Here's a look at how you may be able to stop smoking using hypnosis.
You can consult a stop smoking hypnotist, but you would be best advised to choose a licensed therapist that treats a variety of conditions.
Claims of fraud have been made against so-called clinics that only offer hypnosis for smoking cessation.
It's fine if a therapist "specializes" in hypnosis geared towards helping you quit, but he or she should also have clients who seek treatment for other reasons.
Other than smoking, some of the most common areas in which hypnosis can be effective include eating disorders and obesity, stress management and sexual difficulties.
Managing pain can also be accomplished using hypnosis, particularly in conditions that do not respond well to prescription drugs, such as the inflammatory bowel diseases.
How It Works The methods that a therapist may try to help you stop smoking using hypnosis could vary.
Some still use an object like a pendulum to give you something to focus on visually.
Others simply have you close your eyes and focus on their voice, thus stopping visual input from interfering.
If you are serious about quitting, somewhere in your mind there are all the reasons that you want to quit.
The therapist may remind you of them or have you write them down before beginning a session.
This exercise serves two purposes.
First, you are confirming to yourself that you really want to quit.
Second, he or she can use your reasons as "suggestions" to emphasize during the deepest phase of the hypnotized state.
The objective of any hypnotic therapy is to "quiet" your mind and help you focus your intention.
A stop smoking hypnotist has no real power.
This is not mind control.
It's just that there are "too many things" going on in your brain at one time, input from the eyes and other senses are distracting.
If you choose to stop smoking using hypnosis, you will likely experience several things on the days following or between sessions.
First, you should feel more relaxed and more in control.
When those things come up that used to trigger the desire to "light up", your intention to quit should still be clear in your mind, helping you to ignore the urge.
Self-hypnosis is another good option, particularly if you are concerned about the reliability of a stop smoking hypnotist or if there are none in your area.
The recordings provided in self-hypnosis programs serve the same purpose that a therapist's voice would, improving your ability to focus.
It really works for most people.
If you choose to stop smoking using hypnosis, you avoid the side effects associated with prescription drugs and you avoid becoming dependent upon nicotine replacement therapy.
To learn more about different plans you can use to quit, please visit the Stop Smoking Blog, a resource for those who wish to quit, written by those who have.