Using hypnotherapy to stop smoking might seem like wishful thinking. But can you stop smoking for good with the help of hypnotherapy? In this article, we’re going to examine the effectiveness of using hypnotherapy to stop smoking, and see whether or not it brings something new to the table.
Hypnotherapy to stop smoking facts
Giving up smoking can be a real challenge. Smoking is a dangerous habit that can cause cancer and lead to death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 1.1 billion people around the world are smokers. Unfortunately, a lot of these smokers come from low- or middle-income countries, so they suffer from tobacco-related diseases.
The WHO considers the tobacco epidemic as one of the most significant public health threats the world has ever faced. Tobacco consumption is responsible for up to 7 million deaths each year. Sadly, up to half of the people who use tobacco die because of it.
Even though most find quitting smoking difficult, there are certain things that can help. Nicotine patches, lozenges, and chewing gum can help you overcome your addiction. But you don’t have to panic if you’ve tried all these methods without any results. There is still something you can try.
Hypnotherapy to stop smoking
Hypnotherapy is perfectly suited to help you break bad habits and cope with stress. Even though hypnotherapy is used for a variety of applications, it is especially good at stimulating your mind and helping you overcome the temptation of relapse.
The history of hypnotherapy to stop smoking
Psychiatrists started using hypnotherapy for psychological treatment in the twentieth century, spurred on by Sigmund Freud. However it wasn’t until 1958 that the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) recognised hypnotherapy as a medical procedure.
Dr. Herbert Spiegel first used with clients hypnotherapy to stop smoking and documented it in 1970. His treatment strategy is widely known as the “Spiegel method” and it’s still used to this day.
Modern hypnotherapists use suggestions to convince smokers to associate cigarettes and cigarette smoke with unpleasant sensations which helps the smokers quit. The hypnotherapist might also stimulate the smoker’s ability to cope with their nicotine withdrawal symptoms and lessen their desire to smoke.
How hypnotherapy to stop smoking works
During a hypnotherapy to stop smoking session, the therapist might ask the client to imagine the unpleasant outcomes of smoking. The hypnotherapist might make clear suggestions that will make the client uncomfortable for a short while. For example, the hypnotherapist might suggest that the smoke coming out of a cigarette smells like car exhaust or that the smoke leaves the patient’s mouth feel parched. One popular smoking cessation hypnotherapy technique is called Spiegel’s method. This technique focuses on three ideas:
- Cigarette smoke is poison for the body
- The patient needs his or her body to keep living
- The patient should respect his or her body and protect it to live longer.
The hypnotherapist also teaches you some useful self-hypnotherapy techniques that will help you overcome your desire to smoke anytime it arises.
Hypnotherapy to stop smoking – What does science say?
Hypnotherapy has always been a controversial subject. People are sceptical about the benefits of hypnotherapy because this branch of alternative medicine has been misrepresented in movies and other types of media for decades. Some people believe that hypnotherapy is nothing else than stage magic, while others believe they become gullible under the influence of hypnotherapy.
Nevertheless, there are several studies that focused on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy to stop smoking. Here are their conclusions
1. 1993 Study
A study conducted in 1993 examined the effectiveness of hypnotherapy to stop smoking. But the interesting thing about this study is that it studied the effects of hypnotherapy for smokers after a single hypnotherapy session.
226 smokers were treated with a single hypnotherapy to stop smoking session involving self-hypnotherapy. The researchers contacted the smokers two years after the study to follow up on their results. This study calculated only the total abstinence for smoking as a successful outcome.
52% of the people who participated in this study abstained from smoking for a week after the hypnotherapy session. 23% of the participants maintained their abstinence for two years. Curiously, the study found that those who were living with a significant other were more likely to abstain from smoking than those who didn’t.
The study concluded that hypnotherapy is effective at prompting people to give up smoking. The researchers found that hypnotherapy to stop smoking is superior to spontaneous efforts to give up smoking.
2. 2008 Study
A study presented in May 2008 wanted to determine whether hypnotherapy would be more effective than regular counselling in helping smokers quit. The randomised study enrolled 286 smokers who lived in and around San Francisco. The smokers participated in two 60 minutes sessions of counselling or hypnotherapy, and they received three follow up calls after the study.
After seven days into the study, 29% of those in the hypnotherapy group reported they abstained from smoking, as opposed to 23% in the counselling group.
Six months after the study, 26% of the people who were part of the hypnotherapy group reported they did not pick up the habit again, as opposed to 18% of the behavioural counselling group.
One year after the study, 20% of those in the hypnotherapy to stop smoking group reported they did not smoke, compared with only 14% of the counselling group.
This study concluded that hypnotherapy to stop smoking is more effective than standard behavioural counselling for long-term quit rates.
3. 2017 Study
A study presented in 2017 examined the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for smoking cessation among students. 59 students were selected randomly to participate in the study. The researchers trained the students in practicing self-hypnotherapy, and they asked the students to practice it at home and keep a diary of how much they smoked for nine weeks.
The study found that 65.4% of the students stopped smoking after practicing hypnotherapy to stop smoking for nine weeks. The study reported that the students smoked less after implementing the programme, and it concludes that hypnotherapy has a therapeutic effectiveness in achieving smoking cessation among students.
Hypnotherapy to stop smoking changes your perspective
Hypnotherapy is effective for smokers because it helps change their perspective. So far, we’ve seen that part of the scientific community backs the use hypnotherapy as an aid for those who want to give up smoking. But what makes hypnotherapy so effective for smokers?
With the help of hypnotherapy, smokers can develop a different mindset regarding cigarettes. The hypnotherapist’s suggestions will help you see cigarettes and cigarette smoke differently.
One of the most common phrases you’ll hear when someone tries and fails to quit smoking is that he or she likes smoking. Well, it’s one thing to give in to your cravings, and it’s another to state you actually like it. This mentality changes with the help of the hypnotherapist’s suggestions. After the therapeutic intervention, you will no longer see smoking as something you like. You will see it as the danger it is. Even though some of the suggestions might make you uncomfortable at first, they will not only help you quit smoking, but they will also help you overcome your cravings and relapse.
Hypnotherapy to stop smoking and self help
Most people wrongly believe that only hypnotherapists can induce hypnotherapy. This is not true. With the help of a guided meditation session, you can learn to perform self-hypnotherapy and help yourself beat your addiction. Certain words and phrases can help your subconscious see cigarettes differently. Repeating these words or phrases can help you fight the urge of lighting a cigarette, and they can help you abstain from smoking long-term.
One of the good things about hypnotherapy is that you can combine it with other methods to increase your chances of quitting smoking. Not only that, but hypnotherapy might even enhance the effects of other smoking cessation methods such as nicotine patches or chewing gum.
Hypnotherapy can help your mind overcome the addiction while the nicotine gum or patches can help your body deal with the nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Hypnotherapy to stop smoking sessions
My “Quit Smoking” hypnotherapy sessions are specially developed to encourage your subconscious mind to abstain from smoking. The programme helps with:
- Instructing your subconscious mind to drop the messages that lead to nicotine craving
- Relaxes your mind and allows you to deal with stressful situations that would otherwise act as triggers to smoke
- Provide support and boost your willpower, stimulating you to give up smoking for good.
Using hypnotherapy to stop smoking could be for you
Hypnotherapy can be fun and relaxing, but fundamentally it’s a powerful method for triggering profound personal change. You can learn more about hypnotherapy to stop smoking by clicking here.