Can Therapy Help Me Quit Smoking?

There are many ways for people to quit smoking. Today, we are going to talk about effective therapy techniques that can be used to help you quit smoking.

The first type of therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The goal of CBT is to challenge the cognitive distortions and behaviors that the client currently has about their smoking habits and then work to create realistic and reasonable solutions, as well as challenge negative cognitions. CBT increases the client’s confidence in their ability to quit. Most clients have the belief that since they have been smoking for most of their life, they are never going to be able to quit. Thinking this way can become part of the problem. CBT also explores the ambivalence the client may have in regards of wanting to quit. Some clients may express that they are ready to quit but may present with many reasons they want to continue, such as managing their stress. Another issue that CBT addresses is identifying triggers. Being able to identify triggers and change the way that the client responds to them can be a significant part of helping clients quit. Lastly, CBT can offer the client new ways to cope with the stress that comes with quitting smoking and the urges that they are going to have.

The second therapy that I am going to be discussing is hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy, or hypnosis, helps you reach a heightened state of awareness and helps clients focus their attention to a specific task. With smoking cessation, hypnotherapy taps into the client’s subconscious and helps reprogram the brain to better understand smoking. With the help of a therapist, the client can work on taking away the perceived rewards that smoking provides. It also helps the client understand the real and negative effects that smoking has on their body. Some avid smokers realize that smoking causes damage to their body but are not able to take it seriously. Hypnotherapy works with the client to understand all the effects that are happening or can potentially happen due to smoking.

Lastly, there is biofeedback therapy. This method helps the client use the electrical charges that are generated by their stress. The client then learns to self-regulate his body reactions that are involuntary- like heart rate and muscle tension. These responses are monitored, and the client can see the reactions to different stressors that are presented to him. Working with a trained professional, the client can learn to control these involuntary reactions with relaxations techniques and mental exercises. Studies with smokers in the past have found that most use smoking as a relaxation skill to help them call down. When using biofeedback, it teaches the client to control their anxiety without the need of any drugs and use the relaxation techniques instead.

Disclaimer: This blog does not provide or replace psychological treatment or evaluation. Contact a psychologist in your community if you are in need of individualized services.

Written by Elihennette Carreron, M.S.