In over 30 years of Clinical Practice, I have found that smokers use cigarettes as self-medication for anxiety and to be fair it works excellently for that purpose when one considers the side effects of medication, other substances or addictive behaviours to control anxiety. Nonetheless, the side effects of over 300 harmful chemicals can take their toll on the body over the long term not to mention the wallet! It is estimated that 50% of people are killed by smoking and that cigarettes reduce life expectancy by 15-20 years. Furthermore, there is reduced quality of life due to chronic lung and heart problems.
The problem with most smokers is that they cannot see themselves being smoke free. Hypnotherapy can create smoke-free pictures that the subconscious accepts and acts upon.
Why do people continue to smoke?
People know that smoking is bad for them and if hypnosis works so well, then why do people continue to gamble with their health, knowing that they could add years to their lives if they quit now before its too late?
The simple answer is a big “fear”. Let me give you some examples:
- The fear of not being able to relax and losing control without a cigarette.
- The fear of being irritable, angry, moody and generally too stressed.
- The fear of being haunted by unwanted cravings.
- The fear of putting on weight.
- The fear of losing pleasure, companionship, security and rituals.
- The fear that you need cigarettes to cope with life’s daily pressures and challenges.
- The fear that you may have to go through pain and discomfort.
You have nothing to fear except fear itself. Be honest with yourself. Look at your fears of becoming smoke free and you will probably realise that the only fear between you and being smoke-free is your fear of going through the pain of not smoking.
Hypnosis makes it easier to quit the smoking habit
- Hypnosis helps take away the cravings we fear.
- Hypnosis removes the feelings of wanting a cigarette.
- Hypnosis helps ease that feeling of needing a cigarette.
- Yes, what the subconscious mind can conceive and visualize in hypnosis, you can achieve.
- Yes, because with hypnosis, that feeling of being deprived of a cigarette fades very quickly.
- Usually after one session of hypnosis, most people will feel more confident and determined that they can and will achieve their goal.
- Yes, that they have simply stopped smoking and with hypnosis it was all very easy.
Hypnosis works for good
ICHP Smoking Cessation works because it removes the desire and need to smoke. Therefore, you won’t need nicotine gum, nicotine patches or stop smoking pills. There is no need for needles, inhalers or plastic cigarettes. All you have to do for hypnosis to work for you is to relax comfortably with your eyes closed – could anything be easier?
With our professional system, the majority of clients remain smoke free.
Free Back-up Support and Reinforcement
During your hypnotic session we will administer powerful hypnotic suggestions to activate your sub-conscious mind to respond and cooperate with reinforcement of the clinical session. This pre-recorded stop-smoking session will reinforce the programme. Once you have achieved success in our stop-smoking programme it is essential to reinforce the programme that led to the cessation of the habit.
Reinforcing hypnotic subliminals
Also, the subliminal messages (stop smoking suggestions audible only to your sub-conscious mind) are reinforced during your free reinforcement sessions at home.
Reinforcing your Stop Smoking
Remaining smoke free is a skill that you will learn in the clinic and, like any skill, needs to be practiced to gain mastery.
Most people become smoke free in just one session
The reason we have such a high success rate is because hypnosis works for good and our back-up support is our professional testimony that most people leaving our clinic are smoke free in just one session.
Who are the I.C.H.P.
Since the approval of Clinical Hypnosis in the 1950’s by the American Medical Association, hundreds of ethical associations have been training their members in hypnosis. Millions of people have found hypnosis to be an effective way to stop smoking, lose weight and to change their lives.
The Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy was established in 1979. Over the past twenty five years it has dedicated itself to the research and development of Hypnotherapy. All our members are examination qualified and have obtained Diploma’s and Advanced Diploma’s in Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy. So, you can be assured you are getting the best that hypnosis has to offer.
Our Approach
We in the ICHP have combined the very best of traditional hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) which gives our stop-smoking programme an extremely high level of effectiveness.
Yes, you can stop smoking with the help of hypnosis
Hypnosis is the original mind body medicine dating back to before 5,000BC. It was Aristotle who said “before you heal the body and its symptoms, you must first heal the mind”.
Modern scientific clinical hypnosis is extremely effective in changing habit patterns and this is underpinned by the documented research and acceptance by the major medical associations and religions of the world. Clinical hypnosis is widely used in education, psychology, medicine, dentistry, counselling, sports etc.
How does Clinical Hypnosis work?
Hypnosis is a state of relaxation and concentration at one with a state of heightened awareness induced by suggestion. It’s a non-addictive power for good and it’s a natural manifestation of the mind at work.
Hypnosis works, but will hypnosis enable me to stop smoking?
Yes! Hypnosis works and it will work for you to help you stop smoking. In essence, hypnosis is a means of communication between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Smoking habits and symptoms are controlled by the sub-conscious mind. Through the se of hypnosis we can access the sub-conscious mind and remove the unwanted habits.
During a clinical session, how will I know I am hypnotised?
There is no such thing as a hypnotised feeling and most clients on completion would say “they felt deeply relaxed and aware”. Others may feel a lightness or tingling feeling, others feel a heaviness while others report they didn’t feel anything. However one positive side effect that people notice is the positive change in their behaviour.
Is hypnosis safe and is there any cause for concern?
Clinical hypnosis is completely safe. Conscious hypnosis is not sleep, therefore you are aware and can respond to the positive suggestions administered during the session.
A person who does not want to be hypnotised cannot be hypnotised or be induced to do or say anything which violates personal standards of behaviour or integrity. Yes, hypnosis is safe and hypnosis is a proven ethical therapeutic clinical procedure.
How does hypnosis help me stop smoking?
Smoking habits are acquired over a long period of time and are activated by the subconscious mind, thereof they can only be deactivated by the subconscious mind and hypnosis works by giving access and the ability to communicate directly with the source of your addiction. It is the only logical method of dealing with smoking and it usually only takes one session for you to stop smoking.
Hypnotherapy & Smoking Research
Williams, J. M.; Hall, D.W. (1988). Use of single session hypnosis for smoking cessation. Addictive Behaviours, 18, 205-208
ABSTRACT: Twenty volunteers for smoking cessation were assigned to single session hypnosis, 20 to a placebo control condition and 20 to a no-treatment control condition. The single-session hypnosis group smoked significantly less cigarettes and were significantly more abstinent than a placebo control group and a no-treatment control group at post-test, and 4-week, 12-week, 24-week and 48-week follow-ups.
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Neufeld, V.; Lynn, Steven Jay (1988). A single session group self-hypnosis smoking cessation treatment: A brief communication. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 36 (2), 75-79.
ABSTRACT: This study was designed to assess the efficacy of a manual-based, single session group of self-hypnosis interventions. At 3 months follow-up, 25.92% of the total number of participants (14 male, 13 females) reported continuous abstinence, and at 6 months, 18.52% of the participants reported continuous abstinence. Reported social support and motivation to quit were both associated with successful outcome. Comparison of the current data with other findings reported by the American Lung Association (Davis, Faust & Ordentlich, 1984) suggests that treatment effects may not be solely attributable to the use of a maintenance manual, education and attention. Limitations of the research associated with issues of experimental control, generalizability of the findings, and outcome measures are discussed.
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Barabasz, Arreed F.; Baer, Lee; Sheehan, David V, Barabasz, Marianne (1986). A three-year follow-up of hypnosis and restricted environmental stimulation therapy for smoking. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 34, 169-181
ABSTRACT: Clinical follow-up data were obtained from 307 clients. Clinicians’ experience level, contact time, and procedural thoroughness varied in 6interventions for smoking cessation. An additional intervention combined hypnosis with Restricted Environment Stimulation Therapy (REST). The major results suggest positive treatment outcomes to be related to greater hypnotisability, absorption, hypnotist experience level, procedural thoroughness, and client-therapist contact time. The least effective intervention (4% abstinence at 4-month follow-up) involved intern trainees using a short, single session approach. The most effective procedure (47% abstinence at 19 month follow-up) involved the combination of hypnosis and REST. Data interpretation limitations are discussed.
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Jeffrey, Timothy B,; Jeffrey, Louise K.; Greuling, Jacquelin W.; Gentry, William R. (1985) Evaluation of a brief group treatment package including hypnotic induction for maintenance of smoking cessation: A brief communication. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 33 (2), 95-98.
ABSTRACT: Hypnotic, cognitive, and behavioural interventions were used in a 5-session treatment programme to assist 35 Ss with maintenance of smoking cessation. 63% of the treated Ss discontinued smoking, and 31% maintained abstinence for 3 months (p <005). These results include 13 dropouts, all of who were smoking at 3 months follow-up. No S in the waiting-list-control group quit smoking. The results demonstrate that a brief, group treatment programme, including hypnotic techniques, can be effective for smoking cessation.
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Holroyd, Jean (1980). Hypnosis treatment for smoking: An evaluative review. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 28 (4), 341-357.
ABSTRACT: 17 studies of hypnosis for treatment of smoking published since 1970 were reviewed. Abstinence after 6 months post treatment ranged from 4% to 88%. Effectiveness of treatment outcome was examined in terms of: S population, individual versus group treatment, standardized versus individualized suggestions, use of self-hypnosis, number of treatment sessions and time span covered by the treatment, and use of adjunctive treatment. At 6 months follow-up, more than 50% of smokers remained abstinent in programmes in which there were several hours of treatment, intense interpersonal interaction (e.g., individual sessions, marathon hypnosis, mutual group hypnosis), suggestions capitalizing on specific motivations of individual patients, and adjunctive or follow-up contact. The 17 studies are presented in sufficient detail to permit clinicians to follow the published procedures, and recommendations are made for future research.
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Pederson, Linda L.; Scrimgeour, William G.; lefcoe, Neville M. (1979). Variable of hypnosis, which are related to success in a smoking withdrawal programme. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 27 (1), 14-20.
ABSTRACT: 65 habitual smokers were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups: live-hypnosis plus counselling, videotape-hypnosis plus counselling, relaxation-hypnosis plus counselling and counselling alone. The content and mode of presentation of the hypnosis session varied among the first 3 groups. At 6 months post treatment, the live-hypnosis plus counselling group contained significantly more abstainers than the other 3 groups. The importance of the specific content of the hypnosis session and the presence of the hypnotherapist for the effectiveness of the procedure are discussed.
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Stanton, Harry E. (1978). A one-session hypnotic approach to modifying smoking behaviour. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 26, 22-29.
ABSTRACT: Recent literature reviewing attempts to modify smoking behaviour through the use of hypnosis is outlined, and an approach utilizing only 1 treatment is described. This single session includes: (a) the establishment of a favourable “mental set” on the part of the patient, (b) a hypnotic induction, (c) ego-enhancing suggestions, (d) specific suggestions directed toward the cessation of smoking, (e) an adaptation of the “red balloon” visualization, and (f) success visualization. Of 75 patients treated by this technique, 45 ceased smoking. 6 months after the treatment session, 34, or 45% were still non-smokers, attesting to the efficacy of the method.
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Hershman, Seymour (1956). Hypnosis and excessive smoking.
NOTES 1:
“Conclusion: Several methods are described wherein psycho-biologic techniques can be used with hypnotic procedures to treat excessive cigarette smoking with relatively permanent results. These techniques include symptom substitution, re-education, reconditioning, reassurance and persuasion. The use of fantasy evocation, visual imagery, etc by means of the hypnotic state produces an increase in the patient’s responsiveness to therapy.
“Several case histories have been presented to illustrate some of the various techniques and their reactions. These procedures can readily be made available to a vast number of people with gratifying results. It is felt that all professional people in the therapeutic fields should be aware of the excellent use, which can be made of hypnosis, and should acquaint themselves with hypnotic techniques in order to utilize them to the best interests of their patients. It is important to note that psychodynamic orientation is essential to the proper utilization of hypnosis and that the training received by the stage entertainer lacks this important element”
Treatment
The smoking therapy is one session and clients are presented with a cd recording of that session for re-enforcement over the following two to four weeks.