COMMON FAQ WHEN CONSIDERING HYPNOSIS TO QUIT SMOKING
1. Q:Can I Be Hypnotized?
A: Everyone can be hypnotized if they wish to – you just have to be willing
2. Q: Is Hypnosis Merely a Relaxation, and Nothing More?
A: You can be relaxed and yet not be hypnotized – and you can be hypnotized and not be relaxed. Relaxation is only one aspect of trance.
3. Q: Does a Person Need to be Deeply Hypnotized to be Helped?
A: You do not need to be in a deep state of hypnosis to benefit from it. Beneficial results can come from taking suggestions while in a light trance.
4. Q: When in Hypnosis, Does It Mean You are Out of Control?
A: You cannot be hypnotized against your will. You have to “want” to be hypnotized in order for it to happen. Once in hypnosis, you are always in control.
5. Q: Is it True That a Person May not be Easily Awakened and May Remain in the Hypnotic State for a Long Time or Get “Stuck” in This State?
A: No one has remained indefinitely in a hypnotic state. The state can be terminated at will. It is as simple as opening the eyes. You cannot get stuck in hypnosis and not “wake up.”
6. Q:Is it True – a Person Could be Made to Do Anything or Say Anything, and is Under the Hypnotist’s control?
A: In hypnosis a person will not go against his or her moral principles. They will not commit an anti-social act. The person has the power to select only the suggestions they are willing to accept. The person will reject any improper suggestions, and will never commit a crime or an illegal act. You cannot be given a suggestion or posthypnotic suggestion to go against your moral principles.
7. Q: Is hypnosis a sleeping, unconscious state, and when hypnotized a person is not aware of their surroundings?
A: In hypnosis, awareness is increased. If the person falls asleep, they are not in hypnosis. In hypnosis you are aware of everything that is going on around you. Hypnosis might resemble sleep, yet it is not sleep, and is in fact a state of expanded awareness. You are fully aware of what is being said to you when in hypnosis, and can reject any suggestion that is given to you at anytime. The senses are generally enhanced (hyper-acuity) when a person is in the hypnotic state. They hear any sounds in the general area, and are quite aware of what is going on. Often the person is more aware, and not less aware.
8. Q: Will Hypnotist / Hypnotherapist Magically Make Me Want To Stop Smoking?
A:They can assist you in making this process much easier, but you need to have the desire to quit smoking first.
9. Q: How Can Hypnosis Help Me to Quit Smoking?
A: During Hypnotherapy (hypnosis used therapeutically), your mind becomes relaxed, and the mindset shifts effortlessly toward health & wellness, away from unwanted smoking habit. This positive attitude will lead you to discover and implement new behaviors to reduce your stress and cravings.
10. Q: Can I Quit Smoking In 1 Session?
A: You may or may not, and that’s why professional hypnotherapists recommend more than one session – three (3) sessions seem to be optimal for most clients.
11. Q: Is It Expensive to Hire Hypnotherapist for Smoking Cessation?
A: Depending on where you live and the amount you smoke, you will recover the cost usually from few weeks to few months of becoming smoke free. Smoking leads to poor health and increase in hospitalizations that adds up to many thousands of dollars in bills, low quality of life, and decreased longevity.
12. Q: Is It Too Late to Quit Smoking If I Have Been A Heavy Smoker for Decades?
A: If you are reading this, then it is not.
- 20 min after quitting, your pulse rate adjusts to normal level, and blood pressure re-adjusts to a natural level
- 48 hours after quitting, nerve endings start regrowing, and ability to smell and taste improve
• 2 weeks- 3 months after quitting, your heart attack risk begins to drop, circulation improves, lung function increases up to 40%
• 1 – 9 months after quitting, you’re coughing and shortness of breath decrease
• 1 year after quitting, your risk of heart disease is half of the smoker
• the longer you stay smoke free, the more benefits there are
13. Q: If patches & nicotine gums don’t work for me, can hypnotherapy still help?
A: Even though nicotine is known to be habit forming, the real issue is when it comes to smoking is psychological. Hypnotherapy has been proven more successful than medications, patches and nicotine gums since its goal is to re-focus the mind away from smoking toward becoming free from it, and to gain inner confidence that you can do it. That’s the real hypnotherapy advantage.
14. Q: I tried hypnosis in the past and it didn’t work.
A: It’s important that you feel comfortable with a hypnotist, and you believe that they can help you. Perhaps you felt a necessity to quit at the time, but you were not ready. Maybe it was only one session, and you needed additional ones. Also, the key is to work with an experienced hypnotist for best results.
15. Q: Is Hypnosis Only Effective for Quitting Smoking Regular Cigarettes?
A: Not at all. Hypnotherapy can also be used successfully to stop vaping, E-cigarettes, smoking pipe, or chewing tobacco.
16. Q: What to Expect When I Finish the Smoking Cessation Program Using Hypnosis?
A: You will See and Feel yourself as a non-smoker, and get excited about making changes in your life, and the benefits that come along. Any doubts about becoming non-smoker get resolved, and you become confident that the smoking habit is no longer controlling your life.
17. Q: I’m Worried About Gaining Weight When I Stop Smoking?
A: It’s a very common concern. Often people replace their smoking habit for another – it could be frequent snacking, binging, drinking, etc. When working with a hypnotist, you identify the triggers that feed the cravings, and you learn to neutralize them by developing and using positive habits, in order to replace the undesirable ones, such as smoking.
18. Q: If I can Stop Smoking Cold Turkey, Why Should I Hire a Hypnotherapist?
A: Without external help of a hypnotherapist to help you modify your behavior in response to usual daily triggers, the cravings will come back with such intensity that only around 7% of those who try to quit can overcome the cravings. Whereas, with the help of hypnosis the success rate is greater than 90%.
19. Q: I Want My Loved One to Stop Smoking. Can You Make Them?
A: Hypnotherapy will only work if the person is willing to do so, and if they truly desire to become smoke free. You are right to be concerned about your loved one who keeps on smoking in spite of knowing very well the negative consequences that result from smoking, yet they need to take that first step.
20. Q: Smoking Helps Me with Stress & Anxiety, and I’m Afraid to Quit.
A: Understandable; however, in hypnotherapy, especially if you suffer from stress & anxiety, you will be taught deep relaxation techniques that will help you manage the anxiety in a healthy manner, without having to destroy your health with smoking.
21. Q: Can Virtual / Long-Distance Hypnosis Using Zoom and/or Phone Still Be Effective?
A: Yes, it can and it is! Even when working with hypnotherapist in-person, the client will close their eyes usually shortly after starting hypnosis, and will be listening to the voice, interacting if needed with eyes closed, and benefiting from hypnotist skills, wording, and experience. Hypnotherapy is an audio- based therapy.