Smoking Cessation & Hypnotherapy - Hype Or Helpful?

Smoking cessation & hypnotherapy are two words that have been tied together with much controversy as success stories are revealed along with other not so successful leading to an odd divide in opinion both popular and medical on the benefits of hypnosis as a way to overcome an addiction to smoking cigarettes.

So is hypnotherapy & hypnosis actually helpful to people looking to quit smoking?

To know this we must understand what hypnosis actually is because this is where the biggest problem lies … in misunderstanding. Hypnosis only works if you WANT it to work and while skeptics may think this is a load of tosh those that open themselves up for hypnosis can gain the benefit because this is not mind control, this is not brainwashing this is just a helpful tool that can influence the brain. This influence comes from the subject who has undergone hypnosis to be at a heightened state of suggestibility which can allow therapists (or even yourself) to implant certain suggestions and reactions that are crudely put implanted into your subconscious to be at beck and call later on. This suggestibility is just that .. a suggestion which can be rejected if the subject does not want it so it is not brainwashing or mind control just a way to shortcut new behaviors and thoughts into your everyday life.

That being said can this work for smokers? Well let’s just look at the statistics of relapse from people trying to quit:

• 34% of smokers try to quit smoking cigarettes every year.
• Less than 10% of those that attempt to quit relapse and fail.
• Approx. 30% of people who join a smoking cessation program succeed increasing their chances beyond the norm
• Hypnotherapy boasts over 60% success rates!

Why is this so high and people are still arguing about it?

Possibly because those that go in for hypnotherapy are open minded enough to be actually able to take advantage of the benefits of the process while those going in with skepticism are the same people who are skeptical and negative of all stop smoking programs but try anyway because they approach everything from the wrong point of view.

This comes down two the two most important things in smoking cessation: Willpower & a Change of Mindset

Without the right frame of mind NO smoking cessation, hypnotherapy or anything will work for you in the long term because you have not consciously and unconsciously chosen to be a non smoker. -Michael Porteous