San Diego Smoking Cessation Hypnotherapy Treatment
If you are a smoker, quitting is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health and increase your chances for a higher quality, longer lifespan. While there is no disputing the scientific evidence behind the benefits of quitting smoking, stopping cold turkey is almost impossible for most, and finding an effective smoking cessation aid with long term benefits also proves challenging.
For many, hypnosis has proven to be an effective tool in their journey toward breaking the nicotine habit. Hypnosis sets individuals into a more relaxed state of mind where they are open to positive suggestions but still in complete control of their own free will. While in a hypnotic state, individuals are awake and cannot be convinced to do anything they do not want to. Understanding this often helps clients to release any fears regarding hypnotic sessions and open up to this therapeutic method.
What are the hypnotherapy methods for smoking cessation?
There are several different hypnotherapy methods used for smoking cessation. Some involve recorded scripts that can be purchased in bookstores, electronically or by mail, and others involve meeting with a qualified therapist for sessions. While both styles have proven successful for some, the biggest advantage of personal hypnotherapy sessions with a hypnotist is that the scripts can be tailored to the individual, and this often leads to more effective, longer lasting results that are completely customized for each person.
When visiting a mental health professional for hypnotherapy sessions to quit smoking, expect to begin with a consultation where your therapist will review any pertinent medical information and explain the hypnosis process. Once you are comfortable, your therapist will guide you into a relaxed state and begin to introduce suggestions that will help you on your path to smoking cessation. These suggestions are part of the script that will be used during any subsequent sessions, and they are also often shared with clients to be used as part of subsidizing self-hypnosis sessions that can take place at home. Most sessions last about an hour, and most people find that they benefit from multiple sessions in order to reinforce positive suggestions and clear negative thought patterns.
Other ways to quit smoking
Hypnosis is not the only way to treat nicotine addictions. Other methods include patches, gums, inhalers and prescription nasal sprays or pills. While all of these methods prove effective for some, the disadvantages of them include side effects like dizziness, headaches, vomiting, muscle control concerns and birth defects in expecting mothers. While the risks of continuing smoking outweigh many of these side effects, it is important to search out safer smoking cessation methods if you hope to preserve your overall health. Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are effective options that lack dangerous side effects, and they can be safely continued for as long as necessary to better assure long lasting results.
What is the effectiveness of hypnotherapy to quit smoking?
When it comes to the effectiveness of hypnotherapy to quit smoking, many studies have shown a high level of success. In 2007, Science Daily reported on a study of cardiac hospital patients who were trying to quit smoking. Two groups of doctors at North Shore Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital compared the long term quit rates of 67 smokers who were admitted to their hospital. During hospitalization, some study participants received hypnotherapy, and other patients received nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine replacement therapy with hypnotherapy. Some participants also chose to quit cold turkey. At 26 weeks post discharge, 50-percent of patients receiving either hypnotherapy or hypnotherapy with NRT were still non-smokers compared to only 25-percent of patients in the control group and less than 16-percent in the NRT group. Hypnotherapy patients received ongoing, intensive counseling, follow-up phone calls at various weekly intervals and self-hypnosis scripts to use at home.
Some studies have shown that smoking cessation with hypnotherapy may be more effective for men than for women, but researchers believe this is not an indication of the overall effectiveness of hypnotherapy, rather, it is an indicator that women have a more difficult time quitting than men do. In Honolulu, researchers analyzed a total of 18 studies regarding the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for those trying to quit smoking, and they found that 30-percent of men using these programs were successful at quitting versus about 23-percent of women. Joseph Green, Associate Professor at Ohio State University, believes these results lend to the fact that consumers should use caution when selecting any smoking cessation program that promises results after only one session and consider trying multiple approaches concurrently to optimize their chances of long term success.
As a practicing therapist with specialized experience in hypnotherapy, I have witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of hypnosis for individuals who are trying to stop smoking. In my practice, I assist clients in feeling comfortable and confident and guide them into deep meditative states where they are susceptible to positive suggestions that empower them to quit. Through multiple sessions and careful follow-up, I help my clients to reach their goals of quitting smoking and assist them in achieving a higher quality life and optimal health. If you are interested in pursuing San Diego smoking cessation hypnotherapy sessions, contact me for more information.