Smoking Cessation and Hypnosis
A few years ago {July, 2001) Scientific American magazine ran an article that stated that hypnosis was the most effective method of stopping smoking. Since that time there have been several medications come on the market that appear to have some beneficial effects with helping people stop smoking. Now, I know that I only see the people who have been unsuccessful with these medications but I have never seen anyone who has stopped smoking by taking a pill.
We live in a society that seems to demand instant gratification and it seems that the easiest way to solve a problem is with medication. The problem with this is that it never addresses the underlying cause of the behavior. If stopping a habit were as easy as taking medication then there would be no real incentive remain habit-free. I believe that there needs to be an investment by the client in order to achieve success. i realize that many people do not have money. I have, in the past, performed hypnosis without a monetary fee if the client would perform a certain amount of community service. I have also performed hypnosis without charge for my friends if they would make a charitable contribution equal to the fee for the hypnosis.
I don’t believe that every time I do hypnosis with a client, I need to dig deep into the unconscious but I do know that sometimes there are deep-seated reasons why people participate in a behavior. I am willing to go as deep as is needed to solve the problem. Sometimes all that is needed is direct suggestion and positive imagery. Sometimes it requires regression. If it means we require several sessions to break a smoking habit, that’s fine. If we can break the habit in one session, that’s even better. I still believe that hypnosis is the best way to change behavior especially smoking.
