Not everyone can claim that the cigarette that he or she is holding is the last cigarette. It takes much more will power, help, or medication to get away from the temptations of nicotine. To stop smoking, we get involved in plans that take us through so many steps so that your dependence is primarily chemically tied. Pills and drugs help one sustain the cravings. But the inevitable question is ‘what happens when you stop taking the medication?’

A lot of these plans don’t account for the psychological effects when one tries to stop smoking. With individuals returning to smoking, there’s reason to think that there’s more to the conventional plans. Instead of physical treatments to combating the smoking habit, some are considering alternative methods. Hypnotherapy is such a process where one can deal with problems by appealing directly to the inner consciousness. The patient can examine one’s habits that are from the core level. With changes in the inner consciousness, one can change.

The process of hypnotherapy involves consultation with a hypnotherapist. The therapist will typically ask you to fill out a questionnaire so that he or she can get a better feel for your needs. The intake form will ask for your habits, tendencies and information about your background.

Once the therapist has the information, you’ll be asked to come for a hypnotherapy session where you schedule your meeting. This session involves the actual hypnosis. In attempting to get the patient in a hypnotic state, the therapist will tell the person to relax as much as possible. The deep state of relaxation is important since this is the state where the therapist can reach the subconscious mind. In some cases, the patient is asked to focus on some thought that will trigger a change in the state.

Why is the subconscious state desirable? It is under this condition that the individual is highly receptive to new suggestions and ideas. The therapist uses imagery and positive suggestions during this moment to help the client imagine a life without cigarettes or nicotine. What’s also interesting is that the therapist will not say “don’t smoke” during the session. By saying not to smoke may trigger someone to smoke, simply because we tend to do what we’re told not to. Hence, negative influences are almost never used under a hypnosis session. Instead, the therapist makes the client think about a positive life without smoke.

A typical stop smoking program may go for weeks, or even months. The program may not be cheap, but the benefits could be more effective than other conventional plans. For someone serious about hypnotherapy for smoking, it may not be advantageous to take the one-time sessions with a group. These programs are not as effective since they don’t focus on your specific needs.

Some hypnotherapists may provide a cd of the hypnosis session so that the quitter can revert to the session at his or her convenience. In fact, some recommend that one listens to the sessions every night under relaxed conditions.

Hypnotherapy should be a consideration if conventional means such as medication do not work. The cravings for nicotine may be psychological and the best way to combat it may be through hypnosis.
» Read more: Stop Smoking with Hypnotherapy