Daytime activities are also less likely to involve alcohol, and a person should strive to stay active during the day if possible.
This includes going to the gym, playing a sport, going to museums, spending time in nature, or other events throughout the day.
However, it can be difficult for a person who previously struggled with substance abuse to find new friends who want to participate in these activities.
Kirsten said that finding friends who are also trying to quit an addiction can be valuable to anyone recovering from addiction.