About Hypnotherapy for Smoking Cessation
​Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals overcome their addiction to tobacco (nicotine) and stop smoking (or vaping). This method utilises hypnosis, a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, to address the psychological aspects of smoking addiction. By continuing to smoke you actually increase your anxiety and stress levels over the long term, research shows that a smoker is more likely to suffer from severe anxiety or depression than a non-smoker (Morrell et al., 2006 & Wilhelm et al., 2004).
The primitive brain however is after short term gains, quick dopamine hits that make you feel good in that moment, but where the effects are short lived. The primary goals of smoking cessation hypnotherapy include reducing cravings, increasing motivation to stop, and reinforcing positive behaviours associated with a smoke-free lifestyle. Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation often involves exploring the individual's personal motivations for quitting, creating mental imagery of a smoke-free future, and establishing coping mechanisms to deal with stress and triggers that may lead to smoking. Hypnosis will get the subconscious mind on board with what you want to achieve.
Here's a general overview of how hypnotherapy for smoking cessation can work:
Relaxation:
The hypnotherapist will guide the individual into a state of deep relaxation. This is often achieved through controlled breathing, visualisation, and progressive muscle relaxation.
Focused attention:
Once the individual is in a relaxed state, the hypnotherapist will use various techniques to focus the person's attention. This may involve suggestions and imagery, or metaphors designed to shift the person's mindset about smoking. The hypnotherapist will introduce suggestions related to quitting smoking. These suggestions are intended to influence the subconscious mind and help the individual develop a negative association with smoking. Positive affirmations and visualisations of a smoke-free life may also be
included.
Hypnotherapy aims to tap into the subconscious mind to reprogram thought patterns and behaviours related to smoking. The idea is to replace the desire to smoke with healthier alternatives and a more positive mindset.
Building motivation:
Hypnotherapy sessions may include techniques to enhance motivation for stopping smoking. This can involve exploring personal reasons for stopping and reinforcing the benefits. Hypnotherapy is a collaborative process, so you do have to be motivated to stop smoking. This session will support the right mindset so that you can enjoy a healthier and happier smoke-free life.
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The New Scientist Magazine published an article in October 1992 (vol 136, issue 1845) stating ‘Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking' according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit. It details a meta-analysis carried out by Schmidt and Viswesvaran of the University of Iowa which statistically combines the results of more than 600 studies covering almost 72,000 people from America, Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe. By combining the results from so many separate studies, the meta-analysis enables the real effectiveness of each technique to be picked out and the results were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (Viswesvaran et al., 1992).
References:
Morrell, H.E.R., Cohen, L.M. Cigarette Smoking, Anxiety, and Depression. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 28, 281–295 (2006). https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-9011-8
Viswesvaran, C. and Schmidt, F.L. (1992). A meta-analytic comparison of the effectiveness of smoking cessation methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(4), pp.554–561. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.77.4.554.
Wilhelm, K., Wilhelm, K., Arnold, K., Niven, H. and Richmond, R. (2004). Grey Lungs and Blue Moods: Smoking Cessation in the Context of Lifetime Depression History. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38(11-12), pp.896–905. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2004.01489.x.
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