Quitting Smoking
October 16, 2005 3:21 PM
Has anyone here ever been hypnotized in order to quit smoking?
I've heard a few success stories here and there and most of the literature that I've read is quite positive on that method. In fact, most clinics that I've looked into boast a 70% success rate as opposed to the 30% rate of the patch, gum, or other aid. Would anyone here relate their personal stories (successes and failures) on the subject?
Much to my surprise, I couldn't find a previous post on this.
I've heard a few success stories here and there and most of the literature that I've read is quite positive on that method. In fact, most clinics that I've looked into boast a 70% success rate as opposed to the 30% rate of the patch, gum, or other aid. Would anyone here relate their personal stories (successes and failures) on the subject?
Much to my surprise, I couldn't find a previous post on this.
Even if I think we're routinely hypnotized, even if in less dramatic ways then the usual psycologist with a clock one, I always refused attending an hypnosis session.
Yet I quitted smoking about one year ago with the help of nicotine patches and a little determination to really friggin quit.
I couldn't be any happier and more satisfied of my choice. It's a massive satisfaction , a self-achievement that is going to yeld positive self-esteem effects in addition to the benefits of quitting smoking.
Just think about
* the fact you'll start breathe again
* you'll feel all the tastes you don't realize you have lost
* you'll save a boatload of money otherwise wasted in smoke
* you'll no longer have to suffer the annoyance of being pressured into no longer smoking by people whose concept of suggesting to stop smoking is tell you are a dirty evil smoker scumbag sinner heathen.
It's all benefit, all benefits. If hypnosis works for some, it's worth every dime being hypnotized into not smoking.
posted by elpapacito at 4:53 PM on October 16, 2005
Yet I quitted smoking about one year ago with the help of nicotine patches and a little determination to really friggin quit.
I couldn't be any happier and more satisfied of my choice. It's a massive satisfaction , a self-achievement that is going to yeld positive self-esteem effects in addition to the benefits of quitting smoking.
Just think about
* the fact you'll start breathe again
* you'll feel all the tastes you don't realize you have lost
* you'll save a boatload of money otherwise wasted in smoke
* you'll no longer have to suffer the annoyance of being pressured into no longer smoking by people whose concept of suggesting to stop smoking is tell you are a dirty evil smoker scumbag sinner heathen.
It's all benefit, all benefits. If hypnosis works for some, it's worth every dime being hypnotized into not smoking.
posted by elpapacito at 4:53 PM on October 16, 2005
I have several friends for whom hypnosis was the only thing that helped them quit smoking. They all totally swear by it.
posted by Dr. Wu at 5:38 PM on October 16, 2005
posted by Dr. Wu at 5:38 PM on October 16, 2005
It had a measurable effect, but the hypnotist went over the top; "people look down on you as a smoker, they see you as weak and a loser". Maybe it could work, but the patches did the job for me.
posted by Wolof at 6:12 PM on October 16, 2005
posted by Wolof at 6:12 PM on October 16, 2005
Hypnotism is bunk, don't give those schysters your money. complete nonsense, and even harmful.
If you want to quit, and really give a shit about it, you'll quit no matter what path you choose.
posted by zerolives at 6:33 PM on October 16, 2005
If you want to quit, and really give a shit about it, you'll quit no matter what path you choose.
posted by zerolives at 6:33 PM on October 16, 2005
I know three people who tried it, including my wife.
Two of them said it was very good and were smoke free for a few months, but have slipped back. One found it of little benefit and attempted to take the practitioner up on the "guarantee".
I think it works really well if you genuinely want to quit, but not so much if you are just quitting because you should.
I found quitting myself a lot easier when a little light went on in my head that said I really, genuinely wanted to quit, and once that happened I just went cold turkey.
On preview, I guess I second zerolives.
posted by bystander at 6:38 PM on October 16, 2005
Two of them said it was very good and were smoke free for a few months, but have slipped back. One found it of little benefit and attempted to take the practitioner up on the "guarantee".
I think it works really well if you genuinely want to quit, but not so much if you are just quitting because you should.
I found quitting myself a lot easier when a little light went on in my head that said I really, genuinely wanted to quit, and once that happened I just went cold turkey.
On preview, I guess I second zerolives.
posted by bystander at 6:38 PM on October 16, 2005
Hypnotism is bunk, don't give those schysters your money. complete nonsense, and even harmful.
If you want to quit, and really give a shit about it, you'll quit no matter what path you choose.
I agree with this, and so do my friends who used hypnostism to quit, actually. For them, the hypnotism did exactly what you suggest is essential, zerolives: it finally, once and for all, that they needed to quit. Every one of them (I have maybe 5 or 6 friends who used the one big hypnosis-to-quit-smoking guy in LA) has said the same thing: they weren't even actually hypnotized so much as they were convinced in a most thorough fashion.
Again, I don't have firsthand experience, but this is what they've all said, to a person: hypnosis was the thing that made them really really want to quit.
posted by Dr. Wu at 6:39 PM on October 16, 2005
If you want to quit, and really give a shit about it, you'll quit no matter what path you choose.
I agree with this, and so do my friends who used hypnostism to quit, actually. For them, the hypnotism did exactly what you suggest is essential, zerolives: it finally, once and for all, that they needed to quit. Every one of them (I have maybe 5 or 6 friends who used the one big hypnosis-to-quit-smoking guy in LA) has said the same thing: they weren't even actually hypnotized so much as they were convinced in a most thorough fashion.
Again, I don't have firsthand experience, but this is what they've all said, to a person: hypnosis was the thing that made them really really want to quit.
posted by Dr. Wu at 6:39 PM on October 16, 2005
Hypnotism is bunk, don't give those schysters your money. complete nonsense, and even harmful.
Do you have a source or a story to go with that? I'd like to hear it.
posted by Jon-o at 6:49 PM on October 16, 2005
Do you have a source or a story to go with that? I'd like to hear it.
posted by Jon-o at 6:49 PM on October 16, 2005
I read "Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. It has a hypnotic quality to it. You're supposed to smoke while you read it. I haven't smoked in 10 months, and am positive I will never smoke again. Note that I was ready, and did convince myself even before I bought the book that this was the thing that would end it for me. But I've often heard this as "the" book to buy (although I'll stop short on that, as everyone is different). Didn't work for my fiancé though. Good luck Jon - quitting feels great.
Feel free to email me if you like an extended version...
posted by hellbient at 7:05 PM on October 16, 2005
Feel free to email me if you like an extended version...
posted by hellbient at 7:05 PM on October 16, 2005
I went with my boss & two other coworkers to be hypnotized when my boss decided it was time we all quit. The other coworkers were enthusiastic, I wasn't. They quit and have stayed quit. I lasted about 10 days and said fuck it. My boss lasted I think 48 hours. So - 50% ain't bad, I guess.
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:31 PM on October 16, 2005
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:31 PM on October 16, 2005
I lasted about 10 days and said fuck it.
Because of withdrawl or did you just not care to stay quit?
posted by Jon-o at 7:47 PM on October 16, 2005
Because of withdrawl or did you just not care to stay quit?
posted by Jon-o at 7:47 PM on October 16, 2005
i have a friend that has been to the hypnotist several times to quit smoking. he always relapses. i think he once went 4 years as quit. he now smokes again.
posted by brandz at 8:12 PM on October 16, 2005
posted by brandz at 8:12 PM on October 16, 2005
Not necessarily about smoking, but somebody just sent me tonight this relevant clip of hypnotist Rich Guzzi "treating" other types of oral fixations (Language NSFW)
posted by growabrain at 11:42 PM on October 16, 2005
posted by growabrain at 11:42 PM on October 16, 2005
Sorry this isn't a personal story of antismoking hypnosis as specified, I just love the subliminal sound of my own voice in my head when I read what I type.
I think quitting smoking and staying quit is more about mindset than anything else, and if you buy into hypnotism it's apt to inspire your quest and if you are ambivalent or skeptical it's not going to to have enough impact to get you over any of the steeper psychological humps. I don't know enough to comment on the validity of hypnosis as a science, but in my experience the chief determining factor in "successful" hypnoses is the subject's credulity. If you think it's going to help, it just might.
FWIW, when I quit smoking the thing that really got me into quitting gear (it's next to reverse) was to remember that cravings peak after 3 days. After that it will never be any harder. Once I passed that landmark I wouldn't even seriously consider going back.
posted by moift at 11:49 PM on October 16, 2005
I think quitting smoking and staying quit is more about mindset than anything else, and if you buy into hypnotism it's apt to inspire your quest and if you are ambivalent or skeptical it's not going to to have enough impact to get you over any of the steeper psychological humps. I don't know enough to comment on the validity of hypnosis as a science, but in my experience the chief determining factor in "successful" hypnoses is the subject's credulity. If you think it's going to help, it just might.
FWIW, when I quit smoking the thing that really got me into quitting gear (it's next to reverse) was to remember that cravings peak after 3 days. After that it will never be any harder. Once I passed that landmark I wouldn't even seriously consider going back.
posted by moift at 11:49 PM on October 16, 2005
My mom paid for me to try. It had no effect at all. I did quit years later using the patch and the pills and the will power.
posted by john m at 3:54 AM on October 17, 2005
posted by john m at 3:54 AM on October 17, 2005
Cory Doctorow described his success with hypnosis and quitting smoking in Boing Boing a couple of years ago.
posted by mikel at 4:07 AM on October 17, 2005
posted by mikel at 4:07 AM on October 17, 2005
jon-o: I think it was a combination. I wasn't, at that point, motivated to quit (I'm not now, either, unfortunately) and I have this terrible tendency to get my back up and refuse to do the "expected" thing. The withdrawal wasn't bad, but on the other hand I have quit smoking many, many times, once for two whole years. The first 10 days are always the easiest for me, maybe because I expect them to be hard? Maybe because of my aforementioned contrarian tendencies? It's hard to say, but I've gone 10 days, 2 months, 6 months, 8 months, 6 weeks, a year - etc - often in my 24 years of smoking and it's never stuck. So after the hypnosis thing (about 3 years ago) I decided to quit quitting for a while.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:49 AM on October 17, 2005
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:49 AM on October 17, 2005
I read Allen Carr's book. My friend who gave it to me quit using Carr's method. I didn't.
I have an aunt who quit after one hypnosis visit--not a single cig or desire for one since she left the hypno's office), but she swears that the hypnosis had nothing to do with it. She smoked for 35 years and has been quit for 12.
After seeing my wife benefit from Hynobirthing, I have a new respect for hypnosis. My wife spent 4+ hours in active pushing labor without pain medication and only complained once. All of the L&D staff were amazed and impressed.
What have you got to loose? Good luck and let us know how it goes. I may try it soon myself.
posted by mds35 at 9:50 AM on October 17, 2005
I have an aunt who quit after one hypnosis visit--not a single cig or desire for one since she left the hypno's office), but she swears that the hypnosis had nothing to do with it. She smoked for 35 years and has been quit for 12.
After seeing my wife benefit from Hynobirthing, I have a new respect for hypnosis. My wife spent 4+ hours in active pushing labor without pain medication and only complained once. All of the L&D staff were amazed and impressed.
What have you got to loose? Good luck and let us know how it goes. I may try it soon myself.
posted by mds35 at 9:50 AM on October 17, 2005
I'll definitely post an update. I've got an appointment for a hypnosis session at the hospital in my area on Wednesday.
I've failed to quit twice so far. Once was cold turkey and the second time I had 8 days smoke free on the gum. I just couldn't handle the cravings and the withdrawal. I'm really excited to see how this goes this time. I'm definitely ready to quit, too. The only excuse that keeps me from quitting is the fear of the withdrawal symptoms. These days, I can't rationalize smoking to myself for any other reason.
Also, living with a smoker makes my wife sick more often and it's really killing me to see how miserable it makes her.
I'm really fucking sick and tired of smoking these damn things all the time and I'm sick of the way they seem to run my life.
posted by Jon-o at 3:13 PM on October 17, 2005
I've failed to quit twice so far. Once was cold turkey and the second time I had 8 days smoke free on the gum. I just couldn't handle the cravings and the withdrawal. I'm really excited to see how this goes this time. I'm definitely ready to quit, too. The only excuse that keeps me from quitting is the fear of the withdrawal symptoms. These days, I can't rationalize smoking to myself for any other reason.
Also, living with a smoker makes my wife sick more often and it's really killing me to see how miserable it makes her.
I'm really fucking sick and tired of smoking these damn things all the time and I'm sick of the way they seem to run my life.
posted by Jon-o at 3:13 PM on October 17, 2005
My mum was hypnotized 18 years ago and hasn't smoked since.
posted by deborah at 7:09 PM on October 17, 2005
posted by deborah at 7:09 PM on October 17, 2005
Update:
It's been more than 72 hours since I was hypnotized. I haven't had a cigarette, nor have I wanted to smoke one. Although I'm going through the physical nicotine withdrawl, I'm not tempted to smoke.
This has been, all in all, relatively painless compared to my other attempts to quit smoking.
posted by Jon-o at 2:30 PM on October 22, 2005
It's been more than 72 hours since I was hypnotized. I haven't had a cigarette, nor have I wanted to smoke one. Although I'm going through the physical nicotine withdrawl, I'm not tempted to smoke.
This has been, all in all, relatively painless compared to my other attempts to quit smoking.
posted by Jon-o at 2:30 PM on October 22, 2005
Jon-o, I'm half afraid to ask, but how's it going? I had a hypno session over a week ago. So far, so good. It's pretty painless compared to every method I'v tried before. I really feel good, except for the awful cold I have and the fact that I'm starting to cough up all that crap. But I'm not missing the smokes or having fits either.
posted by mds35 at 8:33 PM on November 25, 2005
posted by mds35 at 8:33 PM on November 25, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by biscotti at 3:25 PM on October 16, 2005