Hypnotism. UPDATE - It WORKS

[deletemeplease107]

Ive always wanted to be hypnotized, Ive alwys wanted to know what it feels like... but i dont have any issues lol. Il get it done someday

 

[mark_n_b]

It worked. It sure seems that way so far. He keeps reminding me, and others, that it only makes it a little easier, he still has to deal with all of the withdrawal. His mind is definitely in the game now though! He's all for it, very about it, and doing splendidly.

This begs the question: what will you be saying three weeks from now? And your description kind of implies it doesn't really work at all, you're telling us he still has cravings and withdrawal symptoms (which are more psychological than physiological in the case of cigarettes)

The first hour was just talking with the woman. She talked to him about the basics of his life... etc

Guided meditation, apparently it has given your husband a means of convincing himself that he is able to manage his own behavior, which is totally legit, if you think you don't think you can control your own behavior, go to someone who you think can control it for you (i.e. the hypnotist)

At the end, or some point, not sure, she gave him different papers about the effects of smoking and told him some tips, like to hold a pen when he wanted to smoke, and to avoid places he had smoked before, like the porch. She also told him how to go back to that place, the mountains, where he could keep encouraging that dialogue when urges got bad.

Like I said, so far its been going so great. I just don't get to tell him often because I'm busy avoiding the topic of smoking all together, which he says he appreciates. It's still hard sometimes and he gets moody and whatnot, but I really think this is working and he won't fall back into it.

so, on top of hypnotism, he is changing habits, avoiding triggers (places that he associates with smoking), using techniques to "fill" cigarette "gaps" (holding the pen), and is getting reinforced support (a wife who doesn't doubt his willingness to quit and isn't nagging him about it, sounds like the hypnosis worked on you too), although I would suggest this regime is oddly similar to hypnotism free quit smoking programs.

You might want to consider a couple maintenance visits, and I hope it gave your husband the means of dealing with exposure to his smoking friends (dropping old friends is a normal part of addiction treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, but it seems excessive for cigarettes)

I'd be curious to hear a three month follow up.

 

[theklng]

Thank you all for your thoughts and replies. Sorry it has taken me so long to get to them and write back. The hypnosis took place on Saturday and today is Tuesday. He hasn't smoked a single cigarette. (He did go searching rather enthusiastically for one yesterday after stress at work and his boss accusing him of bs, but he couldn't find one.)

It worked. It sure seems that way so far. He keeps reminding me, and others, that it only makes it a little easier, he still has to deal with all of the withdrawal. His mind is definitely in the game now though! He's all for it, very about it, and doing splendidly.

I asked him a lot about how it worked so I'll share that information with all of you!

The first hour was just talking with the woman. She talked to him about the basics of his life, not delving into anything really personal or deep, ie; where do you work, and talked to him about hypnotism. She let him know what methods she used, how it worked, etc. He said it felt like she was feeling him out to see if he actually believed in it or not.

At the start of the second hour the hypnotism actually started. He was sitting in a comfy recliner with his shoes off and she had him relax and go to his own relaxed familiar place in his mind, which happened to be the mountains. He said it was like an extremely vivid dream though he was awake and aware of his surroundings. On the mountains, the hypnotist encouraged dialogue between all parts of his conscience. He said he was talking to about five of himself. This revealed different things. For example, he told me one part just felt terrible, like it had let him down in protecting himself, so another part of him was consoling that part. He said he couldn't really move throughout the session. At some point he wanted to move his hands but he couldn't because they were too relaxed and felt very heavy.

That was the jist of it.

At the end, or some point, not sure, she gave him different papers about the effects of smoking and told him some tips, like to hold a pen when he wanted to smoke, and to avoid places he had smoked before, like the porch. She also told him how to go back to that place, the mountains, where he could keep encouraging that dialogue when urges got bad.

Like I said, so far its been going so great. I just don't get to tell him often because I'm busy avoiding the topic of smoking all together, which he says he appreciates. It's still hard sometimes and he gets moody and whatnot, but I really think this is working and he won't fall back into it.

i am really glad it worked, congrats!

i am interested in what technique she helped him use to go to "the mountains", and i'd be happy if you could elaborate on that. the entire experience seems like a lucid meditative state i've heard about before; though that one was drug induced. so, please, any info on this (perhaps through pm) would be much appreciated.

 

[Sylocat]

Hypnotism to help quit smoking can't work miracles, but it definitely will help. A lot. If the person really wants to quit.

Oh, and here's a little proof that hypnosis works [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vz_YTNLn6w]. Not a lot to do with smoking, but it's awesome.

 

[Erana]

So, if it works, does this mean that I could find out why I've been having these disturbing dreams lately, or do I need a psychic?
*insert laughter here*

 

[Ionait]

poof