Understand what hypnosis is
The need to understand if hypnosis works to quit smoking can be best found out when you know what hypnosis actually is and then try to use it as a means to quit smoking. It is best to understand hypnosis as a method that promotes total relaxation of the mind and then helps it to absorb new suggestions and ideas that are given to it. This therapy can be administered by a professional or can be a self-administered one where the mind is cut from thoughts that are extraneous and then an altered state of mind is created.
It is important to note that the hypnotist or the self help method aims at achieving a calm state of mind by introducing deep breathing or positive visualization methods. This is followed by the administration of new and healthy ideas to the patient to change over to more positive living. Hypnosis aimed at quitting smoking would instill ideas about the health hazards of smoking and probably the benefits that would accrue by quitting.
It is a well realized fact that hypnosis that aims at instilling new ideas in the subconscious mind of the smoker helps first to relax the person, and then tries to create a strong conviction to resist the temptation of smoking. The outcome is definitely positive with the cooperation of the person affected and new patterns of thoughts are instilled by suggestions and the old patterns are improved upon. The time required for this therapy to work varies from person to person.
It is however wrong to assume that hypnosis is the cure for smoking, for it can only help to change the way a person thinks. Hypnosis as a therapy can only divert the mind to think of healthier and more positive ways to tackle the triggers of smoking. Hypnosis needs to be monitored closely and there needs to be a conscious effort to resist the temptation to unproductive and unhealthy habits and to embrace the new healthy lifestyle and habits.
Hypnosis could work only when combined with other methods to quit smoking that includes doing things that relax you. This would help you to calmly analyze your feelings and come out with alternative ways to quit the unproductive habit.
How hypnosis work to quit smoking
Hypnotherapy is generally undertaken to quit smoking as it helps to modify a smoker’s behavior, emotional difficulties and attitudes and helps manage stress and anxiety. Besides it also helps to manage the physical addiction to smoking. Tackling the issue of quitting smoking requires understanding that the addiction that smokers face are 3 faced and embrace mental, emotional and physical addiction.
It is quite common for smokers to say that they smoke for relaxation and pleasure. It is understandable and quite similar to a mother putting a pacifier into a baby’s mouth to distract him or her and make you fall asleep. It is the negativity in the mind that promotes the instinct to smoke; so there is a need for something positive to take its place and instill pleasure and relaxation. The use of programs and techniques that promote relaxation and reprogram the mind are best provided by some hypnosis and NLP programs. They have also been effective in eliminating the craving for food felt by smokers when they wish to quit smoking.
Next for most smokers, smoking is a conditioned response; with triggers being associated with certain activities like watching a movie, after each meal, or probably even driving. It is this response that is conditioned in your subconscious mind and you may be also unaware of it at times. Hypnosis also works wonders here with the smoker’s cooperation by putting an end to these unconscious conditioned responses. Then he or she is able to slowly but surely control these cravings and conditioned responses and would probably slowly start rejecting those responses to grab a cigarette.
It is also valuable to understand that smoking cannot be easily given up due to the physical addiction of alcohol; this has proved to be one of the weakest parts of the habit that most smokers face and contributes to about 10% of the addictions to smoking. So there is every benefit in learning how to use a self-hypnosis method that helps you to use it from the convenience of your house along with other quit smoking methods; for giving up any undesirable and unhealthy habit is more in the mind.
There are still many that believe that they do not wish to lose control of their thoughts and emotions, but I would say that it is worth the effort to get help to get over unhealthy addictions and habits. You would be leading a healthier life and also be able to protect yourself and your near and dear from the ill-effects of smoking as a passive and third hand smoke. The road to turning a non-smoker is not long provided you motivate yourself to action and turn into your own hypnotist.
This can be easily done with closing your eyes, listening to relaxing music on the CD and instilling positive affirmations about giving up smoking. This could be followed by instilling positive thoughts about the benefits of being a non-smoker and negativity brought about with being a smoker. Repeat these thoughts over and over again for some time before opening your eyes helps. Done on a regular basis would help you to instill new thoughts and create entire new responses to situations that would help you quit smoking and to exclaim, “Yes hypnosis work to quit smoking.”