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
