You may be surprised to hear that one of the most common uses of hypnosis is to overcome addiction. The reason why hypnosis for addiction is so effective is that it tackles addiction at its root; negative thought patterns. In this article we’ll go over the basis for those negative thoughts and then discuss some ways you can use hypnosis for addiction to conquer them.

So what is addiction anyway? Lots of people are addicted to television and coffee, how come they aren’t considered addicts? Well, those sorts of addictions may be detrimental in some ways but they are in no way comparable to the effects of smoking, alcohol, and substance abuse. Though coffee may be just as addictive as smoking, coffee related deaths are far less then smoking, so it’s clear why one is socially accepted and the other frowned upon. But if you’re looking to cut down your coffee consumption then hypnosis for addiction would also work for you.

The best way to go about a discussion on hypnosis for addiction is by example, so we’re going to use smoking. The reason people have such a tough time quitting is because they get unbearable cravings. This is where the hypnosis comes in. First off you’ve got to gain control over your mental processes. So find a place that’s comfortable and free from distractions and close your eyes.

What we’re going to do is watch the breath. You’ll quickly find that you have a million thoughts surging through your head in just about every minute of the day. What I want you to do is acknowledge that the thoughts are there and then let them go, don’t pursue them any further. You’re bound to have the thought of a smoke pop into your head at some point, so do the same for this. Mastery over this step is a crucial aspect of conquering addiction.

If you stay determined and practice the preceding step everyday you’re sure to see improvement in your concentration and overall well being, plus you’ll have better control over yourself when craving arise. An important point to remember is that a craving will only last at most for 8 minutes. This means that if you can find something to distract your attention for about 8 minutes, you’ll no longer have the craving for a smoke. The next step in using hypnosis for addiction is to use a visualization.

Once you’re in your relaxed state and you’ve been counting your breath for quite some time, you’re ready to call up a visualization. You can take two routes with this step, either a positive or a negative visualization. An example of a positive visualization would be to see how happy you and your family would be if you were to conquer your addiction. A negative visualization would be to picture all the possibilities for yourself if you were to continue down the path that you’re heading. The visualization used in conjunction with gaining control over your mind is what makes hypnosis for addiction so effective.

Using hypnosis for addiction can literally be that simple. Of course, it’s not going to happen overnight so you’ve got to stay determined and remember to give yourself credit for trying to conquer your bad habits. Hypnosis for addiction mixed with the will to succeed and a lot of determination will surely result in the demise of whatever habit you’re trying to kick.