Don’t forget to watch the short video below for more on this topic. So maybe you’ve said: ‘Hey Google: Does hypnosis really work to quit smoking?’ If you have asked google this question, the result below is what you are likely to find. I’ll explain this a little more at the end. But let’s give the devil his due. Here are 6 Reasons Why You Should Be Sceptical About Stop Smoking Hypnosis.
1) Like in any profession, some therapists are better than others at what they do. Basically, not all therapists are created equal. Its for this reason, the home page of this website has a video called ‘The 7 MUST Knows to Successfully Quit Smoking With Hypnosis’.
2) Stage show hypnosis. Most people have not tried hypnotherapy but almost all of us have watched a hypnosis stage show either in person or on TV. These shows are kind of silly and give us a bit of a laugh but what they also do is make real therapeutic hypnosis seem like a similar kind of party trick; which it absolutely is not. Both are a kind of hypnosis but vary greatly in their setting and application.
3) The mate or coworker who ‘tried it and it didn’t work‘. Don’t ever use other smokers quit cigarettes experience to make a decision if something is going to work FOR YOU. Every one is different and everyone’s reasons and commitment to those reasons for quitting is different. Sure, its a good thing to gather data on what has worked for others, but we all know what works for one person may do nothing at all for another.
4) The Hollywood ‘mind control’ factor. We’ve all seen movies that depict hypnosis as some kind of mind control, something to fear and stay away from. Wrong! Obviously what we see in the movies is all fake and not worth using as a reliable source of factual things in the real world. This is no different. There is speculation that mind control tactics have been used in the past (and possibly still today) in warfare etc, but that is absolutely NOT what happens in a hypnotherapy room.
5) ‘Its for the weak of mind’. Again, another misconception most likely created by stage shows and movies. Being strong or weak minded has nothing to do with someones ability to follow words being spoken in order to be guided by language into a relaxed state of hypnotic trance. It’s more a question of ‘do you or don’t you have misconceptions about hypnosis that will stop you from following instructions?’. Thats a yes or no question.
6) If you believe the google result below ‘there is no clear evidence that hypnotherapy works‘. Well, firstly, don’t trust ‘Dr Google’ results. And secondly, it’s important to understand a little about what and how ‘evidence’ is and how it’s created. I know something about this having done scientific research as part of my Post Graduate Degree in Applied Psychology.
We live in a beautiful day and age where we can figure things out for ourselves, information is everywhere. Everyone knows that the pharmaceutical industry is a multi billion dollar industry. Any industry with power like that will always invest time, energy and money into maintaining and growing that power. If a drug company wants to sell drugs, they need to persuade doctors and patients to prescribe them and take them right? What better way to do this than invest MILLIONS into clinical studies to CREATE the evidence to sell that drug. Scientists are dependant on financial grants for their livelihood. Imagine what you would do if a drug company said, ‘i will give you a million dollars to conduct research on the efficacy of this drug we want to promote, now GO!’ You’re probably going to want to please the company that pays your wage, aren’t you? Otherwise, you may as well choose a different career.
Now, if you type into google ‘help me stop smoking’, you are GUARANTEED to see a bunch of ads for nicotine replacement therapies made by drug companies. Do you think it’s out of the realm of possibility that these same companies are spending big money to make sure that you see results like the one below? You betchya! The reason why there may not be ‘clear evidence’ that hypnotherapy is not better than other approaches isn’t because hypnosis isn’t effective, it’s because clinical studies cost millions to do and they are usually the only ones with the money to do them. Also, why would a drug company invest money into investigating an approach to quitting smoking that would take profits away from drug sales? Not likely. Drug companies do not want research out there suggesting that there is actually another way to stop smoking other than taking their dangerous drugs. They want you to think that there are only two ways to quit, cold turkey, call the quitline or a drug, go see your doctor who is likely to write you a prescription for a drug because they wouldn’t dare go against the industry who supports them by suggesting a patient to try hypnosis right? See my point here?
Also, please notice that the website is a government website (.gov). Drug companies heavily influence politicians and governments through millions of dollars in ‘grants’, ‘donations’ and straight up lobbying to support their commercial interests. So of course government websites are going to say what you’re seeing below. This is just how the economic world works. The only evidence you need is to ask people who have tried hypnosis and ask them if they felt it was easier than when they tried to quit cold turkey. The only caveat is to make sure they actually saw a professional therapist, a specialist who is skilled and has a good thorough process rather than a ‘walk-in-walk-out’ one sessions wonder.
Please comment, let me know what you thoughts or ask me any questions below. Show you care and please share. Feel free to call me directly any time on 1300 883 272.