Smoking / Vaping Cessation Hypnotherapy in Tunbridge Wells or Online
When considering hypnotherapy for smoking or vaping cessation, people often have many questions, so here are a few answers to some you may have starting with the big one:
DOES IT REALLY WORK?
There are studies that show hypnotherapy to be a most effective method of stopping smoking (ii) (iii) and this must be in no small part due to the fact that hypnotherapy can not only anticipate and mitigate many of the problems associated with stopping but also deal with the reasons for starting in the first place. So not only is it possible to stop smoking with hypnotherapy, it can also be easier than you think.
WHAT IS YOUR SUCCESS RATE?
Advertising standards do not permit therapists to quote any statistics unless they are from a published scientific study as they cannot be verified.
The question though is something of a red herring in that it arises from a belief that hypnosis is something that is done to you as opposed to the collaborative process that it actually is.
Hypnosis cannot make you do anything you are not ready to do and, like most complementary therapies, requires a degree of client participation. Your chances of a successful outcome therefore, are equal to your own level of motivation for stopping smoking.
Anecdotal evidence from private practices does show high success rates for hypnosis for smoking cessation.
NOTHING ELSE HAS WORKED SO FAR, WHY SHOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT THIS TIME?
It depends on how you tried on previous attempts.
Willpower alone is not always successful whilst other cessation methods try to impose a "one size fits all" philosophy which seeks to keep the dependency going and leaves root causes untouched.
Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, can tailor sessions to your own particular needs. Every person is a unique individual with their own personal reasons for starting to smoke and their own motivation for stopping . Hypnotherapy can even address the reasons for past attempts not being successful.
For instance, much research has been published showing the role of stress in the relapse of smoking cessation. By including a stress assessment and stress management techniques, we can significantly reduce the chance of relapse.
I CAN'T STOP SMOKING, I GET TOO ANGRY, IT’S THE WAY I DEAL WITH STRESS / PAIN !
Let's not forget that anger (or at least irritability) is a symptom of nicotine withdrawal and this can be minimised with hypnotherapy. If there are real anger or stress issues, again this can (and should) be addressed by therapy.
In the longer term, you can be assured that studies have shown that former smokers suffer less from anxiety and depression and have improved mental health generally (v).
As for pain, research consistently shows that smokers are more likely to suffer from chronic pain (particularly back pain) or where pain exists from a specific cause, that that pain will be significantly worse (i).
ISN'T VAPING A SAFER OPTION?
Not entirely, according to the World Health Organisation who, in a factsheet published in May 2022 described vaping as "harmful to health" and "not safe", citing an increased risk of heart disease and lung disorders and posing significant risks to adolescents and pregnant women.
Unsurprisingly, many governments around the world have, or are proposing, increasingly restrictive legislation on vaping, accusing the big tobacco companies behind vaping of creating a whole new generation of addicts.
BUT LIFE WILL BE SO MISERABLE WON'T IT?
Many smokers have this fear and hypnotherapists are very careful to avoid the phrase "giving up" as it implies a loss of some kind.
However, with research showing the vast majority of former smokers to be much happier than when they smoked (vi), you are giving up nothing but the high chance of chronic illness and an early death (iv). In fact with improved physical and mental health and a better quality of life (not to mention the financial benefits), you have everything to gain from stopping smoking.
SO WHAT ABOUT HYPNOSIS THEN, IS THAT NOT JUST A MAGIC TRICK?
It is true that hypnosis is used by stage and tv performers for entertainment purposes, making people look foolish by getting them to perform ridiculous stunts.
This is very unfortunate as it presents a totally false and trivialising image of what is a serious and valuable psychological tool that has brought relief from suffering for countless numbers of people throughout history. It also deters many people who would greatly benefit from it, from seeking help.
In reality, hypnosis is a natural state that has been used in it's modern form by doctors, dentists and psychotherapists since the 1800s, taught in medical schools and researched in universities around the world, accruing a vast body of knowledge.
It was first approved by the British Medical Association as long ago as 1892 with the first recorded use of hypnosis for smoking cessation even earlier in 1847 when J.W. Robbins, a Massachusetts physician, successfully used post-hypnotic suggestion on patients for smoking and weight loss.
Contrary to what many imagine, hypnosis is not sleep nor is it mind control. You remain alert and aware throughout the proceedings and you cannot be made to do anything against your will or nature.
OK, SO HOW DOES IT WORK THEN?
I offer smoking cessation therapy over two sessions as a rule, either here in Tunbridge Wells town centre, online or via a home visiting service throughout the Wealden area.
The first session is of a preparatory nature, assessing all of the previously mentioned factors and determining which of a number of techniques and strategies will be best for you personally. The second session is for cessation itself, tailored to your own personal requirements based on what you have told me in session one.
Most people only require two sessions unless something unforeseen arises though a third may occasionally be required.
Your investment for this is a flat charge of £125, payable in advance of the first session.
SO WHAT DO I DO NOW?
You can contact me by email here or by text or good old-fashioned phone call on 07714590798 to make an appointment. I offer a free, no obligation introductory consultation if you would like to meet me first or you can make an appointment for the first session straight away. I also welcome any questions you might have by email or text if you prefer.
Once an appointment is made, I will send you a link for payment before the first session.
So please do get in touch, if you are motivated and ready to make the change (remember hypnosis cannot make you do anything that you don't really want to do) then there is every chance that you will join the countless numbers of people around the world (including myself) that have used hypnosis to not only stop smoking but also to remain a non-smoker, permanently.
Many thanks for reading, I hope to hear from you soon. In the meantime here are the studies referenced above
(i) Effects of Smoking on Patients with Chronic Pain
(ii) "Hypnosis patients twice as likely to remain smoke free than those who quit on their own." Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2005;37:3 pages 245 - 250.
(iii). "... patients who smoke may be more likely to quit smoking through the use of hypnotherapy than patients using other smoking cessation methods. Smoking patients who participated in one hypnotherapy session were more likely to be non-smokers at 6 months compared with patients using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) alone or patients who quit "cold turkey." American College of Chest Physicians. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071022124741.htm
(iv) The Benefits of Quitting Smoking, the American Cancer Society.
(v) "Smoking cessation is associated with reduced depression, anxiety and stress with improved quality of life." British Medical Journal. https://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g1151
(vi) "Ex smokers overwhelmingly reported feeling happier now than when they were smoking." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19351779/
Some research studies relating to hypnotherapy for smoking cessation:
World Health Organisation, May 2022.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco
Australian Government Cracks Down on Vaping
Effects of smoking on patients with chronic pain:
Smoking and Blindness, British Medical Journal
BMJ 2004;328:537
https://www.bmj.com/content/328/7439/537
Hypnotherapy For Smoking Cessation Sees Strong Results
"Hospitalised patients who smoke may be more likely to quit with hypnosis than patients using other methods. Smoking patients who participated in one hypnotherapy session were more likely to be non-smokers at six months compared with patients using nicotine replacement therapy alone or those going cold turkey ".American College of Chest Physicians. October 24 2007.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071022124741.htm
Hypnotherapy is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229913002100
"Ex smokers overwhelmingly reported feeling happier now than when they were smoking ". Do ex-smokers report feeling happier following cessation? Shahab, West. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, volume 11, issue 5, 1st.May 2009, pages 553-557.
https://academic.oup.com/ntr/article-abstract/11/5/553/1025156?redirectedfrom=fu
Smoking cessation is associated with reduced depression, anxiety and stress and with improved quality of life ". Changes in Mental Health after Smoking Cessation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal 2014:348:g1151
http://bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g1151
Above image by <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/quit-smoking-cigarettes_8872828.htm#page=2&query=Smoking%20cessation&position=7&from_view=search&track=ais">Freepik</a>,