(Originally published Sept. 9, 2003)
I consulted my colleague Steve Gurgevich, Ph.D., an experienced hypnotherapist, about your question. He tells me that many of the "quit smoking by hypnosis" seminars are put on by lay persons who have learned some hypnotic techniques and move from town to town claiming to make the smoking habit vanish in one session. Not surprisingly, these single-session seminars rarely, if ever, work. Although no one method helps everyone, a more comprehensive approach can be successful.
Dr. Gurgevich has a high success rate, but he doesn't accept patients unless he is convinced that they are truly motivated to quit smoking. Even then, he doesn't schedule them for hypnosis until they have completed a series of behavioral changes outlined in his program over a period of a month. He then sees them for three days in a row (the time needed for nicotine withdrawal). Dr. Gurgevich says he has found that the "motivation, belief and expectation of the patient" is the key to success and claims a success rate for his office program of 80-90 percent. His program, Dr. Gurgevich's Amazing Hypnotic Tonic to Remove Tobacco Addiction, is available on a two-CD set.
Whether or not hypnosis is offered, the American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests that any smoking cessation program meet the following criteria:
- Each session is at least 20-30 minutes long.
- The program consists of at least four to seven sessions.
- The program lasts at least two weeks.
The ACS warns against programs that promise instant or easy success with no effort on your part, those that use injections or pills (especially those containing "secret" ingredients), those that charge very high fees (check with the Better Business Bureau if you have doubts), and those that refuse to provide references from people who have taken the class.
Andrew Weil, MD
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