Smoking and Self Hynotherapy

Thank you for your post.  Congratulations on making the decision to stop smoking.  Wanting to quit is the first (and often the most difficult) step in this process.

Self hypnotherapy can and has worked for many people.  To ask "yay or nay" is not really a question that can be answered without knowing any information about you.  Self hypnotherapy does not have as much scientific validity as nicotine replacement.  That doesn't mean that I don't think it will work.  It's more important to look at your motivation to stop smoking.  Are you doing this for yourself?  Your partner?  Your family?  It's fine to want to quit for your loved ones, but the primary reason needs to be for yourself.  This is essential because the first thing you're going to want to do after you have an argument with the person you quit for is to reach for a cigarette. 

It's also a good idea to think about different ways to cope with your feelings.  Most people who smoke have dulled their emotions.  What are you going to do when you get angry if you aren't smoking?  If you've been smoking for 15 years, you've likely had a long emotional relationship with smoking.  Cigarettes have been there for your when you've been happy, excited, sad, depressed, angry, anxious, celebratory, and maybe even bored.  Consequently, you're going to have to think about how to deal with those emotions when they come up.  I know there have been several studies that link successful smoking cessation and exercise.

Good luck and congratulations again on deciding to quit.