Whole Health

Army Veteran Walter Hauser smoked for more than 60 years, including during his service in Vietnam. That was until a VA psychologist helped him find a way to quit once and for all: clinical hypnosis.

Despite steadily declining rates over the years, hundreds of thousands of America’s Veterans still smoke cigarettes — this according to the VA’s most recent Survey of Veteran Enrollees’ Health and Use of Health Care Report. Walter Hauser used to be one of them. Starting at the young age of 14, the Army Veteran smoked for more than 60 years — including throughout his combat service in Vietnam. But then an unlikely solution helped him kick the nasty habit: clinical hypnosis.

The wake-up call

Hauser was aware of the risks associated with his smoking. Nearly a decade ago, a CT scan conducted at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center revealed abnormalities on his lungs — “three small spots,” to be exact. Naturally, Hauser was advised to quit before the condition became worse. It was a recommendation he would struggle to follow for several years.

“If I stop smoking, I’ll make the spots mad and they’ll start growing,” Hauser joked, remembering his initial response to the diagnosis. But that didn’t discourage him from trying. Unfortunately, whether it was smoking cessation classes or nicotine patches, nothing seemed to work. “[I tried] everything … everything over the years,” he said. That was before he was referred to VA Whole Health and Dr. Meghan Cody, a psychologist with VA training in clinical hypnosis.

A conscious decision

While clinical hypnosis is a collaborative process that involves eliciting a trancelike state, it is also a deliberate act that requires intention and mindfulness. “[Clinical hypnosis is] always really self-hypnosis,” Cody said, reflecting on her work with Hauser. “It’s not something that’s done to you; it’s something that you learn, and you’re able to … bring on those feelings, kind of harness that motivation for yourself.”

With 15 years of sobriety from drug and alcohol addiction under his belt, Hauser understands the sacrifice it takes to achieve better health and wellness. Still, he was skeptical when he met Cody for a consultation in September of 2024. Little did he know that he would be trying clinical hypnosis then and there in her office.

“She said, ‘You are a good candidate today,’” Hauser recalled. “She said, ‘Would you like to try it today?’ And I said, ‘For real?’”

After getting over his initial disbelief, Hauser agreed. Having already discussed his history and goals, Cody instructed him to find a peaceful place. For Hauser, that happened to be a riverbank from his teenage years. “I used to do a lot of fishing,” he said. “I would throw my reels out, and this cove that was tree-lined on both sides, but it was the clearest out in front of me … I just felt so comfortable there.”

Cody then guided him into an ever-deepening trance state. Once there, she gave Hauser an “anchor,” which he described as making a circle with his ring finger and thumb that he could look through. Hauser doesn’t remember every detail from that session, but he does know this: When he finally emerged, he was overcome with emotion. Later that day, wanting to test himself, he took a few puffs of a cigarette. Then he threw it out.

“[It] just didn’t taste right,” he said. “I knew then that [clinical hypnosis] was for real.”

Angling for better health

Months after his appointment with Cody, Hauser used his hypnotic suggestion for the first time. Passing a storefront window that advertised cigarettes for sale, he looked through the circle created by his ring finger and thumb. The gesture helped prevent him from relapsing, and just recently, he celebrated one year smoke-free. He continues to monitor his lungs under the supervision of his physician.

Hauser is no longer lighting up, but it’s safe to say that clinical hypnosis has sparked something else inside him. He has since returned to Cody to help him cut back on purchasing lottery tickets. He has also directed other Veterans, including his daughter, to Cody for assistance with smoking cessation.

“It was the most awesome experience of my life,” he said.

Hauser is just one example of a Veteran who has been able to address a health and well-being goal through clinical hypnosis, a complementary and integrative health (CIH) service offered as a part of the VA Whole Health System of care. Clinicians throughout VA have been trained to support Veterans in using clinical hypnosis to help manage concerns such as anxiety, insomnia, pain, obesity, and more.

Other Whole Health CIH services include acupuncture, biofeedback, guided imagery, medical massage therapy, meditation, tai chi, and yoga. To learn more, visit the Whole Health CIH webpage.