Does Hypnosis Help You Quit Smoking?

We all know by now that smoking is harmful to our health. Traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and pipes all contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including nicotine and heavy metals like lead, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reports that almost half a million Americans each year die prematurely of smoking and secondhand smoke. Despite these staggering statistics and pleas from healthcare professionals to quit, the addictiveness of smoking can cause challenges.

If you've ever tried to quit smoking, you may have tried nicotine patches, gum, counseling, or maybe even quitting cold turkey. Another method some former smokers have found helped them kick the habit for good is hypnosis. According to Mindset Health, with hypnotherapy, a trained hypnotist counsels you to help you break negative behaviors and thought patterns around smoking, while you are in a deeply relaxed, meditative state in which you might be more open to advice. The therapist makes suggestions based on your cessation goals (via Healthline).

If you're on the fence about whether you should try hypnosis as part of your plan to quit smoking, research has shown that hypnosis is an effective choice for smoking cessation. A 2018 study published in Holistic Nursing and Health Science concluded that hypnotherapy along with massage of specific areas decreased a smoker's dependency on cigarettes.

If you don't have time to see a hypnotist in person or you prefer telehealth appointments, research shows that online hypnotherapy can be an effective option for smoking cessation. In a 2021 study, researchers found 83 smokers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland who wanted to quit smoking during the COVID pandemic lockdown. Each smoker received two online hypnotherapy sessions. Six months after the sessions, 86% of the participants were still smoke-free. Overall, 32% of participants decreased the number of cigarettes they smoked prior to the study. If you haven't had success with other smoking cessation methods, hypnosis may be the answer.