Stop Smoking

Hypnotherapy To Stop Smoking

Tobacco, actually nicotine and the chemicals used in the production of tobacco, can create a very powerful addiction. It is both a physiological addiction as well as psychological one, with the nicotine actually changing the chemicals in your brain to create the physiological addiction. At the same time, the association of smoking with specific behaviours, such as drinking a coffee, driving a car or working on the computer also becomes a pattern.

Traditional types of smoking cessation programmes focus only on dealing with the nicotine addiction, the physiological component of the habit. They fail to deal with the behaviour association of smoking with so many things in a smoker's life. The good news is that there is a smoking cessation programme that actually addresses both and has been demonstrated to be highly successful in both the short and long term.

How It Works

Hypnosis used to help you stop smoking is far from the parlour tricks that you may see on YouTube or on a television special. In a therapeutic setting, individuals who are trained in hypnotherapy techniques simply provide you with the proper environment to be open to suggestions about changing your lifestyle and eliminating smoking.

During the sessions, the participant may appear to be relaxed and may close his or her eyes, but they are still very much aware of everything that is going on. The brain is still functioning at a very high level and the suggestions, which will focus on the goals of smoking cessation and a healthier life, can be more easily accepted by both the conscious and subconscious mind. When the same message is heard by both the conscious and subconscious mind it is internalised, allowing the individual to replace thoughts that allowed or encouraged the smoking behaviour.

Suggestions

One common approach to hypnotherapy for smokers is to have the smoker associate smoking with negatives. This includes both the suggestion of a physical discomfort with smoking or health issues. An example of discomfort may be that the hypnotherapists makes the suggestion that smoking leaves a taste in the mouth like burning rubber or that smoking creates wrinkles or lines on the face. Smokers may also hear the suggestion that they do not want a cigarette or that they are unable to tolerate the smell of tobacco smoke.

Stand Alone Treatment Or Combined With Others?

While smoking cessation programmes that use hypnotherapy as a stand-alone intervention are helpful to many, combinations of programs may be more beneficial for some individuals.

These combinations of programs can include behavioural therapy, counselling or life coaching with the hypnotherapy. In addition, medication to help with stopping smoking may also be effective. This can be the over-the-counter options or prescription medication; it just depends on your personal reaction to the programmes.

Many people who have struggled to stop smoking in the past using traditional medication or a more "cold turkey" approach find that they return to the habit in days, weeks, months or even years. Hypnosis may be one option to consider as a more permanent way to break this very unhealthy habit.

Posted by: Philippe Jacquet