Cases | REPORT

48. Smoking

PERSON: adult boy.
DESCRIPTION: smoker since eight years, 40 cigarettes every day, sound intention to quit but absolute inability to do it; self-image of an addicted to smoking.
APPROACH: key statement during the pre-talk: "why do you continue to smoke? (I don't know). I tell you why. You are continuing because you have not put any true effort in it. Next time we will use hypnosis"; during the first session he asked to me to speak to him like a friend [in Italian 'you' is 'tu' for friends only, but 'lei' for more formal relationships; he asked to me to use 'tu']; I agreed. Smoking reduced down to just a cigarette per day. "When do you think that you will get rid of that last cigarette and make it indifferent to you? Within ten years? (No, at most within ten minutes). Are you sure? (Absolutely). I absolutely believe in you. The session is over [hidden post-hypnotic suggestion]".
RESULT: just after the pre-talk, smoke cut down to one cigarette a day since about 4 weeks; great enthusiasm for that achievement; complete quitting within few days after the actual session.
UPDATE (1 year): smoking completely forgotten; "free [of smoking] forever".

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