How I Used Hypnosis for Quitting Smoking, and How You Can Too

If you’ve read anything about using hypnosis for quitting smoking, you’ll know that it is one of the most effective ways to quit. 66% of people who use hypnosis to quit smoking are still nonsmokers one year later. Compare that to 15% for nicotine patches or gum, and just 5% for those who go cold turkey, and it becomes obvious that hypnosis is a massive benefit when trying to give up. I smoked heavily for nearly ten years, until I used hypnotherapy to quit smoking for good. It’s been over three years now since I last smoked, and I’m never bothered by cravings. In this article, I’ll outline my story, and explain how hypnosis can help you attain the same smoke free life that I now enjoy – without the expense of ever having to visit a hypnotherapy practice. Hypnosis for Quitting Smoking: My Story As is the case for most smokers, I always had mixed feelings about cigarettes. I couldn’t deny that smoking was expensive and damaging to my body, and I hated needing tobacco products just to feel like I was having a normal day. There were times that I couldn’t sleep because I was worried about the long term effects that smoking was having on my body. Would I get cancer? Would I have to have a tracheotomy? What if I had to have my tongue amputated? But the next day, when I woke up, I’d light up and carry on smoking, just like the day before, and the day before that. It was easy to give up smoking, for me at least. I must have quit hundreds of times. But it was difficult not to start right back up again – days, weeks, sometimes even months later. When I was stressed, or out with friends, or in any of the many other situations that I used to enjoy smoking, I’d find myself sparking up again. And I’d be right back to square one. There was a part of me that loved being a smoker. Cigarettes were always there when I needed them, as a quick and easy way of calming myself down or relaxing. I craved cigarettes, and smoking was satisfying. It was like an itch that needed to be scratched. The truth was that I only ever made a conscious decision to stop. I never made any attempt to deal with the subconscious urges or habits that drove me to smoke. But that’s where I realised that hypnosis could help. How to Use Hypnosis for Quitting Smoking I’d been interested in hypnosis and meditation for some time. I understood that when I was in a trance state I could interact with my subconscious mind, and I knew that I could use this to directly alter the patterns of habit and the underlying urges that caused me to smoke. However, I was surprised by just how effective this could be. By planting suggestions in the subconscious, you can break down the root cause of smoking – the subconscious drives, triggers and repetitive behaviours that form the basis of any habit. This is why hypnosis is much more effective than nicotine gum or patches, which continue to feed your addiction without tackling the root cause. How to Take Advantage of Hypnosis – Without the Expense of Hypnotherapy Traditional visits to a hypnotherapist can cost hundreds of pounds/dollars per session, and it often takes eight to ten sessions to completely break down a person’s addiction. I could not afford that amount of money – and besides, at this point I was still sceptical. However, there are many high quality hypnosis audio files now available on the internet, for a fraction of the price. These have the added benefit that they can be replayed every time the initial suggestions need to be reinforced, until the urge to smoke is completely dissolved. I had expected that hypnosis could help me develop the willpower to resist my cravings, but after just a few weeks I was able to completely remove those cravings themselves. And after three years, I’ve still not had a single craving for cigarettes. In summary: using hypnosis for quitting smoking is effective and achieves lasting results by working on the subconscious causes of smoking. Downloadable hypnosis audio files cost a fraction of the price of visits to a hypnotherapist, and professional recordings can be just as effective. I used hypnosis for quitting smoking, and there is no reason that you can’t do exactly the same.