Hypnotherapy and Stopping Smoking

"Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking, according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit. Willpower, it turns out, counts for very little". (New Scientist, Volume 136 issue 1845 31 Oct 1992, page 6)

Most people use smoking to relax and unwind. In fact nicotine is a stimulant and increases both heart rate and blood pressure.  It is only a means of distraction and poses considerable health risks.  The good news is that on stopping smoking all traces of nicotine have left the body after 48 hours.  However what is left is a habit which by definition is unconscious and which has been reinforced often over many years.  Associations will have been set up in the brain so that, for example, the end of a meal will generate the expectation of a cigarette.  Or going to the pub will mean a drink and a smoke.  Hypnosis works with the individual by identifying the triggers that activate the habit.  In the hypnotic state the unconscious mind can accept new and positive suggestions to end the habit for good.

No weight gain

Many smokers fear that they will gain weight, have to suffer uncontrollable cravings, or be unable to handle stress if they stop smoking. These things are all experienced when using other methods to stop smoking. This is all far from the truth when using hypnosis. Suggestions will be given that all cravings to smoke will be removed, and the need to find a replacement for smoking (eg food) will be completely eradicated.

After the session

You will not feel as if you are depriving yourself of cigarettes. There will be no pain, or feelings of sacrifice, only feelings of relief and happiness that you are now a non-smoker, and you will never smoke again. These positive feelings will stay with you and help you deal with stressful situations much more effectively.

Imagine all the money you could save

If you currently smoke 20 a day, and a box of cigarettes is about £6, then you must spend at least £180 a month – that's approximately £2190 a year. What would you like to spend that money on instead? Only 1 session of hypnosis can start you on the path to a more wealthy lifestyle.

The one session approach

You can either choose to be a smoker or a non smoker, there is nothing in between.  So there is no weaning off period, no gradual withdrawal.   After just one session of hypnotherapy you could enjoy a healthier life as a non smoker.

Still going strong and thoroughly enjoying life without smoking. I have not thought about smoking nor had the desire to smoke at all.  I just wanted to say thank you - you have changed my life totally and for the first time I feel completely in control.  (Claire C)   

Read more on the non hypnotherapy based methods of giving up smoking:

• Champix (Chantix) - 2006 studies boast a 1 in 5 one-year quit smoking rate but were inflated by 16 one-on-one counselling sessions and telephone support. Real-world use rates will be substantially lower
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) - Replacement nicotine delivered by the patch, gum, lozenge, spray or inhaler comes from the exact same tobacco plant as nicotine in cigarettes. Clinical efficacy and real-world effectiveness are two different standards. What those selling NRT fail to reveal is that in no real-world quitting methods survey to date (California, Minn., Quebec, London, Maryland, Australia) have those using NRT performed better than those giving up without it. A 2003 study combined and averaged the 7 OTC nicotine patch and gum studies. It found that only 7% were still not smoking at 6 months. It gets worse. A 1993 study (Tonnesen) found that 0% of second-time patch users succeeded in quitting for 6 months and a 1995 study (Gourlay) reported a 1.6% six-month quitting rate
• Zyban - Zyban (bupropion) is a dopamine uptake inhibitor in pill form. In all real-world use surveys to date it has yet to perform better than those quitting without it, at rates similar to NRT

 Research by The New Scientist Magazine (1992) has shown hypnotherapy to be the safest and quickest way to quit smoking. People were six times more likely to quit with one session of hypnosis and remain non-smokers over 12 months after their session, compared to those who used Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

The advantage of hypnosis is that it removes the dependency and craving of quitting without risking the side effects of rashes and potential long term damage that has been associated with Zyban. Those using NRT are know to have to try to quit on average six times before succeeding, thereby investing heavily in substitute products and addictive chemicals, before developing a stronger will or abandoning any belief in quitting altogether.

Studies in America have shown that hypnosis is the most effective method of stopping smoking for good with an 85% success rate in just one session! This contrasts with the low rates of 10% success for those using nicotine gum and 6% compared with willpower alone. (Mathews, R (1992) New Scientist, Vol. 136, No. 1845, p.6.)

To find the most effective method to stop smoking Frank Schmidt and research student Chockalingham Viswesvaran from the University of Iowa used a meta-analysis, utilising the results of more than 600 studies totalling nearly 72,000 people. The results, which were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology and included 48 studies of hypnosis covering 6000 smokers, clearly showed that hypnosis was three times more effective than NRT.