Is hypnotherapy the best way to stop smoking?

Did you know

Smoking is not a nicotine addiction but rather a habit.

While the physical addiction to substances can be ended relatively quickly, it is the mental aspect that is more difficult to overcome. This is where hypnosis comes in to break the mental addiction to substances and replaces them with positive suggestions and good habits. 

Only seven percent of those using patches and other nicotine replacement products remain quit!

How can hypnotherapy help?

The most comprehensive study into methods of quitting, reported in new scientist magazine, found that, hypnotherapy enjoys a greater success rate than any other method in helping people stop smoking.

Hypnotherapy is a gently induced state of deep relaxation. It’s a bit like daydreaming, so if you daydream sometimes, and everyone does to one degree or another, then you can be hypnotised. The hypnotic trance state is a natural state. 

Because nicotine and any addiction is released from the body on average 12 hrs after the last consumption what you are left with is the habit.

A qualified hypnotherapist can help you with breaking the habit by connecting with your subconscious mind and making suggestions for positive change and cigarette aversion.  

Hypnotherapy literally helps to support the mental changes by helping you to 'change your mind and be cigarette free'.

With the help of suggestions, your therapist will ease you into a very relaxed state where you conscious mind, (where all the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ live and where any resistance to change might linger), is in sort of ‘sleep mode’ and then your sub-conscious mind (your date base of information) is tuned in to your therapists voice so that your therapist can make the positive suggestions and help to re-wire your brain to becoming a non-smoker. 

With the help of techniques you can use after the session as well as the use of MP3’s to listen to, your hypnotherapist will create a therapy to support you to quit. 

The statistics are shocking

According to statistics provided by the public health charity ash.org.uk, every year around 96,000 people in the UK die from diseases caused by smoking and more than a quarter of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking.

The world health organisation’s research states: 

  • ‘Tobacco kills almost six million people per year, this works out to one death per six seconds.  
  • More than 600,000 of the people who die from tobacco related illnesses are not smokers themselves. They die from second-hand smoke, which is the smoke from a cigarette that the smoker doesn’t inhale.

The good news!

After your final cigarette - effects on your body:

  • 20 minutes - your blood pressure and heart rate will return to normal. 
  • 12 hours - carbon monoxide levels will drop back to normal and nicotine will have generally cleared from the body (can take 24-48hrs). After this, the physical craving will have stopped!
  • 24 hours - your body will start to clear out the mucus built up in your lungs.
  • 72 hours - your sense of smell and taste both improve and breathing will become easier and your energy levels will increase.
  • 1 month - the appearance of your skin will start to improve. 
  • 3-9 months - your lung function could improve by up to 10%.
  • 1 year -risk of suffering from a heart attack falls to app 50% of a smoker. 
  • 10 years - risk of developing lung cancer falls to about half of that of a smoker. 
  • 15 years - risk of suffering a heart attack falls to that of a non-smoker.

What now?

If you want to quit smoking, the best way is to find a hypnotherapist that you feel comfortable with. Positive rapport can make a massive difference to the efficacy of any therapy. Some hypnotherapists offer a free phone consultation so you can have a no obligation chat to help you make up your mind. 

Some therapists use a one stop 2.5-3hr session, others use a set of sessions that give you a spread of sessions over a few weeks with pre and post quitting sessions to add support. 

Some therapists also give MP3s to help you to relax in the in between times.

Its up to you to choose the method you feel suits you best. 

If you want to find a hypnotherapist, using Hypnotherapy Directory gives you a good variety of therapists in your area and each therapist has their own profile page to help you making your decision.

Give yourself a fresh start and make that decision to quit smoking today!

My own story...

I have been a non-smoker for the past 25 years. I used to smoke 20 cigarettes every day, plus another 20 cigarettes if I went out. When I recently got ill with a really bad cold/flu, I developed a chest infection like so many have. I was so glad I didn’t smoke! It was hard enough to breathe but I would really have been in trouble trying to cope with a chest infection with my lungs in a weakened state from all the tar and chemicals I used to inhale.   

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Hypnotherapy Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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