Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Quitting Smoking Reviews

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment which centres around changing current thought patterns, in order to resolve existing problems. It is one approach to psychotherapy that works by confronting irrational beliefs, then questioning their validity.

CBT is based on the scientifically endorsed assumption that all behavioural responses are learned, and it is our thoughts that control our feelings. We are in charge of our own thoughts and feelings, meaning we are capable of changing the way we feel. It is possible to be in control of the way we feel, even if external factors such as people, our situation or our location, stay the same.

You may have heard the saying “We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we react to it.”

CBT is becoming more and more popular, and is starting to replace traditional therapy as the norm. Compared to traditional forms of therapy based on the teachings of Dr. Sigmund Freud, CBT (founded by Dr. Albert Ellis) is highly instructive, so results are seen very fast. Superior results are seen in a much shorter time frame than traditional therapy, with longer lasting effects. CBT is time-restricted, so a client may only see the therapist 12 times, rather than treatment going on for years.

Traditional therapy based on talking about problems is an ongoing process, and discussions of childhood etc can stretch on and on. Ellis supporters argue; anyone can talk, what a patient needs to do is unlearn negative behaviors, then replace them with new, positive actions that will have the desired effect on their lives.

With CBT, the therapist works together with the client to identify destructive thought patterns and behavior, then work on changing that behavior, by changing the way they think and feel. The therapist will not tell the client what to do, rather they will help the client to help themselves. They do this by teaching them how to change the way they act and think, in order to get what they want.

In the first session, the therapist will listen to the client to learn their goals, and establish desired outcomes for the treatment. They work on breaking down the big problem into manageable chunks that are easily digested by the client, to work on one at a time.

For example, the client may express one of their biggest concerns is they don’t think they are going to be able to cope with everyday situations without a cigarette. They feel they don’t know what they are going to do with themselves when they are on a break at work. They usually have a cigarette in the car while it warms up, and feel fear they are not going to know what to do with themselves if they can’t have a cigarette during this time.

Based on the principal you can easily change how you think or feel, the therapist would then give the client a homework lesson. The smoker is instructed to challenge this discomfort, by sitting in the car while it warms up, without lighting the usual cigarette.

This time, instead of the letting irrational thoughts circulate, such as; “I need a cigarette, I don’t know what I will do if I can’t have a cigarette right now, all I can think about is cigarettes,” instead, immediately replace them with more realistic assertions. “I am so grateful I no longer have to light up. I am so much happier now I never have to fill my car with dangerous side and mainstream smoke. How great is it that the car no longer reeks of cigarettes, my hair and clothes are going to be fresh and clean smelling when I arrive at work.”

If the client is in preparation for quitting, the statements would be forward-looking. Then the smoker may say; “I can’t wait until I no longer have to light up. I will be so much happier when I never have to fill my car with dangerous side and mainstream smoke…” etc. The therapist may suggest flash cards where these statements are written by the client, so the desired outcome can be easily refreshed in the smokers mind whenever required.

As we say in our hypnosis post, the subconscious doesn’t know the difference between fact or fiction, it just takes what is programmed in by the conscious mind, and accepts it as fact. Repeating these statements over and over will cause these thoughts to become natural, replacing the negative feelings to produce the desired outcomes.

Our Comments: We feel that the key to a successful quit lies first and foremost in changing the way you think. We firmly believe smoking is mostly psychological, and so can be dealt easily with by simply relearning how you think and feel about the situation.

Systems that use CBT as their methodology are the Successfully Stop Smoking System and The Easy Quit System.