Center for Personal Power
....Helping enrich lives through Hypnosis!!
Can Hypnosis Snuff Out a Smoker's Cigarette Habit? By Lindsay Chura – US News & World Report Smokers trying to quit sometimes use nicotine patches to fight their tobacco dependence. But patches don't work for everyone. New research suggests that patches might be made more effective if used in combination with hypnosis, just as they tend to work better when used in conjunction with professional counseling. A recently published study showed hypnotherapy to be as effective as standard behavioral counseling when combined with nicotine patches in helping smokers to quit and stay off cigarettes for one year. This study provides much-needed evidence that hypnosis is indeed a very helpful treatment," says lead author Timothy Carmody. During hypnotherapy, Carmody explained, patients are coaxed into a relaxed state and then provided with a series of skills for coping with withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Patients are given an audiotape of this training to reinforce these messages at home, and over time it is hoped they will gain increased confidence in their ability to stay off cigarettes for the long term. Hypnotherapy is one of many alternative therapies gaining wider acceptance at some of the nation's best hospitals and medical research institutes . The study, conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California-San Francisco , was published in the May issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research . A total of 286 participants were randomly divided and received either hypnosis or standard behavioral counseling aimed at smoking cessation . During standard behavioral counseling, patient and counselor discussed the dangers of smoking and the benefits of quitting. Participants in both groups were seen for two 60-minute sessions and received three 20-minute follow-up calls to reinforce the messages discussed in either the hypnosis or behavioral counseling treatment sessions. Hypnosis was particularly helpful for would-be quitters who reported a history of depression. That finding suggests that smokers who have struggled with depression--or perhaps with other psychiatric conditions, Carmody says--might someday receive hypnosis as part of the quitting process. Brian Hitsman, assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine , called the results encouraging and added that the hypnotic intervention evaluated in the study may have the potential to serve as another nonpharmacological treatment option in addition to standard counseling. But Hitsman emphasized that hypnosis may boost smoking cessation rates only when combined with nicotine patch therapy. "This study says nothing about the potential effect of the hypnosis intervention in the absence of a nicotine patch," he said. What lies ahead for the field of smoking cessation? An important focus will be to evaluate the extent to which the effectiveness of hypnosis or behavioral counseling can be improved if patients remain on them long term (more than 12 months), Hitsman explained. He takes the perspective that nicotine dependence should be treated more like a chronic medical condition, much like the approach taken in the management of diabetes . "For most people, smoking begins in adolescence and persists across the life span , with multiple periods of remission and relapse. Acute care is the current model, with treatments typically given up to 12 weeks. For many, successful cessation will require ongoing intervention." According to statistics released late last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , more than 45 million people in the United States smoke. Despite antismoking ad campaigns blanketing the country, cigarette use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for 1 death in 5. Smoking claims 438,000 lives each year. Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Mississippi top the list of states with the highest prevalence of current smokers, while Utah, California, and Idaho have the lowest percentages of smokers lighting up in the nation.
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What clients are saying about their experiences with Center for Personal Power:
“I cannot thank you enough for the session. My negative self-talk has been replaced with positive self-talk. I am free!” J.G.
“I felt stuck, fat, ugly, scared and meaningless when I walked through Carole’s door. Now I feel pride, hope, beauty in life and a clear sense of direction. I received the gift of my life back – in addition to guidance for weight control. L.O.
"I respond well to hypnosis. The nice thing about this program (smoking cessation) is its completeness...not just one or two sessions, then when needed...but a complete program with a determined number of visits. It's spread out over an extended period which , I think is really helpful, so as to identify my times more closely when I might be tempted to smoke again. Another really nice feature of this program is that it is individually tailored to the client. I think this is very important. It has worked for me! I recommend it!" W.K.
“The experience was unbelievable – to smoke as long as I did and be rid of the bad habit smoothly and easily – as if I had never smoked – truly amazing!” M.P.
“I had such a great experience with Carole. I can’t tell you how much she has helped me. God bless her.” G.A.
“After a few sessions with Paul, my pain began to diminish….On an hour to hour basis, I consider myself pain free….It has been a wonderful experience, not only because I am pain free, but because I feel that I am a better and happier person, too!” L.S.
" Paul: I came to you at an extremely low point in my life. I had lost my beloved husband after a fierce fight with cancer, and then my brother a year later with the same disease. I was anxiety ridden, grieving and angry. I felt I had lost the most meaningful part of my life. My children are grown, I'm retired and the rest of my life had been predicated on my husband and I being together. I didn't know what to do to stop the pain. Working with you for the past few months has been a pleasure and a privilege. I have come so far toward being a functioning, happy human being. I am more relaxed, calmer and, dare I say, more rational. You have guided me through many exercises in self-awareness that have enabled me to attain a more positive and balanced attitude toward my life, my family, and my friends. I have gone deep into hypnosis and come out more peaceful, more internally calm, and centered than I could have thought possible. I look forward to seeing you occasionally for 'tune ups' but know that I can move foreward in life on my own. Thank you so very much for guiding and mentoring me to a healthy and happy place in life. With deep gratitude, ' P.B.
“Over the years I have been blessed in that I have met people in my life that have been there for me at just the right time. Paul is one of those people….I will remain forever thankful and would recommend him and the process he uses to anyone who really wants to make needed changes in their life. P.Y.
"My experience with Paul during these sessions has been eye opening. At first as much as I wanted to believe, that little voice kept a small nagging thought of doubt. But as I experienced the changes of thought and perception, doubt was overcome by trust and belief. The choices Paul has taught me to make for myself have empowered me to make positive choices and reactions to the negative elements in my life. I started out with heavy feelings of doubt, no confidence, and unsurety with the want of success and wealth. Now I have the confidence, determination, and goals to make success and wealth step out of the dream and into reality.... Thanks to these sessions, I feel more alive, serene, and confident than I ever could imagine. Thank you from my heart." C.R.
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