Just as there are  a variety of alternative ways to deal with your overall health concerns, there are also alternative methods used by many to stop smoking, most typically through hypnosis or acupuncture.  However, determining just how effective either of these methods can be is not so easy.  Not much sound, independent research has been conducted in either area.  Establishing success rates gets confused by the fact that more often than not, these methods are but a part of a larger stop smoking plan that may incorporate the use of group counseling or nutritional supplements. Also both require a strong desire within the smoker to actually stop, but then again, so do all stop smoking plans.  That being said, some good data has been revealed that shows that these therapies won’t hurt and may just help.

Could anything be more appealing than the thought of instantly giving up cigarettes?  No cravings, no hard work, just instant termination of a fatal habit.  This is what many hypno-therapists offer to sell you, but it is not completely accurate.  Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which you are very relaxed and highly suggestible.  When used for smoking cessation it can be done either as a group or individual session that is guided by a clinician or as self- hypnosis where you learn to hypnotize yourself. 

 

Typically, both will be combined to allow you the ability to continue the treatment and at least benefit from the relaxation portion at home.  Once in a hypnotic state direct suggestions (you will not smoke anymore), creating aversions to smoking (cigarettes burn your lips), and altering your perceptions of smoking (smoking kills) are the methods commonly used to modify your behavior. 

Hypnosis can help you stop smoking, if you have a strong desire to do so and you are hypnotizable.  Approximately 10 to 25 percent of the population cannot be hypnotized, so make sure that you can obtain at least a partial refund if you find that you are one of them.  For those that do stop, with study estimates ranging from 25 percent to 55 percent of those undergoing hypnosis, there is a very low rate of relapse which means that you are probably done smoking for life.

Acupuncture is typically practiced by a doctor or lay person with training in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  The core of TCM is the belief in life energy, Qi (pronounced “chee”), that flows in the body between two opposite poles, Yin and Yang. When Yin and Yang are in balance, the body is healthy; an imbalance caused by blocked or irregular flow of Qi leads to illness and disorder.  The belief is that nicotine addiction causes an imbalance and can be manipulated with acupuncture.  The correction is made by applying small sterile needles in the body along the meridian, channels that carry Qi throughout the body. This often needs to be done over a series of visits. 

Acupuncture has been studied to see if it is useful for smoking cessation, however not nearly as much as is necessary to form absolute proof.  Also, the methods may vary from one acupuncturist to another.  While the jury is still out, early results are showing that it can be effective in curbing and sometimes stopping smoking.  The smoker must be motivated and higher success rates are achieved if the acupuncture is used in combination with group sessions or other smoking cessation plan.  It does appear, however, that the acupuncture reduces the intensity and frequency of cravings and may be helpful as an aid to breaking the habit.

As with all things, be careful of those attempting to separate you from your money by capitalizing on your sincere desire to stop smoking.  Investigate any practitioner of hypnosis or acupuncture before using their services.  Talk to your doctor and see if there is someone that they can refer you to.  Find out what their procedures are and whether or not they have received appropriate licensing in your state.