Friday, June 28, 2013

How Does Hypnosis Help People to Stop Smoking


How Does Hypnosis Help People to Stop Smoking

Many people use hypnosis to stop smoking. Please understand if you go to a hypnotist to stop smoking, the hypnotist can’t “make” you stop smoking. Nobody can “make” you do anything unless they put a gun to your head.

Hypnosis is the transitional state between being awake and falling asleep where your mind is clear, alert, and receptive to positive and beneficial suggestions. You must want the positive change in your life. You must want to stop smoking 100%

During the pre-talk of the session it’s good to recognize when you have an increased desire to smoke and what are the benefits of being smoke free for life. What’s your motivation to stop smoking? What are you moving towards? For example, are you moving towards good health? What are you moving away from? For example, are you moving away from disease?  

Different hypnotists have different approaches to help people stop smoking. My approach which has been very effective was to communicate with the client’s subconscious mind and ask it to generate new choices to do instead of smoking when the client has an increased desire to smoke which are just as immediate, effective, and available as the smoking habit to accomplish the same positive intention of the habit (the positive intention is usually to manage stress)

Some examples of what my clients came up with to do when they have an increased desire to smoke are: Take the dog for a walk, listen to music, play a game on the cell phone, work on the car, go for a walk, exercise, call someone.

Now my approach is based on Dr. Hebert Spiegel’s teachings which emphasize respect for your body. The client is taught self-hypnosis and to develop a sensation of floating while in trance. Then these 3 points are emphasized: 1. For your body, smoking is a poison. 2. You need your body to live. 3. You owe your body respect and protection. I also emphasize that once you stop smoking, you cannot have not even one puff of a cigarette. Not even after 5, 10, 20, 30 years, or you’ll be right back to where you started from.

Coping techniques are given if you get the urge to smoke: Stroking your eyebrow, which activates the third point of the strategy, “you owe your body respect and protection.” Rubbing your finger and thumb together, letting that remind you of your motivation to stop smoking and all the benefits of being smoke free for life. Taking three deep breaths and after each exhale saying to yourself or out loud with emotion, “I’m a winner! I’m a winner! I’m a winner!” which is an ego strengthening technique.

Breathing exercises are given to the client to manage stress because one of the most common reasons people start smoking again is due to stress.

Some of the stress management and coping techniques my clients have reported using are:

1.     Reminding themselves of their strong desire to stop.

2.     Not wanting to disappoint themselves.

3.     Rubbing their finger and thumb together, reminding themselves that smoking is bad for them and reminding themselves of the benefits of being smoke free.

4.     Put motivation and benefits of being smoke free on their cell phone and reading it when they get the urge.

5.     Taking a walk.

6.     Breathing exercises.

7.     Stroking their eyebrow, reminding themselves that they owe their body respect and protection.

8.     Reminding themselves that if they have just one puff, they’ll be right back to where they started.

9.     Ego strengthening techniques, like saying to themselves over and over again, “I’m a winner!”

If you have the motivation and truly want to stop smoking, through hypnosis you can become empowered to be smoke free for life.

About Tony Longobardi, Certified Hypnotist. Tony has a private hypnosis practice in Phoenixville and is a member of the Phoenixville Chamber of Commerce.
Certified in Clinical Hypnotism by the National Guild of Hypnotists, he teaches self-hypnosis classes at Owen J. Roberts Adult Education in Pottstown and the Widener University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Exton.

You can contact Tony by phone at 610.659.0526

Email info@HypnosisByTony.com

For more info on Tony and Hypnosis, visit www.HypnosisByTony.com