I could not stop smoking, and really wanted to quit.
I have smoked for twenty years, starting my late teens, which I now recognize as especially ridiculous because I was a competitive athlete (in soccer) at the time I started the habit. I have taught overseas for much of my adult life, and several of the countries where I lived (especially Asia and parts of Europe) were more open to public smoking than America is. When I returned home, I realized that I could no longer smoke at restaurants, in people’s homes, and other places I had become accustomed to lighting up, so I felt isolated. My asthma was also exacerbated by smoking, and of course I also knew it is really deadly. But I just could not quit.
To quit in the past, I tried cold turkey (which worked a few times, once for two years), Wellbutrin, nicotine gum, and a nicotine patch. Then about six months ago, I was in treatment for depression and alcohol abuse and my counselor recommended trying clinical hypnosis to quit smoking. Since I wanted to stay away from any sort of chemical treatment (like anti-depressants or even nicotine-based treatments), it interested me. I kind of felt like, why not?
I found hypnosis to be surprisingly accessible and not weird. To me, it seemed like a mixture between a relaxation therapy and a counseling session. I felt really relaxed but not “out of it,” like in the movies. I felt present. I think it has helped me cut down. I haven’t quit, but I smoke about half of what I used to. Smoking isn’t an automatic response for me now. Hypnosis seems to have made me calmer, or at least more aware that I have choices.
