Karen Pine - Love Not Smoking: Do Something Different

Ben (C) Fletcher and Karen Pine, 2011

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The authors of this book do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the authors is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual wellbeing. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the authors and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

The information contained in this book will be relevant to the majority of people but may not be applicable in each individual case so it is advised that professional medical advice is sought for specific information on personal health matters. Neither the publisher nor the authors (or their representative) accept any legal responsibility for any personal injury or other damage or loss arising from the use or misuse of the advice and information in this book.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-84850-325-0 in print
ISBN 978-1-84850-485-1 in Epub format
ISBN 978-1-84850-484-4 in Mobipocket format

There are a number of people to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude in making this book possible. First of all to Ronel Erasmus who has been overseeing the running of this quit-smoking programme in our community projects, where Do Something Different has been improving the health and wellbeing of thousands of people. Ronels sheer enthusiasm, positive energy and endless passion for DSD brighten the lives of those who come into contact with her. She is a huge inspiration to all and we are so grateful to have her in our lives. Wed also like to express our sincere thanks to Poppy Elston and Lucille Omurcan for delivering the Love Not Smoking: Do Something Different message and helping people to quit smoking and move on with their lives. Special thanks also go to Anna Mertziani for playing an important role in helping to develop and test this programme. And to her and Neil Howlett for their rigorous research and attention to detail, which have made a vital contribution to the scientific rigour of the programme. We also have to say a huge thank you to the many ex-smokers who have worked through the programme and given us their full support and confidence in its unrivalled success. To Keith Powell especially, for grasping the DSD message to his heart and for giving something back to others. And to the West Norfolk partnership, including Ian Burbridge and Martin Slater, for having the vision and foresight to bring Do Something Different to the people they serve and support. Thank you. And thanks also to many other friends who have made DSD a part of their personal or professional lives, including Shivani Sharma, Pete Burden, Simonne Gnessen, Ray Richards, Karen Durkin, Angela Cooke, Tom Nixon, Will McInnes, Alex Davda, Gary Kupshik, Paul Mullin and Jessica Chivers.

We would also like to thank our agent Sheila Crowley for all her encouragement, support and belief in our work. And, last but not least, the fabulous team at Hay House for bringing their professionalism and wealth of experience and knowledge to this publication. And for having a caring and enlightened ethos that aligns perfectly with our mission to continue to help people to lead better lives.

Welcome to a refreshing new approach to quitting smoking. Whether this is the first time youve tried to ditch the habit or youre a serial quitter, we think youll love Love Not Smoking. The techniques in this book, which youll get to know and live by, are based on the powerful Do Something Different principles we have developed in our work as psychology professors and human behaviour analysts. And, best of all, they work.

The Love Not Smoking: Do Something Different method makes use of the science behind why people get trapped by or stuck with particular habits. Its a pioneering technique that helps people break free from all sorts of addictions. It has been tried and tested, and brings with it success stories from many walks of life. Now you have the chance to learn this technique, one that will painlessly release you from the grip of your own unwanted behaviours. This method helps people really get what they want from life. To be no longer the victim of habits and addictions. More importantly, to stop living life on autopilot.

The success of this technique, and twenty-first-century scientific research, has begun to change the way people think about unwanted behaviour, addiction and habit. For a long time scientists have known that there is a pathway in the brain behind everything we do, a set of interconnected brain cells that form a path along which messages travel. And the more they travel along it, the more that pathway gets hard-wired into the brain. Were excited by recent research which has shown that, at any age or stage of life, human beings can forge new brain pathways. The brain may have designated neural connections but they are not fixed at birth, nor are they necessarily with us for life. They can be modified and new ones can be formed. Thats the key to change. We believe that when people replace old brain patterns with new ones, there is far less chance of them repeating the mistakes of the past. Because the old habits were encoded in those redundant brain pathways, in that old wiring. The powerful Do Something Different technique teaches new behaviours that forge new pathways.

The upshot is this: not only does the brain affect what we do; what we do also affects the brain. And so, of course, when we Do Something Different, we get something different. Thats why behavioural techniques like this one are so incredibly effective and powerful. You may be addicted to nicotine, but your brain is far more addicted to life or at least to all the sneaky, automatic rituals and routines that are hooked up to your smoking habit. The cup of coffee, the long drive, the telephone calls, the stressful conversation all those well-established triggers. Do Something Different is a skill that you can develop, practise and incorporate into your everyday life. With amazing results. You see, its more than just a quit-smoking programme. Even though it will help you give up smoking, its also a personal development programme.

We first introduced this technique in the successful The No Diet Diet: Do Something Different book, a bestseller now published in 23 languages worldwide. By using Do Something Different, people everywhere including serial dieters whod struggled for years to fight the flab found it easy to lose weight. They reprogrammed their wiring with new behaviours and reconditioned themselves so they were no longer slaves to their old ways. They unlearned the habits of the past, which had led to overeating, and replaced them with new healthier, positive ones. They lost weight but also found a new zest for life, a new energy and confidence. Do Something Different has also released people from the stranglehold of stress and anxiety, and has turned around the lives of thousands of people, both personally and professionally. As psychologists we think we have more than an inkling about the psychology of the smoker, so