Smoking cessation: Has anyone tried hypnosis for this?

@mmy2021, first of all, congrats on quitting for 7 months! There are a few members who have had success with hypnosis and quitting smoking like @alleycatkate @bluelagoon @mjj @bmiller57 who can share their experiences.

MMY, what helped you to successfully quit for 7 months?

@colleenyoung @mmy2021 @alleycatkate @mjj @bmiller57 I was recently shocked to see that I had hit my 6-year anniversary on quitting. For me, my dentist had tipped me off to this book that helped another of her patients quit: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. What helped was it made me realize how hypnotized I was to be smoking, rather than needing hypnosis to quit. It gave me that mental edge I needed to hang on past the physical cravings. For the physical aspect, I used Chantix and wintergreen lifesavers. But there was something about gaining insight into what led to being woefully addicted that helped me to undo it.

Hypnosis is worth a try. Try everything 'out there' to quit. You will find what works for you, i.e., substituting with exercise, etc. I quit by taking up knitting because I had a problem with what to do with my hands. I had to quit because I could no longer afford to buy cigs. It has been 44 years. You can do this!

@mmy2021, @colleenyoung
Congrats on quitting!! My husband and myself quit maybe 25 or so years ago. I had tried so many times to quit and then found hypnosis. Wow! What a blessing. My husband and I went to group hypnosis. We were told at the break to go out and have a cigarette if we wanted. We did not want one and Never smoked again. Best thing I ever did for my health. BTW...my husband had little interest in quitting at the time but went along to support me. So the power of suggestion and of the mind is great. Again...good for you for your accomplishment. Kate

@mmy2021 ...Oh Shoot! Just saw that the cigs lured you back. It is amazing the grip that they can have over you....but you are stronger than a plant! I used to have a dream that I was sitting across from my Dr and he informed me that I had lung cancer. I said "I will quit"! He said... too late you already have it. That was always forefront in my mind as well as a family history of cancer. Stay strong and don't let this devil get the best of you! Best of luck!
Kate

As a totally addicted smoker (30+ years), I used a book on self-hypnosis and quit in 1986. I am re-posting my previous posts about this, just in case they help someone trying to quit. I used behavior modification techniques, the book, and lots of other stuff. I didn't want to go through this twice! It is a horrible and heartbreaking addiction; it took my sister, my brother, and my son. He was only 56.

I was a very addicted smoker for over 30 years, never without a cigarette and always planning my next opportunity to smoke. I quit in 1986, by using a book on self-hypnosis written by a doctor, and by using all the behavior-modification tips I could round up. I never smoked again.
On thing that smokers need to remember: You will quit eventually. Will it be like my sister, who quit when she was hospitalized with emphysema? Maybe it will be when you have a heart attack and then a quadruple bypass, like my other sister. Perhaps it will be like my friend's mother, who quit after her diagnosis of stage-four lung cancer.
My impetus to quit was seeing a friend hooked up to chemotherapy for his lung cancer. I knew it was time for me to face quitting. I'd never tried before, just thought about it but justified continuing to smoke.
So…. if I'm allowed to, I would recommend the book I used. It's out of print now, but used copies are sometimes available second-hand on-line.
I also would like to post the behavior modification tips here, when I've got some more time to type. One of the most important tips I got as I began the process of quitting was in a magazine article, saying that quitting smoking is like the death of a loved one. Your cigarettes are your friends and are always with you. When you do quit, you must think of them as you would a loved one who has died. You miss them horribly, you think of them every day, as time goes by you miss them less, but they cannot come back, no matter how much you wish they could. This helped me with quitting smoking; the cigarettes have died and gone forever.
Post #2: Here are the behavior modification tips I used to quit smoking after 30 years of total addiction. I used a book called "A Doctor's Book on Smoking and How to Quit," by Dr. Anthony Colby. It's available second-hand sometimes, as it's out of print. It's a 14-day plan to quit. Each day has a "practice quitting" session and some relaxation ideas.
Once I made the decision to quit, I put an X on my calendar for the day I'd start the book. (I used my birthday, which was about a month away.) From that day on, I never bought my cigarette of choice again. I bought one pack at a time of anything else, including menthol, Camels, weird brands, etc. By the time I began the book and the process, everything I was smoking tasted terrible and I realized I was just smoking to smoke.
I got a large glass jar and filled it with water, then emptied a few ashtrays into it. I kept that jar on my dresser and looked at it and smelled it often.
I rewarded myself, putting the cost of cigarettes for one day into a little plate in my room. Each day I counted the money, and every five days or so I spent the money on myself for a reward. I kept this up for a while afterwards, always reminding myself how much I'd spend on smoking.
I told everyone I knew that I was quitting. I got support from ex-smokers and present smokers, and it would have been much harder on me to start smoking again and face them. People will be very proud of you.
I carried a large baggie in my purse for months, with hard candies, mints, gum, lollipops, to have something to suck on instead of a cigarette. There were calories, but the effects were certainly better than smoking. It was worth the few extra calories.
I convinced myself that if I should ever pick up one cigarette and have one puff, I'd go buy a carton and start the addiction all over again.
Walking by people who smoke after I quit, I realized that this was how I had smelled. It was on my hair, my clothes and my breath, in my car and in my home.
After the first few days without smoking, my hands and feet began to feel like I was putting them in an oven, just a reminder of how bad my circulation had become. I only wanted to quit once, and it was difficult of course. I cried and went through the grieving process, as something I loved had died and gone forever. I knew that I'd miss them less every day, and that I'd learn to live without them. They couldn't come back no matter how much I wanted them to, just like a loved one.
Anyone thinking of quitting, please try everything you can to make yourself successful. You'll be making the decision voluntarily, rather than having it made for you by the medical profession.

I hope some of my tips help. The very best to everyone who decides to quit.

@mjjl Wow! This is such an inspiring story. What a great example you make and what a well-thought-out strategy. I must have read (incorrectly) that you "fell off the wagon". My mistake. I would guess your experience with quitting will be helpful for those looking to follow your example. Kudos!! Kate

Thank you, Kate, for your kind words. No, I never "fell off the wagon." A previous poster had written that in their post. My quitting date was 1986, and I've never been tempted to smoke again. The book on self-hypnosis (just daily relaxation techniques, nothing strange or weird) helped me so much. Friends have also used the book and have been successful in quitting. Even if a person cannot locate a copy of the book (try eBay, Amazon and Thriftbooks), the behavior modification tips can be very helpful. Smokers have to realize that they will quit eventually; I think it's best all around to make the decision themselves instead of having a doctor or hospital make it for them.

I have been smoking for over 45 plus years. I have tried chantix and Wellbutrin nothing work tryed Cold turkey and it didn't work. I have COPD and I was using a nebulizer treatment for me to be able to breathe. On January 21 of this year I got hypnotize for$150. Over the phone in my house with zoom. I haven't picked up a cigarette since then. I have no cravings no withdrawal no side effects from not smoking. I don't have to use my nebulizer anymore. Everything is going good. It was my last resort to stop smoking. It was the best thing I could have done for myself.