Self Hypnosis...anyone have any input or experiences?

[FirstLight]

Okay, I have decided that my frontal cortex is working against me...I need some reprogramming.

Looking to quit smoking, that's the biggest one.

The evening ritual of sitting in front of the TV, smoking (up the chimney) and drinking till I am sleepy is just not worth the way I feel in the morning. Funny how at night you can feel just fine.."sure, have another smoke"...and in the morning i feel like a semi backed over me.
So all the healthy eating or anything I do during the day is undermined by this little rebel girl that emerges after the kids are in bed!
I have to quit...every morning i have the resolve and the desire, but by the time the sun is down and the kids are in bed, i just wanna hang out and have MY time.

I am going to be having surgery by the end of summer, and i want to lose some weight and be clear of toxins by then.

Soooo.... I am looking into self hypnosis as a remedy.
if my conscious mind isn't gonna help, i am gonna work with my SUB-conscious mind!

any ideas of a good site to look for scripts? or any good recordings you know of?
thanks in advance guys... I really need to get this crap out of my space and energy field!!!!

:hug:

[Kookaburra]

1. Try this one

This woman is a friend of mine, and very talented. She has some products that might help.

http://www.mindbodyspiritbiz.com/Product_Center.html

scroll down about 1/2 way and you'll see the smoking cessation product.

[dflprincess]

2. I don't know if I'm one to give advice as hypnosis did not work for me &

I had to resort to Chantix to quit. It did work like magic for me & the only side effect I had was nausea but I also took it before a lot of the side effects were known. I don't know if I would use it today if I had to make that choice.

But - a couple tips I was given were: do not say "I HAVE to quit", say "I WANT to quit" and don't ask "Why CAN'T I quit?" ask "Why WON'T I quit".

The "want" vs "have" makes it your choice to quit. The "can't" vs "won't" put the power to quit back under your control. My friend said she used these techniques to lose weight and I did use them as I ramped up to my quit day.

Good luck with quitting & don't get discouraged if you have to try it more than once.

[Cleita]

3. I actually did and it was to quit smoking, however, it

only worked for a month and I was back to smoking. I always found it good though for zoning out and concentrating on specific task to accomplish or a problem to solve.

The only thing that got me to quit smoking was sheer will power, staying away as much as possible from the company of other smokers and playing little mind tricks on myself. I would tell myself that if I stayed off cigarettes all week then I could smoke two cigarettes on Sunday. When Sunday came, I did my best not to light up, so on Monday I would tell myself I have to stay off until next Sunday and it would go that way until I finally stayed off of them for six months. After that it was easier. I been tobacco free for almost twenty years now and I know I cannot ever light up, even one, because I would lapse back into smoking. It's like the alcoholic who can never just have one drink without completely falling off the wagon.

You will find something that works for you and now there are aids that weren't available back when I quit. It does take dogged determination though whatever you do. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin so it's a tough habit to kick but not impossible.

[arikara]

4. I quit through self hypnosis among other things

Here's what worked for me 15 years ago, after smoking for 20+ years. First I picked a quit date a few weeks into the future. I think it was about 4 weeks.

I changed my smoking routine so that nothing was enjoyable about it. I accidentally threw my car ashtray into a dumpster and wasn't going to crawl in after it, so I took that as a message not to smoke in the car anymore. They had recently brought in laws banning smoking from restaurants so I couldn't go there. I quit smoking in any house or building and never took a coffee or other drink when I went outside for a smoke. Just stood outside by myself whatever the weather and only puffed.

The hypnosis part: Every time I had a cigarette I told myself how much I hated it. How much I despised the stench, how I hated my body and clothes stinking, how I hated to go outside and stand there like an idiot. How I hated my chest hurting and not getting enough air into my lungs. How much I resented giving my hard earned money to criminal corporations and all the money I was wasting and could be spending on something nice. etc etc. Then when I finished this pleasant experience I'd go in and wash with soap and water and rinse out my mouth to get rid of the stink.

I made it so unpleasant to smoke that by the time the quit date came it was a total relief, I was more than ready to toss them out. I barely had any withdrawal and never wanted to start again.

[FirstLight]

7. My actions are what need to shift, totally

the evening ritual of sitting by the fireplace in front of the tv, watching stupid stuff and zoning out is what needs to stop.

Hard to be accountable when it is only me and i have made it so easy for myself, it's just like a dream sometimes, i just find myself walking the path and not even paying attention...or noticing my actions and then saying "oh well"

then the next morning i am coughing up a lung and feeling like a truck hit me

so i guess the goal is to NOT turn on the tv
and to stay out of the living room after 9pm
read a book, have some tea, go to bed before midnight

I am trying to use definitive and positive statements, can you tell? ;)

[japple]

5. I used nicotine patches very successfully. I also used the Old Farmer's Almanac

to choose the best days to quit. http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/best-days /

One of our resident astrologers could help you make that choice.

I used Nicoderm CQ, and even though they're expensive, they're cheaper than cigarettes. Of course I cheated and smoked a couple of cigs while I was on the patch, and got a huge dump of nicotine, complete with the sweats, shaking, nausea. It was enough to put me on the straight and narrow.

Some people use the Australian Tea Tree Oil Cinnamon Chewing Sticks to help them through. They are sold at most natural foods stores. They are quite strong, but I love them and they leave your breath very fresh, which is a big change from cigarette mouth.

The advice given by others--changing your routines, trying not to be around smokers, and changing your thinking is vital to your success. Stay positive and visualize your success!!! Also, whenever you feel like your resolve is weakening, come over here and let us help distract you.:hug::hug::hug:

[FirstLight]

6. dates for optimal outcome...

well the moon *is* waning now, so i guess there's no better time than the present!

I just caved and bought a pack last night, too... maybe a good idea to cut them all in half or something

thanks for the offer for distraction! it's the evening that gets me... have to shift my evil evening ritual...

[kentauros]

8. I don't know how effective self-hypnosis is on quitting,

but you might try going to a licensed professional hypnotist. I've talked to a few and they may be the best choice for getting a tough habit reversed.

At the same time, I recently bought some CDs from Eldon Taylor's site, including one that he didn't create but is part of a package on weight-loss. It uses something called HPP (Hypno-Peripheral Processing) and though I have only listened to it to see what it's all about, I am very impressed by the technique :) I actually expect positive results.

Here's a column about it, too: http://www.mindmachines.com/Mindmachine-Blog/?p=39

Now, if you're feeling really adventurous, you might look into binaural beats techniques. There's a free brainwave generator here that has presets including at least one for quitting smoking. It's in the Preset Library under "Treatment/Healing" :)

[SalviaBlue]

9. I have had the problem with the "rebel girl" all my life.

I have learned to psyche myself out by turning it around on her. "I don't have to smoke/drink/sit around... you can't make me."

For the longest time I was resentful that I needed to quit smoking. I liked it. It fit with my routines. I would feel weird and different (most of my family and friends still smoked back then). But on the other hand, it made me feel so sick and knew what the long term results would be. I tried to quit a million times, only to start again before the end of the day.

Finally, I said to myself (and rebel girl) F it, I'm going to do it... for awhile. Long enough to feel the difference. I can do anything I want. If I want to try not smoking for awhile that's my choice. What's the big F'n deal, if I want I can always start again.

That finally worked for me. I took the pressure off... its not forever, I just want to see how it feels.

I smoked from the age of 15 to 40. I have not smoke since then (55 now).

Since then I have used the same approach with drinking and exercise/weight control with varying degrees of success. My rebel girl thought she was keeping me free but really she was keeping me locked into a life that was limited because of the after affects of my over indulgences. Rebel girl is still always there, but she doesn't get to make all the rules, sometimes "good judgement girl" gets to decide.

Good luck with your rebel girl.

[FirstLight]

10. well said!

thanks, i will try some reverse psychology with the rebel girl! ;)

[SalviaBlue]

11. I hope it works for you :)

[SheilaT]

12. I want to put in a another vote for

going to a professional hypnotherapist.

Done right, the real thing is quite amazing in all sorts of areas.

However, you need to be fully aware that (to the very best of my knowledge)there is no one umbrella organization that licenses hypnotherapists, nor do any states actually license them. There are any number of schools out there, and the quality and rigor of their training varies considerably. Some require hundreds of hours of training and practice, some let a person do a weekend workshop and then give them a certificate and tell them they're qualified to be a hypnotherapist. So do some research.

[arikara]

13. I just remembered that the Mr went to one of those showboat type hypnotists to quit

Raveen or some such. He blew into town advertising that he could make people quit smoking or lose weight with one session. The Mr said there was about 80 people there. He did not get hypnotized, knowing him he was too chicken. He said he sat there peeking through his eyelids at everyone else to see what they were doing. During the break, he and one other guy went out and had a smoke but it was supposed to be their last. Then after the show, he bought about $200 worth of the tapes, DVD's etc. I have no idea why he did that because he can be rather frugal, maybe that much of the hypnosis worked on him because he sure didn't quit smoking. We put one one of the tapes on and I sat there listening with my eyes closed, I could hear him bouncing around and sense him looking in my face to see if I was hypnotized. It was crazy. He was crazy. lol

Anyhow, what finally got him to quit wasn't his 3 heart attacks, or even Raveen. He'd have his first smoke on the commute to work and kept complaining of getting nauseated every morning. So I convinced him to put off having his cigarette for a couple of hours. Sure enough, he was fine until he had that first one. So that was what finally got him to quit, couldn't handle being sick every day because of it.

Anyhow, be nice to yourself. Quitting is a very hard thing to do and when you are finally successful you can be really proud of yourself. And a bonus, you'll have lots of extra money. I don't know what they sell for where you are, but I think here in BC they are around $10 a pack now. Losing a pack a day habit can buy a lot of treats along with a savings account too.

:hug:

[Kookaburra]

15. I don't have a lot of faith in those Show Boaters, but

I have to ask. Did the nausea start after he went to Raveen? If so, maybe he was actually hypnotized? Just asking.

[arikara]

17. Yes, I'm sure it did start after Raveen

because that's when he finally quit, but I don't know how long after. It could well have been from that but I didn't think he was ever hypnotized. Maybe he was and didn't realize it.

[SheilaT]

23. I am hugely skeptical of those

showboat types also. And I am not real convinced that trying to do weight loss or smoking cessation with a large group can be very effective. A good hypnotherapist will tailor the whole thing to suit the individual client.

True hypnotherapy is not a parlor game. It's serious stuff, but extremely effective.

[PADemD]

14. You can have the unused tape I bought for my husband

Just PM a mailing address to me.

[NJCher]

16. FirstLight

. My actions are what need to shift, totally

the evening ritual of sitting by the fireplace in front of the tv, watching stupid stuff and zoning out is what needs to stop.

I had that problem. I know you have kids, but if you can work it out, go to gym for the evening hours. I went to the Y and they had an elevated running track where you could look down on basketball games that were going on. When I started, I was appalled that I, a young woman, couldn't walk around the track and these geezers were running right past me! I just kept it up, though, and pretty soon I was running around the track with the geezers and I had quit smoking.

Oh and yeah, I went to a hypnotist, too. Worked really well. I just walked out of there and had no desire for a cigarette. That doesn't mean it was easy to quit smoking. It just means the hypnosis helped a lot. Whenever I got weak, I would go back to the hypnotist and he would give me a refresher session, and that worked very well.



Cher

[murielm99]

18. How many sessions did you need altogether?

How costly was this?

[NJCher]

19. not costly

I can't recall the cost, but it wouldn't matter anyway as it is now 30 years later.

On our craigslist, we have a guy who constantly advertises that he'll barter for hypnosis. Don't know what area you live in, but check out the barter section of cl. Also, if there's no ad posted for such a hypnotist, put one on yourself, offering to barter for a hypnosis session.

I recently did that for a lawnmower repair and I met a very nice and competent mechanic. He restored my lawnmower (but not without a good deal of grumbling about my being a "lawnmower abuser"). I bartered the repair for an orange tree, which I was able to get because I did some webmaster stuff for a garden center, so I did a triple barter!

On mine, the hypnotist taped the session so I could listen to the tape if I wanted to. If I wanted to come see him, I could also do that, but I don't recall what the cost was.

The funny part was, though, that in the original session he told me that when I called for the additional session, my craving would go away and it did. Now I remember that I would then cancel the session because the craving had subsided. I didn't find that out he did that 'til years later, though! So I never underwent the second session.

One thing I will assure you: it is now 30 years since I quit smoking and I have never quit patting myself on the back for that. It was the hardest thing I ever did, which is why I used so many things to attack it: exercise, hypnotist, reading, and even Nicorette. Oh yeah, and I went to a science museum that had a display of diseased lung tissue.

Thirty years later, people tell me I have the skin of a woman a decade or two younger. I have my health and my fitness. Best of all, I haven't handed my hard-earned money over to the corporate scum in the tobacco industry. If you make this investment in yourself, it will be the best investment ever. Big hug to you. I know you can do it.


Cher

[FirstLight]

21. I *so* wish I could do that...

being a single mom, i am stuck home with the kids even after bed...now, If i had the smarts, I'd do a yoga tape or something..


I read this article about the pre-frontal cortex, that it is the 'regulator' for those impulses... that's why my brain says "screw it" by the evening... i basically lose the will power because i'm just burned out.

funny, i was just talking to a friend today and he said he's seen it in a LOT of people lately, almost like it is a response to the feeling of overwelmed-ness we are faced with. There's SO much overload in our lives, we feel like we need to zone out


excuses aside, time to shift.

* got my cleanse stuff out of the back of the medicine cabinet, starting Monday
* NOT buying a new pack of cigs, funds are too tight for that anyway, and smoking butts is gross and will certainly help
* gonna put the timer on the TV (hide it behind the ent. center so i can't mess with it)
* start reading or writing in the evenings again, journaling in longhand
*and no more lazy day activities - when i wanna be a slug and lay down, i need to go take a walk! (The alcohol consumption has really screwed up my sleep patterns, so that needs to stop too...)

[BlueIris]

20. I have tried and tried to get hypnotized--by myself, by others. No go.

I was told by a hynosis fan once that my eye movements indicate I am naturally difficult to hypnotize.

If you don't want to do the medication thing, most natural food stores have anti-smoking homeopathy stuff (including gum.)

[SheilaT]

24. Anyone of normal intelligence

can by hypnotized, unless a person simply doesn't want to be hypnotized. Then it just won't happen. There are any number of different ways to induce trance, and different ones work for different people. It matters if you are mainly visual, auditory, or kinesthetic in your connection to the world.

Did I yet mention that I'm a hypnotherapist?

[Celebration]

22. Try EFT

Hopefully within the week I'll be posting a YouTube that should make EFT much easier.

"Even though I am currently addicted to nicotine, I wholly and completely love myself, and this love of myself leads to the end of self destruction behavior."

Tap, tap, tap, etc. etc.

[Why Syzygy]

25. This site - Whisper

I've just started receiving these emails. Today I paid attention because they are talking about "Resistance" (within). Of late, I have been becoming aware of something in my mind resisting all the good things I want to do for myself and others. Yesterday I started questioning it. I have to approach it in a Taoist fashion; realizing that it is very much a part of myself that needs something. I want to find a way to shut it off. To remove the power it has over me.

Anyway .. this might be something to perk you up a little >

http://www.theweeklywhisper.com/2011/06/part-4-breaking-resistance/

[Why Syzygy]

26. videos

I was rummaging around in my youtube account and came up with this resource >

selfhypnosisaudios
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rV00Q_8kYk