Hypnosis Fights Tobacco Addiction




Despite a vast educational campaign and serious governmental efforts to ban smoking in public places, the US statistics on tobacco addiction remains grim. It is estimated that more than 50 million American adults and teenagers still regularly smoke. Every year, cigarette smoking claims lives of at least 400,000 people.


However, surveys also demonstrate that an increasing number of Americans are attempting to kick their harmful habit. Statistics show that, last year, more than one million US residents successfully stopped smoking by using different smoking cessation methods.

Both modern and traditional branches of medicine offer various aids to help smokers fight their unhealthy addiction. Nicotine replacement therapy, antidepressants, counselling, massage, acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy and other smoking cessation methods enjoy an increasing popularity among those who want to become smoke-free. From among a vast arsenal of anti-tobacco remedies, medical hypnosis is becoming a promising type of therapy that may increase the smokers’ chances to quit their harmful habit once and for good.

Until recently, hypnosis had not been considered as a scientifically proven smoking cessation method. However, a new study conducted by University of California researchers and published at the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research has shown that hypnosis can be a powerful therapy in helping people kick their tobacco addiction.

During this one-year-long trial, the scientists assigned a group of smokers to undergo professional hypnosis, and compared the results with those of a control group, where volunteers received traditional counselling.

In the end of the experiment, 22 percent of the hypnosis group smokers successfully stopped smoking, compared to only 15 percent of the controls. The researchers also found that hypnosis was more effective in those subjects who had a history of mental illnesses, including depression.

These results show that hypnosis, especially when used in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy, antidepressants, or other proven methods, can be a useful technique to help smokers curb their nicotine dependency. Hypnotherapy can be particularly efficient when applied together with behavioural counselling.

Lead author of the trial Dr. Timothy Carmody has pointed out that, based on the research, hypnosis should be given a serious consideration by everyone who wants to become smoke-free. Hypnotherapy relaxes patients and helps them cope with acute nicotine withdrawal symptoms more successfully; it also increases smoker’s confidence in his ability to keep off tobacco for a long period of time.

Experts consider the results of the study “encouraging” and call for the hypnotic intervention to become a widely-applied supportive therapy in a smoking cessation process. They say that hypnotherapy has a vast potential to become yet another non-pharmaceutical option for those who attempt to quit smoking.

Hypnosis is a traditional therapy that has recently gained acceptance among serious scientists for its capacity to provide an alternative treatment for a number of health conditions. Hypnotherapy is now offered in some of the country’s best medical clinics and research centers.

Jimmy Edwards

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Posted on June 28, 2008 
Filed Under How to Quit Smoking, Stop Smoking, Stop Smoking News

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