Twenty years ago, at the age of 13, Mark picked up his first pack of cigarettes. While he doesn't remember the first smoke, it probably took some effort, but was well worth the extra points it won him on the playground. That was a long time ago, but twenty years later, Mark still smoked a pack a day, every day, in sickness and in health, come rain or shine.

For a long time Mark enjoyed his daily cigarettes. The first cigarette of the day was a chance to wake up over coffee. At 10:00 am he could take a short break from work to go to the smoking lounge to light up. His co-workers who didn't smoke worked through their break and Mark savoured the few minutes he got to himself.

About five years ago, Mark made a bet with his best friend Jerry that he could go for one month without smoking a cigarette. The two decided to put all of the money they spent on cigarettes in a jar for a month and use it towards a trip to Spain during the spring. Mark was completely surprised to find that he couldn't even last two days without ending up back at the shop buying another pack of cigs. Mark's friend Jerry was just as unsuccessful and the two spent their spring holiday exploring their hometown instead.

After his first struggle, Mark realized that his addiction to cigarettes was more powerful than he thought. He decided that will power wasn't enough to defeat his addiction so he decided to try a nicotine gum. The gum would keep his craving in check while his body got used to being nicotine free. This technique helped some of the physical symptoms like shaking, cold sweats, and muscle aches that he experienced the first time. Once the physical symptoms passed, Mark still couldn't find something to keep his hands busy. When he was at the pub, at a dinner party, or even just at work, the constant fidgeting and movement sent him right back to his pack of cigarettes to deal with his stress and frustration.

It was after this second attempt and failure that Mark began searching high and low for a solution to his problem. He saw an ad for hypnotherapist as a way to quit smoking. He was curious and decided to look into hypnotherapy. Mark visited www.mind-works.co.uk and read more about using hypnotherapy to quit smoking. The website claimed that one session was all that was necessary, so Mark figured he had nothing to lose. The hypnotherapist, Terry Doherty, came directly to his home and the session took all of 75 minutes.

After the session, where Mark visualised himself as a non-smoker with an improved sense of smell, he did not feel that twinge of craving for cigarettes. He didn't feel his hands shake or feel the need to fidget with something. It's been a year since Mark gave up cigarettes and he has since been back to all of his old haunts. The morning cup of coffee, the evening pub crawl, even the breaks at work have turned into fresh air breaks. One session of 75 minutes with hypnotherapist Terry Doherty of mind-works accomplished more than all of Mark's will power, gum, and dedication combined.

Hypnosis is extremely effective because it doesn't rely on 'willpower'. Willpower doesn't really exist, it appears to exist when your subconscious mind agrees with your conscious mind.

When you 'give something up' (as with willpower alone and some other stop-smoking methods), you often feel deprived. If you experience a stressful day, you may think to yourself, 'Why have I given up smoking when I enjoy it?'

At such stressful moments your subconscious and conscious mind are at loggerheads and your resolve may weaken. However, your subconscious mind can manage your habits, desires and cravings independently from your conscious efforts.

Hypnosis works because it alters the way your subconscious feels, so it ultimately agrees with your conscious mind, so that, after a stressful day you will think to yourself 'Wow, that was a hard day, I'm glad I have more energy since stopping smoking to deal with the stress more effectively.'

Hypnosis 'reframes' how you feel about smoking so that you are no longer 'giving up' which implies losing something. Instead you appreciate how your fitness has improved, how good things taste and smell now that our senses are no longer being damaged by the chemicals you used to inhale. You will notice how your breathing becomes easier and how much more energy you have gained... not to mention the money you have saved!