The art of the skilled hypnotherapist or other health practitioner trained in the use of hypnosis is a far cry from the parlour tricks portrayed by Hollywood. Hypnosis is considered a legitimate therapy, with a number of well-documented applications. By almost all estimates, virtually everyone is capable of being hypnotised, though some may be more suggestible than others. Two schools of thought exist as to the best use of hypnosis to help someone quit smoking.
Dr Herbert Spiegel, a New York psychiatrist with an excellent reputation in the field of hypnotherapy, developed one recognised approach. In a session utilising his technique, the subject sits in a comfortable chair and, with eyes closed, tries to roll the eyes up as though looking up into the head. The therapist then tells the subject to imagine an arm being very light and capable of floating. Though in a trance, the subject remains conscious of what is happening.
The next step is to imprint a positive message in the mind. “Cigarettes are poison to your body.” “You owe your body respect and protection.” “You need your body to live.”
The subject next learns self-hypnosis and is instructed to use the technique, which lasts about 20 seconds, whenever the urge to smoke comes on, usually about 10 times a day. A card reminds the subject of the positive messages about smoking and the body.
The entire process takes about 45 minutes. For many former smokers, it’s the last time they ever wanted to smoke, and they’ve never lit another cigarette.
More typical is the hypnotherapist who uses a straightforward approach. My good friend Rick Reinert, a well-known animation artist and a smoker for 36 years, says that after just one session it was as if he never had smoked. He walked out of the office without any cravings and hasn’t smoked another cigarette since.
I mention Rick specifically because I really thought he would never quit smoking. A cigarette burned at his drawing table or desk almost constantly, and his voice has been permanently lowered by the smoke. He learned about the hypnotist from a friend who swore the method made quitting a snap. Rick had wanted to quit for years, and his family and I had urged him to do so again and again. But he feared withdrawal. When he decided to go to the hypnotherapist, he threw his last pack of cigarettes into the bin as he entered the elevator going to her office.
In the approach that worked so well for Rick, the therapist places the subject in a trance and records the session. Positive messages are implanted in the mind. The subject receives the tape and is encouraged to listen to it whenever cravings develop. A follow-up session is included in the fee if it is necessary. Rick didn’t need the follow-up and never even bothered to listen to the tape. He never wanted another cigarette. A truly amazing case history, but not an isolated one.
Rick had something special going for him. He really wanted to quit, and he really believed that the hypnosis was just what he’d been waiting for to give him the assistance he needed. Another friend of mine did not fare so well.
Dan Lescoe didn’t really want to quit, and he thought the idea of going to a hypnotist was “a crock”. Still, friends and family urged him to quit, and Dan says that he knows it would be better if he didn’t smoke. On the other hand, he justifies his smoking by pointing out that he smokes only a half-pack a day, and he often makes it through a whole weekend without lighting a single cigarette.
The outcome of his experience was predictable. Dan went into the session and came out a smoker. “I might go back,” he says, “when I really want to quit.”
The costs vary for hypnosis sessions but are typically less than one would pay for commercial stop-smoking programs. The chances for success will be much better for those who really want to quit, who believe this will work, and who follow the coping strategies I’ve mapped out in the coming pages.
If you’re interested in this approach you can get a list of hypnotists in your area from the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists or the Australian Hypnotherapists Association, listed in the Yellow Pages.
You might wish to speak with two or three practitioners before deciding which would be the best for you. Perhaps they can answer specific questions you might have.
Those who succeed with the assistance of hypnosis have two things in common. First there’s a real desire to quit smoking, a true commitment. Second there’s a belief that this approach will be just the ticket to making that desire a reality.
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