Hypnotherapy

yes to stop smoking. did not really want to, but said i would try. Had my last cig just before i went in and not touched one for 20 years, best decision ever.

Perhaps your GP could refer you do a medical hypnotherapist? Or check out the association of medical and dental hypnotherapists to find a professional on their register. Good luck x

Mine for smoking and driving test was done back in 1980 - one session each time at a cost of £15 each. The best £30 I ever spent! Oddly enough I didn't think it would work at the first session because I wasn't concentrating. I was wearing a short skirt, sitting opposite the male hypnotist. Not knowing what would happen and if I would fall asleep, I was only concentrating on keeping my knees together!

Have used it successfully to stop smoking and deal with other stress issues, and I use a hypnosis audio at night if I have trouble sleeping . Am nearly always asleep before it finishes

Yes, I did try it. I had to make a speech about complementary therapies and I was terrified. I eventually phoned my hypnotherapist friend and asked him to do the speech. I told me to round to his office where he hypnotised me. Speech time arrived, I hear this person speaking loud and clear - then realised it was me!! Yes it worked.

I am a hypnotherapist but no longer practice. I specialised in stopping people smoking and also with weight loss. Before I retired I stopped over 400 people smoking. Generally they needed 3 sessions of 45 minutes each, but it varied. I only charged £15 per session. On occasion I helped with other problems too, such as fear of going out without having to return multiple times to check that the gas was off and all doors securely locked, also a young boy who could play tennis well but always got so nervous before a match that he lost ( after treatment he started winning his matches and went on to become a successful tennis coach). Also helped somebody who was terrified of touching door handles in case of germs... I loved doing the job but had to give it up as I got severe headaches after one or two clients.
I would say, go to a qualified hypnotherapist, but don't go if someone else is pressuring you to go. You must go of your own accord.

I tried it to curb my sweet tooth which was making me gain weight, I went to a fully qualified hypnotist who had worked for the NHS, I had a course of six sessions but it didn’t work as his voice got on my nerves and I felt like laughing.

Many years ago my dentist tried it on me. I did not think it had worked but she had finished before aia had a clue.

It sounds like overall it is worth a try. I will look into it further. Thanks!

Hypnotherapy worked v well for me after my husband died in 2006 at 53 of brain cancer. A few months on I had moved house to a rental, left my job, plus our children had gone to Uni/got married so I was empty nesting too. I was a terrible mess, on sleeping pills and deeply unhappy. My new doc recommended a therapist so I checked out a professional in the local Yellow pages and off I went. It changed my life: it was so effective, calming, restorative and amazing. I attended sessions for 5 months and I am the person I am today because of that therapy.

I tried it for a snake phobia because, at the time, my two cats kept bringing me slow worms (I know they are not snakes but, they look and move like them).
It worked for several months. I could never pick one up but, I could look at pictures of snakes and not have a panic attack if there was one in the house.
Sadly, the effects wore off but, and I hope I do not speak to soon, the current feline house owners don’t bring them in.

Willow10, I could have written your post! At least, the bit about driving tests. I failed 3 times, despite being a very good driver (admitted grudgingly by an instructor who didn't think women should be allowed on the road, but was happy to take my money!) but just couldn't cope with the exam nerves. My GP hypnotised me half a dozen times, then taught me how to self-hypnotise, and I passed on the next attempt. I've since used it when undergoing really unpleasant dental work...I'm not afraid, but I'd rather be somewhere else...on several occasions when having minor medical procedures done, and a few times when I was in hospital last year being treated for sepsis. The medical staff were most impressed, because it made their job much easier as well as making it less unpleasant for me. Smoking? Can't comment...I went cold turkey from being a very dedicated and passionate smoker (around 100 a day, including the ones I gave to friends) on will power alone. I'd say it's definitely worth a go,but make sure you see a registered practitioner. A word of caution too, if I may; my GP , when addressing my scepticism, assured me that hypnosis cannot make anyone do something that they would not be prepared to do in an unhypnotised state.

I shall tell you about how I gave up smoking.

It was August 1989 and I was 5 weeks pregnant with my first child. At the doctor's I asked about hypnotherapy and was given the name of a local practitioner. I made an appointment and went to see him. "I'd love to help you," he said, "but I'm off on holiday next week and I think you'll need three sessions. However I have a friend who's really very good - why don't you give her a call?"

So a couple of days later I rang her, only to be told, "I'd love to help you but unfortunately I'm off on holiday tomorrow. However why don't you try this chap? He helped my husband and he's really very good."

So, I rang him. The first thing he said was, "Actually, I'm on holiday at the moment but I can make an appointment." Which we did. The he said, "Do you really want to give up?" And I, truthfully, said that unfortunately I still enjoyed it but I knew I needed to stop for the sake of my unborn child. "I can't possibly help you then," he replied. "I've had people with advanced lung cancer crawling to me on their hands and knees begging me to help. Unless you really want to stop like that I can't do anything for you." We had a ding dong argument for a few moments at the end of which I slammed down the phone having told him what to do with his appointment.

That was at 4:45pm on 8 August 1989. I haven't smoked one single cigarette since, ever (and I was a sixty a day girl). So he was really very good and incredibly cheap.

Not Hypnosis but I have had Neuro Linguistic Therapy, You do not ' go under' & are fully aware the whole time & it was brilliant.
Now I just LOVE spiders & will swim in deep water although I am not a strong swimmer!
A friend of mine is not scared of wasps now having had it..

I've spent a small fortune, hypnotherapists, different therapists, problem being my bird phobia. No it hasn't worked, a problem that blights my life. Every day.
It does seem to work for some, unfortunately there is no 'try before you buy'.

Even if it doesn’t totally work for you it’s a really great way of relaxing.

Yes it helped enormously with anxiety and depression. Never wentback on medication. I use the techniques she taught me to get through difficult times.

I tried it a dozen years ago, had one session (about 90 minutes) with a qualified practitioner, at what seemed the exorbitant price of £120 but I walked out of that session a non-smoker and have never considered since having a cigarette, even if I’m with smokers. Absolute best thing ever. I was a little ambivalent about the therapy before I went - on one level I was sure I would be wasting my money! I paid for my daughter to have the same and it didn’t work for her 100% but somehow it increased her control of the situation and over the subsequent years she sometimes just smoked socially and sometimes not at all (and hasn’t for some years now). However, a colleague was so impressed she went to the same practitioner and had zero success.

Yes and it did the job. I couldn't swim and wanted to for holidays to warmer climes. I had a terrible fear of water. I worked with someone whose partner included hypnotherapy in his treatment if necessary. I went along for about 6 months and then took swimming lessons. I now am confident in a pool. Taught me self hypnosis too which is useful for stress.

Hetty58 Yes, I tried it to stop smoking, and unfortunately it didn't work. Willpower did!

I went to two different people , cost me a fortune and didn’t work with either of them. With the first one I felt that I really was hypnotised, but it didn’t work. The second lady told me that I was being difficult and thought that my problem stemmed from my parents!
Unfortunately it was my last session with her or I would have left and not gone back.
DH has also been but it didn’t work for him either.

Like Bohemian I tried it once, total disaster. Supposed to help with panic attacks but caused me to have one during the session. The poor lady running it was mortified, didn’t know what to do. Not her fault but I didn’t go again.

I tried it years ago for anxiety problems and found the sessions very relaxing but not sure how much it really helped me. I found acupuncture brilliant

Yes, twice. First time to stop smoking after 18 years. The practitioner chatted to me afterwards and as he was chatting offered me a cigarette. I said no thanks, I don't smoke! Second time was after a horrible driving test examiner made me so nervous, I went on to fail three times. My driving was fine but I went to pieces on each test. After hypnotherapy I passed confidently two weeks later. Definitely worked for me but I'm not sure it works for everyone.

Yes and Yes. Dental phobia overcome, amazing