How and why is hypno-psychotherapy an effective intervention for smoking
cessation?
Smoking has been part of our socially learned habits and as a personal choice for
decades, The effect of nicotine underpins the desire to do this, but the patterns of
smoking seem to be a significant contributing factor for reasons to either let this
behaviour start, carry on or cease. There is also evidence that the acceptance of
nicotine in the brain activates the release of dopamine and contributes to addiction
mechanisms, which decline as tolerance builds thus causing a need for more nicotine
to feel satisfied in mood and performance (Jarvis, 2004). Even though smoking is
becoming widely regarded as a medical, psychological and social adverse behaviour
the decision that we should stop smoking seems to be dependent on the self and the
need to develop more effective interventions in diminishing the factors that act as
many barriers to cessation, this forms part of why we could use hypnopsychotherapy as being effective for smoking cessation and is understood to be a
contributing successful intervention. It is also worth noting that the practise can be
integrative, allowing for the therapist not to be limited by one particular theoretical
approach (Dryden, 2007)
The competing desires of wanting to stop balanced against wanting to smoke deliver
conflicts that contribute to the level of cessation. This balance can reveal itself from
trying to put the idea of smoking out of the mind to forming an intention to stop to
forming a definite plan to stop in the future to stopping immediately, by offering
treatment that can have a direct impact on this balance of actions (West & Shiffman,
2007). Studies have shown that complimentary therapies and behavioural support
have had some small effects on smoking cessation (Aveyard and West, 2007), while
other research indicates that hypnosis, suggestion and applied psychological
motivation can contribute to developing treatment strategies that might motivate
people to stop smoking (Covino & Bottari, 2001). An example of this can be the
hypnoidal stage of hypnosis in conjunction with Ego Strengthening, this relaxed
feeling can aid the client in feeling less dominated by the habit and in turn can
explore the behaviours that the client wishes to are not useful and find the
motivation to deter the causes, behaviours and compulsions to smoke, which form
part of how hypno-psychotherapy works. As an intervention it is formed from the
use of various elements based on psychological treatment. Heap proposes that
suggestion works on the client’s feelings, perception, thoughts and behaviours.
These can also be supported by the proposition that people already have the
resources they need to overcome their unwanted behaviour albeit in the
unconscious part of the mind (Heap, 2012). Others have cited that aversion
techniques can contribute to the client deciding to cease the smoking there are
many ways that could be employed, an example would be supportive counselling
throughout the therapy.
There has been research about whether Hypnosis is a viable method for smoking
session, however there are questions about the research being adequately
comprehensive. In 2000 a clinical practice guideline was produced to highlight the
treatment and dependence of tobacco use as the dependence is now seen as a
chronic condition and the availability of treatment that clients can access is
available. Hypnotherapy was cited as a treatment that warranted further research
and for the purpose of promoting abstinence from tobacco use (Fiore, Bailey, &
Cohen, et al, 2000). This need was echoed by the Cochrane Report in 2010 in its
investigation of hypnotherapy for smoking cessation, as it was felt that the research
did not provide clear evidence of a greater long-term benefit of hypnotherapy when
it was compared to other interventions, the pool of research was small and the
popularity for choosing hypnotherapy based on the clients possible motivation for
this being high, this indicates a clear need to investigate this further as the use of
hypnotherapy is not ruled out (Barnes, et al, 2010). Yet there are other studies,
which provide us with positive recommendation for the use of hypnosis as in Elkins
work, which describes hypnosis treatment in a clinical setting, the results showed
eighty one patients who had received treatment had reported cessation and ninety
five of those patients treated were satisfied with the therapy they received (Elkins.
2004).
Further studies about the use of hypnosis and cessation have shown that the
methodologies incorporated in hypno-psychotherapy can help the client restructure
their perception about smoking and develop more focused concentration to reduce
the desire to smoke (Spiegel, et al, 1993). Which contributes to having a significant
role in the motivational, action, and maintenance phases of therapy. The immediacy
of cessation depends on whether the activity is habitual or is compulsive. Habitual
smoking can, according to the NCHP, be treated in two sessions. Compulsive
smoking may be successful but cannot be predicted in the number of sessions and
the aim of the sessions would be to gradually reduce their need, reason and desire
to smoke (NCHP, 2013)
References
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Barnes J, Dong CY, McRobbie H, Walker N, Mehta M, Stead LF. Hypnotherapy for
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Covino A & Bottari M. (2001) Hypnosis, Behavioural Theory, and Smoking Cessation
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