Is hypnotherapy woo and bollocks?

[RadishesAndLentils]

Anyone here have any experience of hypnotherapy?

I have started smoking AGAIN. I can give up for months and even years at a time so I think it's psychological rather than the physical addiction.

I have addiction issues generally I guess. I am a recovering alcoholic in AA.

A while ago my therapist mentioned hypnotherapy for giving up smoking. (It wouldn't be her doing it btw and I am not seeing her any more.) I gave up on my own for 6 months but like I say I have started again.

I have already contacted the giving up smoking service via NHS but their programme is based on the first 28 days and overcoming the physical side of smoking addiction.

I quite fancy the idea of hypnotherapy. But I suspect it's all nonsense. I think I just want a magical answer to stop me thinking that smoking is somehow the answer to everything.

Is it all woo and bollocks? Even if it is, should I do it anyway?

There was a really interesting podcast on Radio 4 (part of The Strange Cases of Rutherford and Fry series) that explained that hypnosis only works on some people. So, if you predisposed to being effected then I imagine it could work but if you’re not then it’ll be pointless. I’m not sure you can know this before you try.

It's certainly worth a try.

Human beings are very susceptible to suggestion. (Hence the MASSIVE advertising and marketing industries. I don't see them described as woo!)

The mind is a powerful thing. And the main problem with smoking IME is the mental not the physical addiction. I tried all sorts, but the only thing that worked for me was being pregnant (I don't recommend it as a stopping smoking aid, slightly extreme! ).

Being pregnant worked for me as putting the baby's needs first allowed me to bear the psychological cravings without cracking, something I'd never managed before. But it wasn't that pregnancy was a magic cure! It was that it worked with my specific psychology to help give me that extra push to beat the addiction.

I imagine hypnotherapy is much the same, that it helps give people that extra push to deal with the psychological addiction.

It certainly can't hurt to try. Go for it I reckon.

I love being a non smoker now! So glad I'm free of it.

I've had hypnotherapy and it was incredible. Totally irrational and crippling fear of spiders, had the hypnotherapy 25 years ago and still works!

I gave up for 10 years with hypnotherapy, started again last year after a mid-life crisis. Had another session yesterday and haven’t smoked since.

Early days this time but it worked before so I’m hopeful...

Thanks everyone. That actually sounds quite hopeful. I reckon I'm going to give it a go.