Hypnotherapy to Stop Smoking: Can it Help you Quit?

 

October is nearly upon us, and what an auspicious month it is. Not only does it contain Halloween and my mum’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Mum!), but it’s also the month of Stoptober.

Every October, the NHS invites smokers to quit as part of its annual Stoptober campaign. But can it be done? Can you successfully ditch the cigarettes and remain a non-smoker? The short answer is yes.

 

Quitting smoking is not always easy, but it is entirely possible. Nicotine is addictive, while smoking also becomes a deeply established habit. The two things are connected, but they are not quite the same.

Nicotine creates physical dependence. Smoking also becomes associated with particular people, places, feelings and routines.

That morning cigarette with your coffee can become almost automatic. So can the cigarette after dinner, during a stressful phone call, or with a pint. Break those associations, and you begin changing the habit as well as dealing with nicotine withdrawal. I wrote more about breaking habits in my blog You’re Not Such a Hard Habit to Break.

 

What happens when you stop smoking?

The benefits of quitting smoking begin remarkably quickly. Your body starts recovering from the effects of smoking soon after your last cigarette. Your heart and circulation benefit, while your risk of serious smoking-related diseases falls over time. Stopping also reduces your risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Which is nice. Then there are the less obvious benefits.

Breathing can become easier. Your sense of taste and smell can improve. You can save a surprising amount of money. And, yes, your sex life can benefit too. Oh yes!

The difficult bit is often getting through the cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine withdrawal can cause irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating and strong cravings. These symptoms usually become less intense as time passes. However, cravings can also be triggered by your old smoking routines. That is where changing the habit becomes important.

 

How long does it take to break the smoking habit?

There is no magic number of days that suddenly makes you a non-smoker. The old idea that three days breaks nicotine addiction and three weeks breaks the habit is simply too neat. Human beings are rather more complicated than that. Some people find quitting surprisingly straightforward. Others experience strong cravings for considerably longer. What matters is what you do when those cravings appear.

If you successfully quit throughout October but start again in November, you have not failed. You have learned something useful. Perhaps you discovered that stress triggers your smoking. Maybe alcohol was the problem. Perhaps certain people or situations made cigarettes particularly tempting. Once you know your triggers, you can do something about them.

 

Can hypnotherapy help you stop smoking?

I have used hypnotherapy successfully with people who wanted to stop smoking. During a volunteer placement (many years ago), I saw this first-hand. I had greater success with some smokers than the nurse using patches and nicotine gum. That experience stayed with me. Plus, I quit smoking with hypnotherapy. There is, however, one vital ingredient in any attempt to quit smoking. You need to genuinely want to stop.

The stronger your motivation to become a non-smoker, the more committed you are likely to be. That matters because hypnotherapy cannot make you want something you do not actually want. It can, however, help you strengthen that desire and focus on why you want to quit.

Research into hypnotherapy for smoking cessation has produced mixed results. Some studies show promising results, while others find no clear advantage over other approaches. That does not mean hypnotherapy cannot help you quit. Hypnotherapy can help you change how you think about smoking. It can also help you recognise triggers and change your responses to cravings.

NRT takes a different approach. It provides nicotine without the harmful toxins found in tobacco smoke. NRT can reduce withdrawal symptoms and increase the chances of successfully quitting. For some people, however, changing the psychological relationship with smoking may be just as important.

That is where I believe hypnotherapy has a particularly useful role. You still need to make the decision to stop. The more you want that change, the more useful hypnotherapy can potentially be. Ultimately, you are the person who decides to become a non-smoker.

 

What is the best way to stop smoking?

There is no single method that works for everyone. Some people quit with support from their GP or NHS stop smoking service. Others use nicotine replacement therapy or prescribed medication. Behavioural support can also make quitting more manageable. For some smokers, hypnotherapy provides another form of behavioural support. The important thing is to find an approach that gives you a realistic chance of staying smoke-free. You do not have to rely on willpower alone.

You can also ask friends and family to support you. Tell them what you are doing and what might make things harder. Most importantly, do not assume that one difficult day means you have failed. Stopping smoking is a process. If you slip, learn from it and start again.

 

Thinking about quitting?

If you are thinking about stopping smoking, October is as good a time as any. You do not have to wait for the perfect moment. You simply need to decide that you want to stop. And if you would like professional support, hypnotherapy may be worth considering alongside other evidence-based approaches.

Finding a therapist is easy. I’m one, for a start. Breaking a habit may be easier than you think. And becoming a non-smoker could be one of the best decisions you ever make.