Hypnotherapy is the therapy of choice to help smokers break free from this dangerous and destructive habit. But not all hypnotherapists are trained in the latest and most effective technology for easy recovery from this stubborn addiction. So in this article I list seven of the most advanced methods currently in use by hypnotherapists.
The first of these is the addictive personality technique. This technique, which he developed in 1983, is based on the assumption that all addictive behavior is the result of the subconscious mind’s attempts to treat some form of deep physical or emotional pain. While the conscious mind may not be aware of the nature of this pain, or its source, the subconscious mind is very aware of the source of the pain and can easily access this information in a trance state. Using hypnosis, we can develop a specific internal meditation that addresses the source of this internal pain. Hypnotic suggestion is then used to train the client to access this healing meditation whenever the client craves this addictive behavior.
Much of smoking behavior is learned in the preteen and teen years. In this time of identity crisis, many teens find cigarettes an opportunity to feel like adults, in control, and “cool” in front of their peers. Many teens also use smoking as a way to challenge parental authority, to be “independent.” Long after the smoker reaches adulthood, the adolescent within may still be driving us to smoke if these feelings remain unresolved. Many of my clients are surprised to discover the power that these adolescent urges still have within the subconscious mind. I find that the feelings and needs of the inner adolescent are easily accessible in hypnosis, and can be easily dealt with as well. I use the induction to return to the adolescent who is learning to smoke for the first time. So I ask that teenager “what is smoking going to do for you?” Maybe he says “I want to be a real man!” We then use rescue mission methods to get the client’s adult self to reassure the teen that he is a real man, a good, worthwhile person, no matter what Mommy says or Daddy does.
I then use direct hypnotic suggestion to change the adolescent’s perspective on smoking. This is how I enroll the teen to say NO to cigarettes. I encourage the teen to understand that they have been duped by the rich tobacco companies and the lies of the wealthy Madison Avenue advertising executives. They promised romance and excitement. They deliver sickness and death. They promised manhood. They delivered impotence and addiction. They convinced millions of Americans to slowly commit suicide with these lies, knowing full well the malign consequences of their poisonous product. I suggest that every time the adolescent craves a cigarette, he will clench one hand into a fist and swear not to give another penny to those evil moguls. “Because I’m a real man!” This style of suggestion is especially powerful for the adolescent, whose anti-establishment attitudes are well documented.
Another powerful method is a trip to the future smoker. The tranced subject travels 10 to 30 years to his future self, who is still smoking. Both client and therapist note pale skin, hunched posture, shortness of breath, cough, etc. of this future me. So we listen to this person’s message. “Stop smoking now!” Subject then promises his future self, out loud if possible, that he is leaving now and explains why. We then watch with delight as the future self transforms. Her cheeks turn pink, her skin clear, her breathing suddenly easier. Then your future self thanks you for your help. In trance, this technique is quite powerful.
A similar technique that I use from my NLP training is called “Say goodbye to your old cigarette friends.” This process may seem absurd to many. After all, how is a toxic habit like this a “friend”? But every true addict knows that sometimes you cling to that cigarette during a crisis like a child clings to its mother’s hand. As a former smoker, I remember sometimes having the strange feeling that cigarettes were my best friend. At least they were always there. Saying goodbye to an old friend like this can be painful. We then guide the client through friendly communication out loud with this old friend. We remember and acknowledge the good times. We went over all the painful moments when the cigarettes were there…and maybe no one else was. Then we explain to our old friend why we can’t be friends anymore. “Frankly, you’re killing me,” we say with genuine sadness.
I then have the client listen to the cigarette response. Most of the time, the cigarette has nothing to say. The client is sometimes surprised or hurt by this silence. But I remind you of that old Bob Dylan lyric: “you never talked much anyway.” The familiar silence of his old friend often provides the client with a stronger incentive to quit. “Yeah, damn it, you never talked to me!” I complement this ritual by helping the client connect with a new friend. This new friend could be a spirit guide, an inner mother, a guardian angel, or even a dear external friend to turn to when the client needs a little unconditional love. While it may take time for the client to learn to draw on such a friend, such a friend, I note, is certainly a better friend to you than cigarettes, since it builds health rather than destroys it. And this new friend will speak to you and you can learn to listen to his wisdom and guidance. This, of course, is the essence of Alchemical Hypnotherapy.
Quitting smoking is complicated by the fact that most smokers crave cigarettes when their bodies need oxygen. This is because most smokers only take a deep breath when they inhale a cigarette. And quick inhalation through the mouth is especially effective at getting that oxygen into the body. Many smokers experience a surge of energy, relaxation, and mental clarity when they first inhale the smoke, not realizing that the effects they notice are the result of oxygen entering their body. Try this now. Take several very deep breaths as you inhale through your mouth. Release each breath slowly and deliberately, as if you were smoking a cigarette. Now notice how you feel. Most subjects report feelings of energy, calm and relaxation, and increased mental alertness. Well, cigarettes didn’t, oxygen did.
Therefore, I encourage all of my clients who have quit smoking to take several breaths like this whenever they have the urge for a cigarette. Sometimes this triggers a coughing fit. I tell them this is good as it shows that their lungs are beginning to clear. Cough but keep breathing. This extra breathing not only helps control cravings, it helps your lungs open fully and heal faster. An important extra here is to require my clients to drink a glass of water each time they complete this breath. This gives the customer something more to do with their hands and mouth. And water helps cleanse the blood of nicotine and other toxins that cause these cravings. It also helps to cleanse the lungs. Since most smokers suffer from chronic dehydration as a result of their smoking, water is an essential medicine for your body’s recovery. I will not work with any smoker unless I agree to these simple behaviors. And I reinforce these activities with hypnotic suggestion to make them even more convincing.
Relapse is a scary concept for anyone recovering from addiction. And it is a serious problem that affects almost all addicts at one time or another. The smoker often feels that simply smoking a cigarette in a moment of weakness is proof of total failure. So, in desperation, they buy another pack. There is a different way to experience relapse. Here it is: “And if by some accident, you find yourself smoking a cigarette… you notice it tastes ugly and disgusting, because you’re not a smoker. It tastes disgusting, so you put it out immediately and wash it.” Poke your mouth out with fresh, clean water because you don’t smoke anymore.” With a collection of this and similar phrases, you’ll learn that another cigarette smoked simply proves by its bitter taste that you don’t smoke after all. And it works because… well, let’s face it, the taste of a cigarette IS disgusting in the mouth of an ex-smoker, remember how long it took you as a teenager to LIKE those things?
One of the most addictive things about cigarettes is the habit of taking out a cigarette or rolling it, lighting it, and holding it. Do you remember the luxurious pleasure of watching smoke rise, perhaps learning how to blow smoke rings? All these pleasurable sensations are what I call the “orodigital experience”. It was one of my greatest pleasures when I was a smoker, and I know I’m not alone. I discuss with my clients in the most candid terms how we can help them find a new orodigital ritual that can give them a similar experience of relaxing comfort. Options include: chewing gum, carrying carrots in a bag to work, or, my favorite, chewing on a pen.
While some of these clothes border on bizarre, I gleefully point out that none of them are quite as bizarre as poisoning yourself and everyone around you with deadly chemicals. If you’re ready to quit smoking, think about what you can do with your hands and mouth that feels good and isn’t too weird to do in public. Finding a new orodigital ritual is MUCH easier than abandoning your current ritual cold turkey, which could lead to anxiety, spasms, overeating (there’s a comfort ritual most of us DON’T need), or a relapse into smoking. Hypnotic suggestion can be used to increase the pleasure of this new ritual, helping us find even greater comfort than smoking. This isn’t particularly difficult, as nicotine is actually an anxiety-inducing drug when consumed without the comforting rituals we’re so familiar with.
I have given you some of the methods used by expert hypnotherapists to help their clients quit smoking. Are you a smoker who is ready to be forever free of cigarettes? If so, I encourage you to try these techniques on your own. More importantly, I recommend that you find a hypnotherapist in your area who is trained in these modalities. Good luck!
