Question:
I am becomming very worried about claims made by therapists about success rates of smokers who quit. I would appreciate some clarification of how these success rates are come by. Is this 91-99% success anecdotal or from several evidence based studies? In Bristol a therapist making such claims was reported to the trading standards as it was felt these claims could not be substantiated.
I am sure I will be shot down in flames for even asking such a question but with the NHS quit service saying quit success is only 25% at 52 weeks and this is after exstensive research of 1000's of people which has been under gone by very stict research guidlines.
[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]
personally I wouldn't pay too much attention to the figures. If people are determined to give up smoking and it's the right time fot them, they will give up, with or without help.
I might suggest that the NHS stop smoking service has such low figures because their methods include nicotine replacement therapy. I have learned from experience that this is one of the least successful methods of giving up. Reason? because you are not breaking the addiction to nicotine, because you are planning on adminIstering another dose of nicotine, you are constantly thinking about your cravings and therefore about smoking. It is easy to see why people find it easy to just pick up a cigarette.
In my experience, it is much more effective to just stop and go cold turkey. Yes it is going to be unpleasant for a few days but you stand a much higher chance of stopping and staying stopped if you break the habit of craving nicotine and administering nicotine. You should prepare to feel a bit stressed out sometimes, just remind yourself the reason why.
I stopped smoking before I did Reiki, but I kept myself focused by saying "just for today I will be smoke free". The days soon added up and I never looked back.
Some things that helped me were, yoga, I did yoga every day to relax and it was wonderfully effective, I even lost weight rather than gaining it. If you don't do yoga, any exercise will help you to get rid of any stress you are going through. Also positive affirmations, concise, positive and in the present, helped me through.
All in all, I found it was not as hard as I had anticipated and after about two weeks, I was so happy that I had stopped. I would never smoke again now, the smell of it has changed to me and totally disgusts me now, it's strange.
Hope this helps.
Vic Reeves says that 83.7% of statistics are made up on the spot, so I'd take them with a pinch of salt. If they are independantly verified then I'd take them as okay.
I always say to my clients that I have had 'x' amount of smokers through the door and 'x' amount have called back for help. They can make up their own minds then.
Hugs
Steve
I agree with Steve, you can't go on statistics.
If we reported everyone who quoted statistics that couldn't be substantiated then that would be everyone who quotes statistics. Statistics are exactly what they say they are. They're not fact or true across the whole populus.
You also can't compare the NHS stats to other therapies as the NHS has a particular way of helping people to quit involving willpower and patches etc. whereby other therapies can, insome cases, have quicker results. Whether those results are permanent depends upon the individual involved and their own social (and other) situations.
Love and Reiki Hugs
I agree about statistics - you can make them say what ever you want! And I also agree with the approaches used via NHS, may not be the most powerful approach - ie they offer great options and it may not be for everyone
I have a friend who's success rate is 95% AND they only work with those who are serious about wanting to stop - thats key in anything working ;-)
I do my own stats after about 6 months to a year from the initial (often the only) session attended, sometimes a bit later. One day, I will be able to have an outside company do them for me.
The New Scientist published research that found that a simple hypnotherapy tape was the most effective treatment, but there were no hypnotherapy one-to-one sessions in the study, and EFT wasn't around then. Still, it was very good news.
Basically, it all boils down to that big ugly thing called money. I can't possibly ask my clients for more money to pay for an independent company verifying my stats, and until my company has enough therapists for me to find this money, I can't afford this verification. I think that sums it up for many others in my position.
We all compete for business and some of my competitors flaunt the most unrealistic figures. It's dog eat dog out there and you can either sink or swim. If you swim, you save many ex-smokers-to-be from a very painful life, not to mention an untimely death. I personally know all too well how painful and just how debilitating smoking-related illness can be. So what is one to do? Sometimes I publish my figures even though they are not verified by an outside company. These figures are for the service that includes 6 months support, which means that I do anything I can to get them off the cigarettes., and they pay a price that matches their level of commitment. Anyone who has more pressing problems is advised to heal those problems first, as the cigarettes may simply be a drug to help them through a hard time. Hence high figures. I reckon if I offered the same service via the NHS, my figures would be lower, about 80% success after 12 months from the first (possibly only) session, and would dearly love the opportunity to prove it.
You also need to ask why a monopoly is running our national health service and who has a vested interest in what. Not all the baddies are independent rogue therapists. I think it is a disgusting disgrace that doctors give NRT and counselling when there are more effective methods available. We are talking about people's lives here, why do the medics prefer to play politics than to carry out the hippocratic oath? I do get contacted from time to time by workers in NHS quit smoking clinics for staff training, I make sure they understand that I am flexible and willing, but they always get a big "No" from the boss. The press are not interested in modern effective therapies for quitting smoking either. The PR companies manage to advertise NRT very blatantly in "articles" in the papers and magazines. Trace the source of the article, your eyes will be opened.
I had a chat with the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and they gave me very good advice. Many other therapists could benefit from calling the ASA so they could find out what they can and can't claim.
To answer your question, a good stop-smoking therapist should have a success rate of 90-95% a year after the first appointment. Anything above 95% I would say is well-nigh impossible at the moment, as some people simply do not return for further treatment no matter what, and you can't force them to return.
Dear New Ageis there any other reseach apart from the New scientist one which I am informed by some eminent researchers in the smoking field that it is only one study
I am sure I will be shot down in flames for even asking such a question but with the NHS quit service saying quit success is only 25% at 52 weeks and this is after exstensive research of 1000's of people which has been under gone by very stict research guidlines.
[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]
Answers:
personally I wouldn't pay too much attention to the figures. If people are determined to give up smoking and it's the right time fot them, they will give up, with or without help.
I might suggest that the NHS stop smoking service has such low figures because their methods include nicotine replacement therapy. I have learned from experience that this is one of the least successful methods of giving up. Reason? because you are not breaking the addiction to nicotine, because you are planning on adminIstering another dose of nicotine, you are constantly thinking about your cravings and therefore about smoking. It is easy to see why people find it easy to just pick up a cigarette.
In my experience, it is much more effective to just stop and go cold turkey. Yes it is going to be unpleasant for a few days but you stand a much higher chance of stopping and staying stopped if you break the habit of craving nicotine and administering nicotine. You should prepare to feel a bit stressed out sometimes, just remind yourself the reason why.
I stopped smoking before I did Reiki, but I kept myself focused by saying "just for today I will be smoke free". The days soon added up and I never looked back.
Some things that helped me were, yoga, I did yoga every day to relax and it was wonderfully effective, I even lost weight rather than gaining it. If you don't do yoga, any exercise will help you to get rid of any stress you are going through. Also positive affirmations, concise, positive and in the present, helped me through.
All in all, I found it was not as hard as I had anticipated and after about two weeks, I was so happy that I had stopped. I would never smoke again now, the smell of it has changed to me and totally disgusts me now, it's strange.
Hope this helps.
Answers:
Vic Reeves says that 83.7% of statistics are made up on the spot, so I'd take them with a pinch of salt. If they are independantly verified then I'd take them as okay.
I always say to my clients that I have had 'x' amount of smokers through the door and 'x' amount have called back for help. They can make up their own minds then.
Hugs
Steve
Answers:
I agree with Steve, you can't go on statistics.
If we reported everyone who quoted statistics that couldn't be substantiated then that would be everyone who quotes statistics. Statistics are exactly what they say they are. They're not fact or true across the whole populus.
You also can't compare the NHS stats to other therapies as the NHS has a particular way of helping people to quit involving willpower and patches etc. whereby other therapies can, insome cases, have quicker results. Whether those results are permanent depends upon the individual involved and their own social (and other) situations.
Love and Reiki Hugs
Answers:
I agree about statistics - you can make them say what ever you want! And I also agree with the approaches used via NHS, may not be the most powerful approach - ie they offer great options and it may not be for everyone
I have a friend who's success rate is 95% AND they only work with those who are serious about wanting to stop - thats key in anything working ;-)
Answers:
I do my own stats after about 6 months to a year from the initial (often the only) session attended, sometimes a bit later. One day, I will be able to have an outside company do them for me.
The New Scientist published research that found that a simple hypnotherapy tape was the most effective treatment, but there were no hypnotherapy one-to-one sessions in the study, and EFT wasn't around then. Still, it was very good news.
Basically, it all boils down to that big ugly thing called money. I can't possibly ask my clients for more money to pay for an independent company verifying my stats, and until my company has enough therapists for me to find this money, I can't afford this verification. I think that sums it up for many others in my position.
We all compete for business and some of my competitors flaunt the most unrealistic figures. It's dog eat dog out there and you can either sink or swim. If you swim, you save many ex-smokers-to-be from a very painful life, not to mention an untimely death. I personally know all too well how painful and just how debilitating smoking-related illness can be. So what is one to do? Sometimes I publish my figures even though they are not verified by an outside company. These figures are for the service that includes 6 months support, which means that I do anything I can to get them off the cigarettes., and they pay a price that matches their level of commitment. Anyone who has more pressing problems is advised to heal those problems first, as the cigarettes may simply be a drug to help them through a hard time. Hence high figures. I reckon if I offered the same service via the NHS, my figures would be lower, about 80% success after 12 months from the first (possibly only) session, and would dearly love the opportunity to prove it.
You also need to ask why a monopoly is running our national health service and who has a vested interest in what. Not all the baddies are independent rogue therapists. I think it is a disgusting disgrace that doctors give NRT and counselling when there are more effective methods available. We are talking about people's lives here, why do the medics prefer to play politics than to carry out the hippocratic oath? I do get contacted from time to time by workers in NHS quit smoking clinics for staff training, I make sure they understand that I am flexible and willing, but they always get a big "No" from the boss. The press are not interested in modern effective therapies for quitting smoking either. The PR companies manage to advertise NRT very blatantly in "articles" in the papers and magazines. Trace the source of the article, your eyes will be opened.
I had a chat with the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and they gave me very good advice. Many other therapists could benefit from calling the ASA so they could find out what they can and can't claim.
To answer your question, a good stop-smoking therapist should have a success rate of 90-95% a year after the first appointment. Anything above 95% I would say is well-nigh impossible at the moment, as some people simply do not return for further treatment no matter what, and you can't force them to return.
Answers:
Dear New Ageis there any other reseach apart from the New scientist one which I am informed by some eminent researchers in the smoking field that it is only one study
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