Many people have quit smoking with the use of hypnosis. I have found that people who use hypnosis to stop smoking fall into one of four catagories.
People in catagory one tell me that it is like they never smoked. They don't even think of smoking anymore. They say it's like they have been a nonsmoker all of their lives.
People in catagory two tell me that while they don't really crave a cigarette, they still have an automatic reaching habit. They tell me that they will get into their car and reach for the glove box looking for a cigarette, then they will realize they have quit smoking, and the thought just fades away.
People in catagory three tell me that at times they have a little bit of a mind battle. They will be having a cup of coffee, and the old thought of smoking will come into their mind. They'll say "Boy, I sure would like a cigarette with this cup of coffee. Yes--No--Yes--No." The ones who say "NO!" Do very well. These people tend to be those who are not really sure they want to quit smoking. Sometimes they are doing it for someone else, like a spouse or their children, however, they too can be successful.
Now let me tell you about the last catagory. These are the people who walk out of the office and light up a cigarette right away. They then say "See I knew he couldn't make me quit smoking." These are the people who do not want to quit smoking. These are usually people who have quit in the past on their own for a day, week, or even a month, but now they want someone to make them quit, and they are going to show everyone that no one can make them do anything. Well they're right. You can never be made to do anything under hypnosis that you do not want to do. I'll even tell them this ahead of time before the session, and still they think that hypnosis is going to make them quit.
A few people fall into this catagory because they do not want to give up the secondary gains they get from being a smoker. What is a secondary gain? Extra breaks at work because you work in a nonsmoking office. Sometimes it's not what they get, but what they might lose. Sometimes they are afraid of losing the friends they go on their smoke breaks with at work. I always tell my smoking clients to look at their secondary gains/losses, and determine if they are as important to them as becoming a nonsmoker. Most of the time they realize that they are just using them as excuses to keep smoking. They realize that they can still go on a break with their friends, and have water instead of smoking. They also realize that true friends will be glad for them if they stop smoking, and in fact they may just motivate a few of their freinds to stop smoking too. |
