Hypnotism To Stop Smoking

I remember as a child growing up, my Dad smoking cigarette after cigarette. It wasn't too bad most of the time, but when we were in a closed car and it was too cold to have the windows open, YUCK! And it wasn't just that it smelled bad, it made me feel "effects" sometimes, I'd start to feel light headed and even a little shaky if I was around it for too long.

I know when I was a teenager, I bugged him quite a bit about quitting. But I know from being that close to someone that smokes, it is NOT an easy habit to kick. Not at all. In fact, I'd even venture to say that it may be harder to kick than a drug habit... well, maybe not, but still an extremely difficult habit to kick!

It's no wonder that every year, one of the New Year's resolutions that people make most often is to stop smoking. I knew people I used to work with who tried to quit, they would last a week, maybe two weeks, then something would trigger that need to smoke again... and they'd be back outside during their breaks, smoking again.

Finally, about the time my husband and I got married, I got word that my Dad had quit. I had trouble believing it at first, but thought, that's great!

I know when I was in High School, I'd purposely choose the topic of not smoking to write about, when we were given a writing assignment. Then I would ask my Dad to read it... devious, I know! That didn't work, though.

I learned that the person that has the smoking habit has to be the one that initiates quitting, or it won't work. Well meaning people will try to "talk sense" into a person, but it does not work to make someone stop, unless they make up their own mind to finally kick the habit.

I think it's very similar to losing weight. You can talk to someone until you are blue in the face, about the health risks of being very overweight, and about all of the other reasons to lose it... but it won't work unless the person wants to be the one to decide to finally break the habit.

Anyway, I wasn't really sure that my Dad had quit, until I saw him again, and he wasn't smoking. We got married in Washington State, and my Dad was living in Wisconsin at the time, so it was during one of our visits that I realized, hey, he really DID quit this time.

I asked him how he did it and just about fell off the chair when he told me he went to a hypnotist. REALLY? A hypnotist? Yep, then he proceeded to tell me how he did it. Now I was under the impression that a hypnotist was an entertainer, one that put a whole room full of people to "sleep" in a comedy show, then made them all MEOW out loud, or pretend to purr, moo, or make any assortment of funny animal sounds either in unison, or one at a time. Then the audience would laugh at them. Or the hypnotist would make audience members flap their arms as if they are wings, silly things like that. All the time, the point being to entertain folks.

I had NEVER heard of using hypnotism for a medical or health purpose, but after talking with my Dad and being around him for a few days, I became a believer! He has been totally smoke-free for almost 30 years now. He will turn 75 years old this January, and I honestly believe if he had kept up his several pack a day habit of smoking that he would not be with us today. I honestly believe that quitting smoking saved his life, and added YEARS to his life!

The neat thing is when he told me what happens to him whenever he feels like putting his hand into a pack of cigarettes... he "envisions" SNAKES crawling (or slithering, whatever the heck it is that snakes do)... out of the pack of cigarettes. Hey, that would sure work for me! It has worked successfully for him for years now. I thought it was fascinating. This imagery is powerful enough to keep him from reaching for a cigarette.

I've heard that hypnotism doesn't work for everyone, but I honestly believe if other methods have failed, as they did for my Dad, that maybe it's worth a try! Hypnotism can be done one of three ways. One can go in person to a hypnotist, to an office, much like consulting any other health professional, and receive treatment there. Another way is to use a set of audio recordings to do self hypnosis, and the third way I have learned that this can be done is to use a set of video's for hypnosis.

Hypnosis is simply going into a person's subconscious mind, and uses the power of one's own brain to help them to overcome a bad habit, or even to overcome a fear or phobia of something. Being hypnotized means that one is in a state of very deep relaxation, and can then receive suggestions. It can be a valuable tool to teach one to relax and overcome stress, as well as helping them to quit a bad habit.

The method my Dad used was to go in person to see a hypnotist, so I honestly don't have experience with the other two methods to know whether they really work or not. All I know is, my Dad is now a "snowbird" ... he lives in Missouri, and goes to Florida every winter to escape the cold and ICE. And I'll be able to call him in just a few weeks, (the good Lord willing), on his 75th birthday and wish him a VERY Happy Birthday, something I honestly never thought I would be able to do if he had kept up his smoking habit.

Good luck to anyone that is trying to kick a smoking habit, it is so very difficult, but a VERY worthwhile thing to do. Just ask anyone who is blessed to be able to wish a parent a Happy 75th Birthday, when they once thought they might never get to do that. :)