Hypnotherapy offers promising results in assisting people to quit smoking cigarettes once and for all, so if you’ve come here wondering “does hypnosis really work for quitting smoking?”, the answer is yes. In the large majority of cases.

Anyone who has tried to quit cigarettes before will tell you that it is no easy feat. Most commonly, people will try various techniques: going cold turkey, or gradually cutting down using combinations of nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), such as nicotine patches, gums and sprays. Some people even find themselves turning to expensive smoking-cessation drugs to help them quit. Often, they find themselves going around in circles, stopping and starting to light up again, over and over. And there is a real reason why this happens.

Many smokers will hear about hypnotherapy and wonder “does hypnosis really work for quitting smoking?”.

Does hypnosis really work for quitting smoking? And how is it any different to any other smoking cessation therapy? In order to understand the reasons why hypnotherapy can be effective in helping you to quit smoking for good, it is important to understand why other, more conventional treatments lack in efficacy.

The reason is due to the very nature of nicotine addiction. Nicotine addiction is much more than just a physical addiction of the body to a chemical substance. Yes, that physical addiction most definitely exists; nicotine increases your heart rate, is associated with increased alertness, and can bring about a sense of euphoria or relaxation. However, nicotine addiction is one that is deeply rooted in the subconscious mind.

Common, daily factors and activities such as meal times, alcohol consumption, driving, boredom, stressful situation and many other things can trigger the urge to light up a cigarette. It makes sense that since the addiction to smoking is deeply set in the subconscious brain, one way to quit smoking would be to turn off or reframe those triggering subconscious thoughts. This is where hypnosis for smoking comes in.

Does hypnosis really work for quitting smoking if the smoker is not ready to quit?

Unfortunately not. Contrary to popular belief, no one can be hypnotized against their will. During a hypnotherapy session, your therapist guides you into a state of deep relaxation using speech and imagery. In this state, you are able to concentrate absolutely on the single task at hand. Your mind becomes more open to suggestions and you are able to reframe your thinking around cigarettes. You are not under some sort of ‘spell’ or in a trance, despite what many people would think. You remain aware of your surroundings at all times, and at the end of your session, you will remember everything that happened.

For this reason, “does hypnosis really work for quitting smoking if the smoker is not ready to quit?”, no, it does not. A person must be truly ready and willing to give up cigarettes if hypnotherapy is going to work for them. For example, if they:

• Think they should quit but don’t really want to
• Are trying to quit for somebody else’s sake
• Are not ready to quit but someone told them they should

then hypnosis is unlikely to be an effective long-term solution for this person.

If you have given it some thought and you think that you are truly ready to quit smoking cigarettes once and for all, please reach out to us today. Our friendly and experienced team can discuss your individual circumstances with you, to help you determine whether quit smoking hypnosis is a good fit for you.

Does hypnosis really work for quitting smoking? Yes, it does. You need to want to quit and you need to try. Start today.