When you gave smoking a try for the first time, you probably had no idea of the hold it would have over you years later. For some time you probably were happy smoking but these days, you wish you could let go of the habit. There could be a number of reasons why you want to stop. You may be getting older and are starting to be concerned about potential health issues. Perhaps you get out of breath when you do certain things and want to get your fitness levels back. Maybe it’s the cost of smoking that is an issue now. Whatever your reasons, willpower alone is often not enough. Hypnotherapy may give you the extra push you need to finally stop smoking.
The two pronged approach used by most hypnotherapists can help you to quit smoking. The talking element of the sessions helps you to understand why you smoke and this is key to helping you to break the habit. When the talking element is combined with hypnosis it can be a very effective method of quitting smoking.
The hypnosis takes you into a lovely relaxing trance state where the hypnotherapist can access the subconscious mind. Usually just one long session is required for smoking cessation, although some hypnotherapists will carry out 2-4 normal length sessions. The length of sessions will depend on the approach used and can vary from 55 to 120 minutes depending on the approach chosen.
Over fifty years ago, smoking was considered an enjoyable pastime and this meant that 70% of men and 40% women smoked regularly. However, a report by the Royal College of Physicians, published in 1962, changed our thinking about smoking. It clearly highlighted the increased risks for smokers of developing certain health conditions, including lung cancer. There has been a steady decline in the number of smokers since then. However, the latest statistics show that 12.9% of UK adults still smoke cigarettes. The huge reduction in the number of smokers in the UK, since 1962, shows that it is possible to stop smoking, so why are you finding it so difficult to stop?
Nicotine is one of main elements that contribute to smoking addiction. Nicotine travels through the airways and blood stream and quickly enters the brain. In fact it can take as little as 20 seconds to reach the brain, where it binds with receptors. These receptors cause the release of the feel good neurotransmitter, Dopamine.
Unfortunately, over time smoking leads to changes in the wiring of the brain. These changes are encouraged by increases in the production of Dopamine. The more frequently you smoke cigarettes, the more entrenched the wiring changes become. This creates more dopamine receptors in your brain, leading to a stronger need for nicotine (the more dopamine you have, the more nicotine the brain wants to get the same buzz). Thankfully, these wiring changes can be reversed when you stop smoking
There are a few risk factors that contribute towards smoking addiction.
Once you have decided to stop smoking, then hypnotherapy can help to boost your motivation to quit. When you engage in repetitive behaviour, it can be easier to just keep doing what you’re doing. Finding the motivation to break free of a habit can be tough as it takes more energy than maintaining the status quo. Hypnotherapy can help you to break free of those old habits and create new, more healthy habits.
It’s quite likely that you suffer with an anxiety related issue, if you smoke. Hypnotherapy has been shown to help with anxiety related issues.
As a smoker you are 50% more likely to suffer from sleep issues than non-smokers. Hypnotherapy has been shown to help with sleep issues.
Most hypnotherapists offer a combined approach that incorporates a talking therapy such as counselling or psychotherapy with hypnosis. These elements of the session will help you to understand more of why you struggle to quit smoking and what you can do to help. This is supported by hypnosis which directly accesses the sub conscious mind, relaxing you so that you can let go of any tension and see things from a different viewpoint. Taking a mental step back from smoking cigarettes, will help you to see ways to cope better with the challenges of life without resorting to smoking. Through hypnotherapy, your coping strategies will improve along with any associated mental health conditions.
It can be helpful to contact your GP about quitting smoking before seeing a hypnotherapist. It may be that they will be able to refer you to a free smoking cessation services that will work for you.
Much will depend on the approach the hypnotherapists uses. Many hypnotherapists use a combined approach of talking therapy plus trance. In this situation just one intensive session should be enough to help you to stop smoking. When other approaches are used, you might need more sessions.
The cost of hypnotherapy for smoking cessation can vary from one hypnotherapist to another. This will often depend on your location and the qualifications and experience your hypnotherapist has. To give you a rough guide, prices for a one-off session can vary from £100- £250.
Online hypnotherapy is as effective as when it is carried out in-person. Even before lockdown many hypnotherapists were running online hypnotherapy sessions for smoking cessation. The good news is that there is now evidence to support the effectiveness of online hypnotherapy sessions. Although this research isn’t specific to smoking cessation, it does show that there is little difference between online and in-person hypnotherapy generally. All you would need, to take part in an online hypnotherapy session, would be a laptop, tablet or smartphone, possibly some earphones and somewhere quiet where you can relax.
Start out with the basics, Search for “hypnotherapy to stop smoking” in Google or Bing. The results will contain a map with local hypnotherapy businesses. Start looking through their reviews either in the search engine or on their social (Facebook) pages.
The best hypnotherapists will be registered with a professional association and with organisations that are accredited by the professional standards authority. There are only two in the UK and they are the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and the National Hypnotherapy Society.
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