Stop Smoking via ON-LINE Hypnotherapy and become a non-smoker for life!

Schmidt, F.L. & Viswesvaran, C. (1992). A Meta-Analytic Comparison of the Effectiveness of Smoking-Cessation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77 (4), 554-561.

The Journal of Applied Psychology is published by the American Psychological Association, America’s main professional association of psychologists.

Cognitive reactions to smoking relapse by Elliot Wald, Tami J Eggelston PhD & Frederick Gibbson Ph. Article from New Scientist vol 136 issue 1845-31 October 92, page 6

Summary: Hypnosis has the highest success rate of the top 15 methods of quitting smoking. The 15 methods were compared in an exhaustive meta-analysis of 633 scientific studies of smoking-cessation programs. This was the largest study of its kind ever undertaken and involved 71,806 smokers.

To find the most effective way to give up smoking, Frank Schmidt and research student Chockalingam Viswesvaran of the University of Iowa carried out a meta-analysis, statistically combining the results of more than 600 studies covering almost 72,000 people from America, Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe.

By combining the results from so many separate studies, the meta-analysis enables the real effectiveness of each technique to be picked out from the statistical “noise” that often blights studies involving smaller numbers of subjects.

For most smokers the most effective technique was hypnosis, in which smokers go into a state of deep relaxation and listen to suggestive tapes. The analysis of treatment by hypnosis, which included 48 studies covering over 6000 smokers, gave the highest average success rate for this method. Ten percent of the hypnosis programs had success rates greater than 60%.

Hypnosis, behavioral theory, and smoking cessation

NA Covino and M Bottari

Although nicotine replacement and other pharmacological treatments head the list of popular interventions for smoking cessation, approaches based on psychology can also assist smokers. Hypnosis, suggestion, and behavior therapies have been offered to patients and studied experimentally for several decades. Although no single psychological approach has been found to be superior to others, psychological interventions contribute significantly to successful treatment outcome in smoking cessation. This article describes common hypnotic and behavioral approaches to smoking cessation and critically reviews some of the findings from clinical and experimental research studies. The authors also offer suggestions regarding treatment and future research.

Because multiple-session hypnotherapy has been shown to be BY FAR the most effective quitting strategy. Success rates of those using multiple-session hypnosis to quit are as much as 10 times the success rates of those who try to quit without any tools or resources.

Many medical professionals are even impressed with the results of single-session hypnosis. In the words of Dr. Robert T. London from 2003, "Smoking cessation is an area in which hypnosis has been particularly effective. A study by Dr. Joseph Barber of the University of Washington, Seattle, for example, found that hypnotic intervention can be integrated into a treatment protocol for smoking cessation. Of 43 patients who were undergoing the protocol, 39 reported staying abstinent at follow-up, which was 6 months to 3 years after the treatment ended."¹

Here's some of the research:

Studies show that of those who try to quit smoking alone without any additional help or support (hypnosis or otherwise), the success rate is very low. Only between 2-5% of those who try are successful after 12 months, with most failing in the first 2-3 weeks.²

Ahijevych K; Yerardi R; Nedilsky N. Descriptive outcomes of the American Lung Association of Ohio Hypnotherapy Smoking Cessation Program. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 48(4): 374-387, 2000. (23 refs.)

Hypnosis smoking cessation treatment is one type of program available to smokers. This paper describes a large randomly selected sample from such a program, which has not been previously reported. During 1997, 2,810 smokers participated in single-session, group hypnotherapy smoking cessation programs sponsored by the American Lung Association of Ohio. A randomly selected sample of 452 participants completed telephone interviews 5 to 15 months after attending a treatment session. Twenty-two percent of participants (n = 101) reported not smoking during the month prior to the interview. Use of other smoking cessation strategies since the treatment session were assessed. Interestingly, only 20% of participants who used pharmaceutical products to assist with smoking cessation took them for the recommended treatment duration. Hypnotherapy smoking cessation treatment offers an alternative cessation method, which may meet the unique needs of certain individuals.

Barber J. Freedom from smoking: Integrating hypnotic methods and rapid smoking to facilitate smoking cessation. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 49(3): 257-266, 2001. (12 refs.)

Hypnotic intervention can be integrated with a Rapid Smoking treatment protocol for smoking cessation. Reported here is a demonstration of such an integrated approach, including a detailed description of treatment rationale and procedures for such a short-term intervention. Of 43 consecutive patients undergoing this treatment protocol, 39 reported remaining abstinent at follow-up (6 months to 3 years posttreatment).

Carmody TP; Duncan C; Simon JA; Solkowitz S; Huggins J; Lee S; Delucchi K. Hypnosis for smoking cessation: A randomized trial. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 10(5): 811-818, 2008. (27 refs.)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether hypnosis would be more effective in helping smokers quit than standard behavioral counseling when both interventions are combined with nicotine patches (NP). A total of 286 current smokers were enrolled in a randomized controlled smoking cessation trial at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Participants in both treatment conditions were seen for two 60-min sessions, and received three follow-up phone calls and 2 months of NP. At 6 months, 29% of the hypnosis group reported 7-day point-prevalence abstinence compared with 23% of the behavioral counseling group (relative risk [RR]=1.27; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.84-1.92). Based on biochemical or proxy confirmation, 26% of the participants in the hypnosis group were abstinent at 6 months compared with 18% of the behavioral group (RR = 1.44; 95% CI 0.91-2.30). At 12 months, the self-reported 7-day point-prevalence quit rate was 24% for the hypnosis group and 16% for the behavioral group (RR = 1.47; 95% CI 0.90-2.40). Based on biochemical or proxy confirmation, 20% of the participants in the hypnosis group were abstinent at 12 months compared with 14% of the behavioral group (RR=1.40; 95% CI 0.81-2.42). Among participants with a history of depression, hypnosis yielded significantly higher validated point-prevalence quit rates at 6 and 12 months than standard treatment. It was concluded that hypnosis combined with NP compares favorably with standard behavioral counseling in generating long-term quit rates.

Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group; Abbot NC; Stead LF; White AR; Barnes J. Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. (Cochrane Review). IN: Cochrane Library, Volume 1. Update Software: Oxford, 2003. (39 refs.)

Background: Hypnotherapy is widely promoted as a method for aiding smoking cessation. It is proposed to act on underlying impulses to weaken the desire to smoke or strengthen the will to stop. Objectives: The objective of this review was to evaluate the effects of hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. Selection criteria: We considered randomised trials of hypnotherapy which reported smoking cessation rates at least six months after the beginning of treatment. The main outcome measure was abstinence from smoking after at least six months follow-up in patients smoking at baseline. We used the most rigorous definition of abstinence in each trial, and biochemically validated rates where available. Subjects lost to follow-up were counted as smokers. Where possible, we performed meta-analysis using a fixed effects model. Main results: Nine studies compared hypnotherapy with 14 different control interventions. There was significant heterogeneity between the results of the individual studies, with conflicting results for the effectiveness of hypnotherapy compared to no treatment or to advice. We therefore did not attempt to calculate pooled odds ratios for the overall effect of hypnotherapy. There was no evidence of an effect of hypnotherapy compared to rapid smoking or psychological treatment. Conclusions: We have not shown that hypnotherapy has a greater effect on six month quit rates than other interventions or no treatment. The effects of hypnotherapy on smoking cessation claimed by uncontrolled studies were not confirmed by analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Douglas D. Stopping smoking: A study on the nature of resistance and the use of hypnosis. IN: Seidman DF; Covey LS, eds. Helping The Hard-Core Smoker. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbarum Associates Publishing, 1999. pp. 213-224. (13 refs.)

As part of a book on treating hard-core, highly addicted smokers, this chapter begins with some of the barriers to successful cessation. These include "comfort seeking;" the vicious cycle of self-lectures to 'stop-smoking'", in which thoughts about the need to stop are relieved by smoking and thus consideration of cessation becomes conditioned to smoking; the stance that one is powerless to an external enemy. In the face of this, the author suggests that "metanoia" (a conversion-like experience, that restructures the personality) is required for cessation. The author then reviews the use of hypnosis, which it is emphasized can only empower a smoker's decisions, not serve as a substitute for them.

Green JP; Lynn SJ. Hypnosis and suggestion-based approaches to smoking cessation: An examination of the evidence. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 48(2): 195-224, 2000. (92 refs.)

This article reviews 59 studies of hypnosis and smoking cessation as to whether the research empirically supports hypnosis as a treatment. Whereas hypnotic procedures generally yield higher rates of abstinence relative to wait-list and no-treatment conditions, hypnotic interventions are generally comparable to a variety of nonhypnotic treatments. The evidence for whether hypnosis yields outcomes superior to placebos is mixed. In short, hypnosis cannot be considered a specific and efficacious treatment for smoking cessation. Furthermore, in many cases, it is impossible to rule out cognitive/behavioral and educational interventions as the source of positive treatment gains associated with hypnotic treatments. Hypnosis cannot, as yet, be regarded as a well-established treatment for smoking cessation. Nevertheless, it seems justified to classify hypnosis as a "possibly efficacious" treatment for smoking cessation.

Green JP; Lynn SJ; Montgomery GH. Gender-related differences in hypnosis-based treatments for smoking: A follow-up meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 50(3): 259-271, 2008. (52 refs.)

In an earlier meta-analysis of 12 studies using hypnosis-based treatments for smoking cessation, we provided preliminary evidence that males fare better than females when trying to quit smoking (Green, Lynn, & Montgomery, 2006). By excluding studies that reported no gender differences, but failed to report final outcome-statistics-by-gender, our previous conclusion may have overestimated the role of gender in hypnosis-based smoking cessation treatment. In the present analysis, we included 12 additional studies that reported no gender differences, but failed to report final outcome-by-gender statistics. Across each of these studies, we calculated identical success rates for male and female participants and then added these results to our database. Among all 24 groups of participants who completed hypnosis-based treatment for smoking, we found a small but significant effect for male participants being more successful in quitting smoking relative to females. Specific suggestions for tailoring hypnosis smoking cessation programs to take gender differences into account are discussed.

Haustein KO. Pharmacotherapy of nicotine dependence. (review). International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 38(6): 273-290, 2000. (204 refs.)

Withdrawal treatment of cigarette smokers is a task of the utmost urgency in view of the consequences for national health programs and legislative policies of the high morbidity and mortality rates caused by smoking. Smokers need medical consultation in addition to drug- based treatment, but this results in self-willed quitting of the smoking habit in a limited number of smokers only. From the point of view of the criteria of "evidence-based medicine", non-drug methods such as hypnosis therapy and acupuncture are not effective (odds ratio = 1.22). Among the drug-based methods, treatment with nicotine substitution preparations has shown confirmed efficacy in numerous studies (odds ratio 1.63 to 2.67, depending on the application form used) and results in successful withdrawal from the smoking habit in 30 - 40% of cases. A decisive problem in the initial therapeutic phase appears to be the amount of the applied nicotine dose, but beyond that can be mastered above all by combining 2 or 3 application forms (patchs, chewing gum, nasal spray). Treatment is then continued for 4 - 12 weeks, depending on the degree of dependence, with successively reduced nicotine dosage. Two controlled studies with disparate designs have been done on bupropion (odds ratio 2.3/3.0). However, further studies are desirable due to concern about undesirable effects of bupropion described recently. Other substances subjected to trials in years past, such as clonidine, lobeline, mecamylamine and antidepressants including buspirone cannot be recommended on the basis of current data for treatment of smokers seeking a withdrawal cure.

Kinnunen T. Integrating hypnosis into a comprehensive smoking cessation intervention: Comments on past and present studies. (editorial). International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 49(3): 267-271, 2001. (10 refs.)

Kirsch I. The altered states of hypnosis. Social Research 68(3): 795-808, 2001. (14 refs.)

This volume provides the proceeedings of the 8th Social Research conference. Sparked by the "War on Drugs" the conference considered the origin of current attitudes toward use of drugs that alter consiciousness, patterns of use through history, and the origins and nature of government control policies, as well as alternatives to current policy. This paper is one of the four papers that were presented in a session that considered other routes to alter consciousness and conceptualization of drug use.

Pekala R; Kumar VK; Maurer RL; Elliott-Carter N; Moon E; Mullen K. Positive affect, negative affect, and negative effects during a phenomenological hypnotic assessment within a substance abuse population. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 57(1): 64-93, 2008. (80 refs.)

Positive and negative affect generated while using the Phenomenology of Consciousness - Hypnotic Assessment Procedure (PCI-HAP) on a sample of drug and alcohol users were predicted using several variables. The results were then cross-validated on a second, smaller sample. The results suggest that, although some negative affect was reported, the PCI-HAP was more likely to generate positive, rather than negative, affect. Positive affect was related to the vividness of a suggested hypnotic dream during hypnosis and also hypnotic depth; these findings were replicated upon cross-validation. Although negative affect correlated with the Dissociative Experiences Scale scores and falling asleep, these results did not replicate upon cross-validation. Mild transient negative effects (e.g., headache) were reported by about 10% of the participants in a smaller, second sample. Implications of the results are discussed.

Pekala RJ; Maurer R; Kumar VK; Elliott NC; Masten E; Moon E; Salinger M. Self-hypnosis relapse prevention training with chronic drug/alcohol users: Effects on self-esteem, affect, and relapse. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 46(4): 281-297, 2004. (59 refs.)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a self-hypnosis protocol with chronic drug and alcohol patients in increasing self-esteem, improving affect, and preventing relapse against a control, a transtheoretical cognitive-behavioral (TCB), and a stress management (attention-placebo) group. Participants were 261 veterans admitted to Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (SARRTPs). Participants were assessed pre- and postintervention, and at 7-week follow-up. Relapse rates did not significantly differ across the 4 groups at follow-up; 87% of those contacted reported abstinence. At follow-up, the participants in the 3 treatment conditions were asked how often they practiced the intervention materials provided them. Practicing and minimal-practicing participants were compared against the control group for each of the 3 interventions via MANOVAs/ANOVAs. Results revealed a significant Time by Groups interaction for the hypnosis intervention, with individuals who played the self-hypnosis audiotapes "at least 3 to 5 times a week" at 7-week follow-up reporting the highest levels of self-esteem and serenity, and the least anger/impulsivity, in comparison to the minimal-practice and control groups. No significant effects were found for the transtheoretical or stress management interventions. Regression analyses predicted almost two-thirds of the variance of who relapsed and who did not in the hypnosis intervention group. Hypnotic susceptibility predicted who practiced the self-hypnosis audiotapes. The results suggest that hypnosis can be a useful adjunct in helping chronic substance abuse individuals with their reported self-esteem, serenity, and anger/impulsivity.

2004, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis

Seidman DF; Covey LS, eds. Helping The Hard-Core Smoker. Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbarum Associates Publishing, 1999. (chapter refs.)

This volume deals with a subset of smokers, who in some respects have been ignored by smoking cessation initiatives, the "hard-core" smoker. The edited volume with 27 authors has fifteen chapters. The volume is organized into five section. The first section considers biological substrates of nicotine addiction. Section II discusses the association on nicotine addiction with other substance use and also its association with psychiatric especially among those who have difficulty in terminating nicotine use. Section III is directed to assessment and treatment with attention to special populations: i.e. children and adolescents, women, pregnant women, and the older smoker. Part IV deals with treatment approaches. Separate chapters consider nicotine replacement, non-nicotine medications, a psychotherapeutic approach, group psychotherapy, and a comprehensive psychological approach to prevent relapse. The final section addresses the role of physicians and dentists in smoking cessation, with specific protocols and approaches outlined. The concluding chapter addresses the challenges the hard-core smoker presents, and the danger of this population being ignored within a public health perspective.

Sood A; Ebbert JO; Sood R; Stevens SR. Complementary treatments for tobacco cessation: A survey. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 8(6): 767-771, 2006. (25 refs.)

Little information is available regarding the prevalence of use and interest in future use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for tobacco cessation among tobacco users. We conducted a self-administered anonymous survey among 1,175 patients seen at a midwestern outpatient tobacco treatment specialty clinic between November 2003 and July 2005. Patient use of CAM for tobacco cessation, perceived efficacy of these treatments, and interest in future use of CAM were ascertained. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression models were used to determine the characteristics associated with past CAM use or interest in future use of CAM for tobacco cessation. All of the patients who received the survey completed it. A total of 27% of patients reported previous use of CAM for tobacco cessation. The interventions most commonly used were hypnosis, relaxation, acupuncture, and meditation. CAM treatments most commonly perceived to be efficacious were yoga, relaxation, meditation, and massage therapy. A total of 67% of the patients reported interest in future use of CAM for tobacco cessation. The treatments of greatest interest for use in the future were hypnosis, herbal products, acupuncture, relaxation, and massage therapy. Female gender, previous use of conventional tobacco cessation products, previous use of CAM treatments, and a higher level of education were significantly associated with interest in future CAM use. The high level of interest in CAM among tobacco users underscores the need to conduct further research in this field.

2006, Taylor & Francis

Valbo A; Eide T. Smoking cessation in pregnancy: The effect of hypnosis in a randomized study. Addictive Behaviors 21(1): 29-35, 1996. (32 refs.)

At Buskerud Central Hospital in Norway, a county hospital with 2000 deliveries per year, an intervention study, using hypnosis, aimed at smoking cessation and reduction among pregnant women still smoking around 18th week of pregnancy was carried out during the period 1992-1993. Two sessions (each lasting 45 minutes) using conventional induction into a superficial nonsomnabulistic stage of trance were performed. A tape was played, encouraging the pregnant women's wish to quit smoking and her capacity to do so. Relaxation techniques together with self-hypnotic methods were introduced to combat craving. Changes in smoking pattern were investigated at delivery time. No significant effect on smoking cessation or smoking reduction was obtained (p > 0.05). The authors recorded a 10% quit rate in both intervention group and control group, and 42% and 31% reduced their smoking in the intervention group and control group, respectively.

Villano LM; White AR. Alternative therapies for tobacco dependence. Medical Clinics of North America 88(6): 1607+, 2004. (72 refs.)

This article explores the use of acupuncture and hypnosis to treat tobacco dependence. For both hypnotherapy and acupuncture, the evidence of any effect is anecdotal. There are insufficient rigorous studies that are homogeneous in design or results to allow a reliable conclusion on whether or not these therapies are effective. At best, individual smokers who choose one of these interventions for preference should not be discouraged provided that they are informed about the state of the evidence.

Walsh BJ. Utilization sobriety: Brief, individualized substance abuse treatment employing ideomotor questioning. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 45(3): 217-224, 2003. (30 refs.)

This article presents a substance abuse treatment method that acknowledges and accommodates the personal needs that are being addressed by substance. This method, Utilization Sobriety, bypasses perceived resistances and employs idiosyncratic psychobiological learning to achieve a body-mind gestalt that is complementary to the client's sobriety. It develops a safe framework for addressing any subsequent mental health themes directly or indirectly related to substance misuse. A treatment protocol for the use of Utilization Sobriety as well as relevant clinical material illustrating its application and a discussion of its implications are offered.

Young GK. Hypnosis as an adjunctive modality in the relapse prevention component of an alcoholism treatment program. Dissertation Abstracts International 57(8): 5350-B, 1997

To evaluate the effectiveness of hypnosis as an adjunct to a relapse prevention program, 40 patients (23 males, 17 females) in an alcoholism treatment program at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, California were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. Both groups of 20 received the same treatment and relapse prevention procedures. The experimental group received an intensive (three month) hypnosis intervention in addition. All patients were given the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), the Situational Confidence Questionnaire-39 (SCQ-39), and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: Form A (HGSHS:A). Posttesting on the SCL-90-R and the SCQ-39 was done 90 days posttreatment. Hypnosis group members were also given a debriefing questionnaire to obtain qualitative information about the effects of the hypnosis intervention on their recovery. The independent variables were treatment group, measured hypnotizability, and interaction (to detect the possible moderating effect of hypnotizability on responsiveness in the hypnotic group). The dependent variables were positive scores on the SCL-90-R and the SCQ-39 and abstinence status at 90-day follow-up. There were no significant results either for the variables considered individually or for the overall multivariate tests. None of the independent variables predicted outcome on the SCL-90-R or the SCQ-39. Abstinence rates were identical for both groups: 17 were abstinent and three had relapsed. In contrast with the nonsignificant effects portrayed in the statistical analyses, content analysis of the debriefing questionnaire responses of the hypnosis group found that every respondent described positive effects. Those responses had five themes: (1) improved stress management (95 percent); (2) better impulse control (80 percent); (3) enhanced feelings of well-being (75 percent); (4) increased ability to focus on recovery (70 percent); and (5) improved sleep (65 percent). These results mirror the previous literature on this question, which shows both a discrepancy in controlled studies and clinical reports that hypnosis has a positive impact in adjunct therapy.

NOTE: There is a long list of studies and research projectsl, the majority indicating that Hypnosis is by far the most effective way to smoking cessation (in some cases there is a 95% success rate)