Testimonials

For Client Testimonials, see the EVIDENCE section of the site.

Nicotine: The Drug That Never Was.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the pharmaceutical business, hypnotherapy or anyone who has any compulsive behaviour such as smoking or biting your nails etc. The author, Christopher Holmes, explains beyond a doubt and sometimes in a very humorous way, what is really going on behind the smoke and mirrors of the pharmaceutical industry and the NRT business. His arguments are backed up with proof which leaves the reader in no doubt that they are being hoodwinked by these industries. The author also explains in great detail just what hypnotherapy is and how it can be a useful tool in your life. He dispels the myths of hypnotherapy in detail and in a manner which makes sense to even a layperson. I enjoyed his approach which is sprinkled with humorous anecdotes which makes the reading enjoyable and light in spite of the ‘heavy’ subject matter. I would recommend reading this book with an open mind and a willingness to learn. You will not be disappointed.
Reviewed by Rachel Whalen on the Lulu.com Publishing website
Holmes provides “Case Mysteries” as interludes between his chapters and
these are highly entertaining and illuminating. One such interlude
de-constructs the work of Allen Carr, a British smoking cessation guru. By
the time Holmes is done with Carr, there is not much left; it’s a great read
that made me laugh out loud… in the end, the arguments make sense. Just as
importantly, they are presented in an entertaining and insightful way,
making this book useful to hypnotists and those who would like to stop
smoking. I’d like to check out Volume II when I get a chance.

James Hazlerig, RealHypnosisReviews.blogspot.com

Dear Mr Holmes
I am a hypnotherapist in North Yorkshire, and I recently received through the post an advert for your book, which I duly purchased through Lulu.com. I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much I am enjoying reading it – and I’m looking forward to Volume II in due course. My husband is a dentist, so I shall be passing it on to him to read as soon as I’ve finished it – he’s been reading bits already, when I’ve left it on the table… You might also be interested to know that I took your advice and visited Omnihypnosis.com, from whom I ordered one of their training DVDs, which I found most instructive; now I just have to decide which one to order next!

I hope the book sales go well!

With best wishes
Joanna Taylor

A Must Read
This is without a shadow of a doubt the most enlightening and revealing book I have read – ever!

It would be interesting to see one of these “medical scientists” argue with Chris’ rationale about why Nicotine is not a drug. It is clear his opinion is one based on hard facts after years of working with the subconscious mind.
Whilst the subject matter is extremely serious I couldn’t help but giggle at the humour used throughout the text.

What I also found useful was that you can apply Chris’ theories to other areas of habitual behaviour that you may want to change, ie: gambling, eating chocolate etc etc. I found the sections on the subconscious mind incredibly educational.

For all smokers who have tried to give up or want to give up I would give this book a go, I estimate before long this will become a best seller once it falls into the right hands.
Reviewed on Amazon by Ms A E B Dean

Chris,
Just a quick email to give you some feedback on the above publication. I’m part way through reading it and am thoroughly enjoying it – it will be of great use to both me and my clients. I’m not sure when Volume II is scheduled for release, but please would you be so kind as to let me know? If you have some kind of mailing list I’d be happy to be included on it.
Many thanks

Catherine Farr

Hi Chris,
I totally agree! Good on you – will get a link sorted… all excellent work on your part, this forms the bedrock of the smoking cessation work I do too. Absolutely love your book!
Keep up the good work,
Tim Smale (Mindworks, Trafalgar Square)
Dear Chris,
I have finished your book and as well as making a lifesaving point it was very funny in places, and I’m not easy to amuse. I am convinced you are right… good luck with your book sales.

D. Mee, Virtual Image

Well done!
The truth at last!
I am directing my potential stop smoking clients to your site as they need to know the truth about the Nicotine Replacement ‘Therapy’ myth. How can sticking a powerful insecticide to your skin be classed as Therapy??
I gave up smoking over 20 years ago. No cravings, no cold turkey, just made a decision one day to do it , never smoked since.
Keep up the good work Chris, and please let’s share a link!
Jacqueline Gallagher, Rochester Hypnotherapy
Hi Chris,
I’ve just been reading your website with interest after details of it appeared in the British Institute of Hypnotherapy magazine.

I thought you might be interested to know that last year I sat on a research panel for Dr Foster Intelligence/NHS as the NHS were deciding whether to use the smoking ban as a tool to promote packing in smoking.

There were several nurses, midwives, GP’s etc. also on the panels, a few of whom openly admitted the real success rate of the government quit-smoking programme. Apparently, although they promote the short-term success rate, only 7% of people on the schemes remained as non-smokers after 12 months (which sits more accurately with other research into NRT’s). Of this 7%, the average number of courses of NRT received by them was 7.

From the conversations I had with people during this study, I found there are plenty of people on the lower rungs of the NHS who recognise the fact that NRT’s are not a suitable treatment. Hopefully your campaign will stir some of these people enough to speak out!

Good luck with the great job you are doing. I’ll be sure to set up a link to your site and band it around as much as possible!

Gary Oke
Oke Hypnotherapy, Manchester, Glossop and Sheffield

The Real Truth About Smoking
A very interesting and entertaining book. The central premise of it is that smoking is not an addiction to nicotine but rather a compulsive habit controlled by our subconscious which is why our conscious decisions to quit smoking lead to mental conflict and in most cases, relapse. The case put forward by the author to demonstrate this is so compelling that you will see smoking in a new light particularly if you have been led to believe (as most of us have these days) that you smoke because you are “addicted to nicotine”.
While the book is quite detailed and could have come across as an academic text, the author’s regular injections of humour and entertaining writing style prevent this from being the case. It is not a quit smoking guide as such but once you have read it you will be in little doubt as to the most effective method of quitting smoking. Also, anyone who has read any of the Allen Carr books will be very interested in the section that examines him.

Highly recommended and possibly one day the book that will be regarded as the seminal tome for examining the smoking habit for what it really is.
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk by S.Donovan, Brisbane, Aus.)

Hi Chris,
I emailed you a month after you went on line and said how pleased I was with your website. Everything you have on there is exactly what I have been saying in my talk before using hypnosis for years. I have been giving a copy of your home page to every smoker I treat and I have a link to your site on mine.
I have been treating smokers with hypnotherapy for 25 years.

best wishes, Ken Clark
Mold, Flintshire

Dear Chris,
This is what I’ve been telling my clients for years, so I have put a link to your website from mine.
Nicolette Lawson, Hypnotherapist in Solihull since 2000.
A Modern Necessity
Spread the word. The real truth behind Nicotine, and the NRT industry is here. Whether your attempting to quit smoking, or are just interested in the topic, this will open your eyes. Brilliant.
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk by G.Robinson, U.K.
Chris,
Have seen the website and it’s great! We were wondering if we could include it in our newsletter ‘Website of the Month’ feature? It is very much in line with our thinking. We will also link your site to ours, as it’s the sort of information we want our potential clients to see…

Smoking is just the tip of the iceberg. I once had a client for smoking whose doctor told her that hypnosis was ‘unsafe’ and he had something much better – Zyban. I told her to ask her doctor how many people have died using hypnosis, and how many died using Zyban. More should be done to stop the lies.

Helen Wozniak, Enfield

Highly Recommended
I very rarely leave reviews but I felt compelled to comment on this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and in fact, read most of it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down and I will certainly buy his second volume.
Chris’ writing style is straightforward and I found his evidence and his critical logic regarding nicotine totally compelling.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand just what is going on with their smoking. After reading half a dozen ‘Stop Smoking’ books purchased from various sources I’ve always felt dissatisfied with them because I never really thought that what they were telling me about nicotine and smoking was quite true. After reading this book I finally know now why that was so.
Reviewed on Amazon.co.uk by Mrs. T. Dawson, England

Hi Chris,
A friend sent me your site details: very good! I have put a link on my link page for you, a colleague in Wales is doing the same.
Best wishes,
Alan Grieveson, Wirral hypnotherapist
Hi Chris,
As a specialist in Smoking Cessation with a very good success rate, I have been saying this about nicotine to my clients for years, so I fully support your campaign.
I will pass your email on to all our members. Best of luck with your work!
Kindest regards,
Andrew Hillsdon DHP DPLT DSCT MNCH FPLTA
The Past Life Therapists Association
Hi Chris,
I also thought the BBC programme about hypnotherapy was very one-sided. It’s interesting that the suggestion is always that it doesn’t stand up to scientific trials. I’m so glad that all the ‘scientifically’ tested drugs have a wonderful success rate and no harmful side-effects! Is it okay for me to put a link to your site on my website?
Regards, Barbara Carlin BEC Hypnotherapy, Truro, Cornwall
Hi Chris,
If you are happy for me to do so, I’ll post this on my blog which is read by thousands daily. I like the message,
with my very best wishes,
Adam Eason
Adam Eason Personal Development
Hi Chris,
I enjoyed reading the pages about Allen Carr – you are perfectly right! Do you know that last March 14th, I was presenting Allen Carr’s Easyway to the future tobacco quitting specialists (a medical specialty) and saying that it was mainly a hypnosis technique. I agree with you.
Luc Dussart, Quit Smoking Consultant (Paris, France) unairneuf.org
“This site provides an interesting alternative perspective which challenges
people to research the topics of addiction and dependency in more detail. Addiction is a complex sociopsychobiological mechanism that is not yet fully
understood and the portrayal of patches and gum as a complete answer is misleading and contradicted by much of the scientific research since 1999.
We at www.scotlandtherapy.co.uk support the site in encouraging a broader knowledge of the topic and consideration of hypnotherapy as an important
tool in addictions treatment.”
Professor Paul Stuart Morgan-Ayrs
NVQ Assessor, Senior Practitioner, SHTC Director
www.scotlandtherapy.co.uk
Dear Chris,
I love your book… only read excerpts on the site here. I read the Allen Carr book at university, made little impact. Did the seminar version a few years ago aged 25, quit for 6 months. gradually got the feeling I was missing out, so started again. Now have re-read Allen Carr book and also found your website. Your counter-nicotine arguments have stuck in my mind far better than Allen Carr’s.
Annie S
Hi Chris,
I’m halfway through Volume I. Great book, confirmed my own thoughts. Is Volume II available?
best wishes, Raymond Neal
Hi Chris
Just a brief email to say thanks for a superb book – please can you put me on an emailing list for availability for training with you? I have never believed the ‘addiction’ bit about nicotine – especially with regard to its rather high failure rate! – and the packets saying “willpower required”! If it was all about nicotine, why the willpower?
Kind regards,
Duncan Murray
Solent Hypnotherapy
Hello Chris!
This is David Guesdon, from Spain, we exchanged email some time ago.
I ordered your book from Lulu.com and read it with great interest, taking copious notes of course. After 5 years in this business, having gone through lots of moments of doubts, rewarded thankfully by an increasing number of successes, I have to say it was very inspiring to read such a lively, informative and generous first-person account of your work and experience as a hypnotherapist. You did a great job. Information-packed and entertaining at the same time. It prompted me to go back to my initial stop smoking protocol (Jerry Kein), adding your line of Subconscious questioning, notably whether the Subconscious is ok to “switch off” reminder signals/cravings. That being said, I would still love to have the opportunity to see how you “do it”. When are you organising new trainings? I am quite eager to find out more about your work. It is very inspiring to see people like you.

Kind regards,

David Guesdon (Barcelona Hypnotherapy www.hipnoterapia.org)

from a review in Hypnotherapy Articles:
The author’s case is simple: nicotine is not addictive, and he makes a strong case in support of his argument. The book is replete with references to other people’s material and research, not least our own Department of Health, which the author proceeds to rip to shreds. Readers can check on the original research as all of the sources are provided by the author, and draw their own conclusions.
The book makes an excellent case for those main points that the author wished to publicise, namely addiction vs. compulsive habit. Numerous asides to various issues undoubtedly made for a more entertaining read… It’s not often that parts of a book on a very serious subject have me by turns howling in laughter and clapping in appreciation of the author’s attention to detail – this book did both…
This has the potential to be a landmark book and as such deserves a wide audience.
reviewed by Michael O’SullivanHypnotherapy Articles

These are just a few of the many messages of support that the Campaign, the Truth Will Out website and the book have received since March 2008. Feel free to add your own opinion through the Contact facility on the site.