DALLAS -- Can being hypnotized really help you give up cigarettes? Some who've undergone the procedure say it helps, even if it takes a couple of tries.

As a last resort, Belinda Ingram underwent hypnosis to stop smoking, an addiction that began when she was 13.

"I've tried the patch. I've tried gum. I've tried pills, inhalers and nothing seemed to really do it for me," she said.

So, Ingram went to see hypnotist Dr. Michael Stower, known to his clients as "Dr. Mike."

"I give them suggestions to override the old programming. See, the subconscious is like a computer or a robot. Whatever you tell it to do, it'll do it," Stower said.

Ingram's first session worked temporarily, but she admits to falling off the wagon.

"It worked. I was a non-smoker and then a week later, I got together with my girlfriend and we went and had a beer," Ingram said.

The beer led to a cigarette and Ingram was hooked again.

However, her second hypnotism session did the trick. Six weeks later, she remained smoke free.

"I feel better. I can breathe easier. I'm not as short of breath," she said.

The mother and wife likes her new healthier lifestyle, and the money she's not wasting on cigarettes.

"When I look at people who do smoke, I see the stress in their face and, man, that used to be me. And I don't want to go there. I don't want to be that person again," she said.

Stower charges $200 a session and guarantees results for one year. He also collects his clients' lighters during their sessions.

To find out more about hypnosis to quit smoking, please visit Dr. Stower's Web site at the link below.

On The Net: www.stopsmokingin22minutes.com