Can Hypnosis Really Help You Quit Smoking?

So you’ve been trying to quit cigarettes but smoking has a hold on you like you’re in a trance?

Maybe the problem is that you’re not actually in one.

If you’ve tried everything else to kick the habit, hypnotherapy may be for you. It’s painless, easy and doesn’t require any patches, gums or candy. But does it work?

Those who’ve come to the Positive Changes Hypnosis clinic insist it does.

Ron Wiedman had been smoking for 30 years. He believes the power of suggestion is stronger than the power of nicotine. He’s let Garry Johnson hypnotize him into giving up the noxious weed for good.

After five weeks of not smoking, Wiedman can declare, “I’m not a smoker anymore.”

“It’s like an identity thing.”

Positive Changes maintains it lives up to the name, getting clients to stop identifying themselves as being smokers. Once they believe they can quit, success often follows.

“Eighty-six percent of my clients stop in their first session,” boasts Johnson.

But Wiedman isn’t sure one will be enough to keep him off the puff and he’s relapsed before. So he’s signed up for the 9-week program. “I enjoyed smoking,” he agrees, “but I just don’t want to anymore.”

Hypnosis treatment isn’t cheap and it doesn’t work for everyone. It starts at $500 and the cost can increase from there depending on what course is right for you. But when you compare that to the $3,400 a year a pack-a-day smoker puts out, it’s not quite such a big figure.

To find the Positive Changes clinic near you, click here. For information on Johnson’s clinic, click here.

 

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Hypnosis has been the subject of fantasy for years. But just what can it really do? Here’s a look at the practice and some of the myths and facts surrounding it.  

What can it do?

Practitioners claim it can help you stop bad habits, focus on problems, improve your sleep and let you better achieve your goals. It has been used to treat smoking, of course, along with a long list of other ailments, including:

• Altering negative behaviours,
• Alleviating fear,
• Reducing pain,
• Losing weight,
• Lowering blood pressure,
• Reducing migraines,
• Easing symptoms of asthma.

But like many things, you’re actually in control of the process and a lot depends on you as to how successful it actually is. Under the influence of a trained hypnotherapist, you’re supposed to be able to concentrate better, be more open to suggestion and be far less critical about following orders. A typical session lasts anywhere from half an hour to an hour.

Myths & Facts

Myth: They can make you cluck like a chicken or do something embarrassing.

Fact: It’s the power of suggestion only. No one can make you do anything you’d never normally do and you’re in control of what happens. You simply have increased concentration, but you never lose your free will.

 

Myth: The hypnotherapist controls you during the session.

Fact: You actually hypnotize yourself, which is why anyone who doesn’t want to be put under can’t be – and despite the famous Dick van Dyke episode, it can’t happen even by accident. A hypnotist serves only as a tour guide on this inward journey – but you’re the only one actually driving.

 

Myth: You won’t remember anything.

Fact: Actually for most, it’s an unforgettable experience. Only a rare few have anything coming close to amnesia and you’ll be able to recall everything that was said and done while you were under.

 

Myth: Anyone can be hypnotized.

Fact: It all depends on you, but there are some people who simply can’t be put under.

 

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