How to Quit Smoking with Hypnosis

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and also leads to several health problems like heart disease, strokes and cataracts. Pregnant women who smoke may develop complications and babies of smoking mothers are more likely to develop SIDS. Quitting is difficult, as nicotine is highly addictive, but hypnotism in conjunction with behavior modification can help you give up smoking.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Be fully ready and willing to quit before undergoing hypnosis. Hypnosis changes behavior by tapping into the subconscious, which controls habits and addiction. A hypnotherapist cannot make you quit smoking, so a deep desire to kick the habit is key to success.

2. Find a licensed hypnotherapist in your area. The American Council of Hypnotist Examiners is the largest organization in the nation that certifies hypnotists. The ACHE only recognizes hypnotists who graduate from schools licensed according to state and federal laws.

3. Schedule a preliminary meeting with your hypnotherapist before your first hypnosis session. Be prepared to discuss your expectations so that the hypnotist can develop and treatment plan and discuss expected outcomes with you. Depending on the severity of your habit, you may require several hypnosis sessions to quit smoking.

4. Tell the hypnotherapist how long you've been smoking, how often you smoke and when you are most likely to smoke. Perhaps you smoke only after meals, or maybe you chain smoke all day, everyday. Your hypnotherapist must understand your behaviors in order to help you modify them.

5. Ask any questions about hypnosis before your first session. You must fully trust your hypnotherapist for the treatment to work. If you have doubts or feel uneasy at all, make arrangements to meet with someone else.

6. Enter your first session with a positive attitude, an open mind and confidence in your hypnotherapist's knowledge and abilities. Virtually anyone with normal brain activity can be hypnotized, but the subject must be willing to undergo hypnosis for it to work.

7. Follow your hypnotherapist's instructions for exercises that complement your hypnosis to maximize success. She will probably recommend methods for stress management and relaxation in addition to behavioral modifications you can make at the level of conscious awareness. The suggestions for behavioral change made during hypnosis operate at the subconscious level, so you may find yourself acting differently without intentionally doing so.

Tips & Warnings

• Contrary to popular belief, a hypnotist cannot force you do anything outside your moral and ethical parameters. Once under hypnosis, a person becomes more open to suggestions, and will put them into practice only if they are consistent with his will.
• Be prepared for immediate, significant change or no noticeable alteration of desire or habits. Individual response to hypnosis may vary, so have patience and understand that smoking cessation is a process.
• Many websites offer hypnotism programs on CD or DVD. While these programs may work for some, one-on-one, personalized hypnotherapy has the highest success rates among methods to quit smoking with hypnosis. If you do purchase a smoking cessation hypnotherapy program, research the credential of those who developed the program.
• Inexperienced or poorly educated hypnotherapists can cause emotional damage. Check a hypnotist's credentials before undergoing hypnosis.

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Resources

• Website of the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners